Review of Ghostbusters: the video game

Introduction

Let’s face it, when game developers try to make games based on movies they usually sit in a special place in society… the bin. But ‘Ghostbusters: the video game’ gets it right by not being based on the major motion pictures. Instead it acts as a sequel to ‘Ghostbusters 2’.

From the onset you notice that allot of the characters are voiced by the original actors, including Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. This lends the game a strong sense of authenticity and humour.

You will join the squad as a nameless experimental weapons technician. Within minutes of showing up on the job the game has you traipsing around New York helping rid the city of its horrible poltergeist problem.

Game play

‘Ghostbusters’ plays pretty well as a traditional third-person shooter with the third person prospective and your proton pack acting like a sort of gun.  During the game you’ll hunt ghosts using a variety of gadgets and weapons.

When you discover a ghost you can scan it with your PKE meter to discover if they need to be tapped or blasted to bits. Doing this will also log them in your spirit guide allowing you to view their unique back story. There are a total of 55 ghosts in total for you to log.

Equipping your Para-goggles you follow the peaking bars to discover enemies, Objectives and hidden artifacts. The proton gun allows you to wrestle ghosts till you’re able to trap the spirit.  There are 20 upgrades to the proton pack which can be purchased using cash awarded for every beast you blast.

The game doesn’t allow you to explore allot of free locations around New York but fooling around the firehouse in between missions is great. You are able to interact greatly with the environment such as playing with the pool table and sliding down the pole.

The game play does have its faults every now and again. You will sometimes run into spots where you need to wait for one of the Ghostbusters to say something in order for you to advance to the next level. Also I found it frustrating how damage is dealt. Sometimes you’ll take considerable damage and remain standing, while other times you’ll be hit with unseen force and be thrown to the ground, which renders you unable to move for a short time which is very frustrating mid battle.

Ghostbusters: the video game, clearly is not a flawless game but don’t let these complaints turn you off because it is so much fun to bust ghouls down with your proton pack and suck them into a trap.

Graphics

Overall the game is presented very well. The proton streams, spirits and all the characters are very well detailed. The CG is fantastic with allot of very good animation and visual effects.

Closing comments

To be honest I will say ‘Ghostbusters: the video game’ is a breath of fresh air this summer and at the moment there is no other game quite like it on the market.

Besides, if there is something strange in your neighbourhood, who are you gonna call?