Ghost Hunter screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 8.5 Graphics 9.0 Sound 9.3 Value 8.8 Ghost Hunter -  reviewed by Andrew B  Review Date: December 2003 Review Score 8.9/10  Distributed By: Sony Computer Entertainment

"I see dead people..."   Ghost Hunter is a game that takes something from a variety of movies such as Ghost Busters, Texas Chainsaw massacre and of course from the gaming world such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill that turns this title into an exciting game of cat and mouse. Ghost Hunter revolves around the story of Lazarus Jones (note the Christian name), a rookie cop who has just been transferred to a new city and a new police department. Partnered with the extremely sexy and clichéd Anna Steel, the duo are sent to an abandoned high school to investigate a mysterious disturbance. As with all good "B" grade movies, the pair split up to investigate the high school and of course get separated.   Before departing, Anna tells her partner that the school was closed down after dozens of students were murdered. Lazarus scoffs at his partner and believes that she and her friends will set him up as an initiation right into the police force. As Lazarus explores the abandoned high school, he soon starts hearing strange demonic voices and the cries of the females.   Upon reaching the basement, Lazarus unwittingly turns off a doomsday machine that releases the ghosts into the realm of man. Fortunately for Lazarus, he is not alone and teams up with a being called Astral who was the first Ghost Hunter and now it  is up to Lazarus and Astral to return these ghosts to where they came from... the ether. Not only must Lazarus save the world but he must also rescue his partner from the clutches Hawksmoor, a powerful and insidious spirit that threatens the very world.   The gameplay of Ghost Hunter is basically a third person hunt and shoot title that has you stalking ghosts like a predatorily beast. Although you generally see Lazarus from the back, you also have the option of rotating the camera angle to assist with the gameplay. The developers have done a brilliant job at  implementing a certain type of fear factor into this game that had me jumping out of my seat on more than one occasion. As you explore your gaming world, you are faced with a variety of enemies that must be defeated in order to rid the world of these dark spirits.   Fortunately for you, Astral has given you access to his old stockpile of ghost hunting weaponry that allows you to destroy them where mortal weapons would be useless. The game also takes elements out of the Ghost Busters movies were you must use a special grenade to bring the ghost into your reality. Once these ghosts are corporeal you can then either destroy them or entomb them in your ghost hunting Pandora's box.

Apart from controlling Lazarus throughout the game, you also have the option of controlling Astral that really helps spruce up the gameplay of this title. As Astral, you can control a variety of objects, possess other beings and of course battle ghosts.

Graphically, Ghost Hunter is a very impressive looking title on the PlayStation 2 and features a variety of special effects and detailed environments that only enhances the gaming experience. The first thing that you will notice in this game are the amazing character models that contain a ridiculous amount of polygons for that realistic look. Not only do the characters move with a human like grace but they also interact perfectly with the gaming environment from the way they create shadows or when they get injured by the ghosts that they are hunting. The realistic texture detail on the characters from the clothes that they are wearing to the facial features have all been implemented perfectly into this title.

The enemies in the game contain a plethora of special effects from the silhouettes of the non-corporal ghosts to monsters manifesting in the real world, it will simply leave you gawking for more. The game also uses the lighting in the game perfectly and some parts of the game had me scared but I must admit, I did play with the lights off to increase the atmosphere of the title. Apart from the awesome in-game graphics, the title also features a variety of pre-rendered CGI cutscenes that not only progress the story along nicely but also allows you to truly understand the characters that you are interacting with.

When it comes to sound effects, Ghost Hunter is right there with the best of them and it contains some of the most realistic and disturbing sounds that I have heard on the PlayStation 2. The first few levels of the game really gave me the creeps from the whispers of females saying to release them or the sounds of demonic voices threatening to kill you, the background ambience really makes this game. The game also contains your stock standard monster grunts, futuristic ghost hunter weaponry and of course some professional voice acting by the talented Joe Morton (Terminator 2) and Rob Paulsen (Final Fantasy who appears to be paying homage to the Resident Evil saga of games.) The game also contains a great "B" grade movie style soundtrack that really immerses you into the world of Ghost Hunter.

Ghost Hunter may not be the most original game on the market at the moment but for me personally, it was an extremely entertaining title. With a extremely clichéd storyline, loveable characters and of course a fear factor that almost rivals Half Life itself, Ghost Hunter has quite a bit going for it. From beautiful graphics that portray abandoned schools to deadly swamps, professional voice acting and some of the best use of audio to have ever graced a PlayStation 2 title before, Ghost Hunter is a must have a game! Highly Recommended!

- Andrew B