8.4

Ghostbusters

Although fans of the Ghostbusters movies were never treated to a third film, gamers can now play the official follow-up of the second movie which begins in 1991 and reunites the original actors to voice these characters.

Best of all, the game is written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, ensuring some great film consistency and needless to say, the game has successfully made the jump from the movies to the wonderful world of gaming entertainment.

So where exactly does the gamer fit into the Ghostbusters mythology? The answer is a “nameless” recruit who is tutored by the original three Ghostbusters and yes, the equipment and weapons of the film are also at your disposal.
 

Features: Unique gameplay: Experience unique ghost hunting, wrangling and trapping with upgradeable weapons in widely destructible environments and large scale boss fights All New Storyline – Set two years after Ghostbusters II, the game will feature an all new storyline as the player battles and captures well-loved and brand new ghosts throughout New York Six Game Systems –PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Windows PC, Wii and Nintendo DS, capitalizing on the graphical and gameplay strengths of the different platforms Ghostbusters 25th Anniversary – 2009 celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the original theatrical release of Ghostbusters. To mark the occasion, Ghostbusters: The Video Game will be released, and Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II will be released on Blu-ray™ disc

Although set after Ghostbusters 2, two years to be precise, not much as changed in New York. The Ghostbusters are still “busting” ghosts for the Mayor and unfortunately for them, the villain from the original movie, Gozer is once again about to cause all sorts of grief for not only the denizens of New York but the Ghostbusters as well. In relation to the story, the game uses pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes to progress the story and give you that authentic Ghostbusters experience. Just check out old stay puff below!

The gameplay of Ghostbusters is reminiscent of those third person shooter games, however unlike traditional guns, your player has access to a plethora of Ghostbusters gadgetry which means you have to shoot ghosts with your proton packs and attempt to drag them into your ghost traps. The object of the game is simple, explore areas, shoot ghosts to weaken them but don't cross your proton beams and catch them. Interestingly enough even though the gameplay is quite simplistic, it's actually quite entertaining and more so if you're a fan. In terms of crossing proton beams, not much actually happened to me. The fun bit begins when you've caught the cost and like a slippery fish, you need to coax it into the trap... frustrating but true to the movie and kind of fun. You also need to use special Ghostbusters goggles that allows you to track ghosts and this part was probably the biggest let down of the game as the graphics were horrendous.

The control system is perfectly mapped on the PS3 controller with a healthy dose of DualShock to assist in the experience. Thankfully, the developers have added a variety of new “prototype” Ghostbusters gadgetry and as you progress, so does the access to your weapons and items.

Some levels of the game require you to assist your Ghostbusters buddies, however there are other levels which requires a solo experience. Interestingly enough, the AI actually works quite well in the game. The squad based mechanics come into play when a Ghostbuster is fallen in battle and another member will need to revive them. This aspect does become a little frustrating on harder difficulty levels in the game and when you are fighting boss battles like our friend, the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. Even so, it works quite well.

What about multiplayer? Although the game contains some great fun multiplayer modes, the title itself does not support co-operative play which is a shame as this would have been one hell of a ride.

Generally, the multiplayer levels require you to defeat an unending supply of ghosts such as the “Survival” mode. Although the multiplayer aspect of Ghostbusters is “cute”, the real essence of the game is the single-player mode that has the story, meaning and entertainment.

The key to gamers in multiplayer is that you are awarded “money” which can be used to purchase new uniforms and ranks etc. Even so, the multiplayer modes provide an entertaining break as you attempt to better or work with other Ghostbusters from around the world.

The stars of the game are the actors who carefully lend their voices to the characters they played over 20-years ago with Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Raymond Stantz), Harold Ramis (Dr. Egon Spengler), Bill Murray (Dr. Peter Venkman) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore) all reprising their roles, including a few other surprises. Thankfully the graphic department have successfully managed to capture the likeness of these actors so when you see Aykroyd as Raymond, you actually see the actor.

The worst aspect of the voice acting is Bill Murray who seems like he was dragged to the studio to record his voice, he is funny but doesn’t seem to get into his character like the other guys which is a shame. Even so, the game is oozing with Ghostbusters goodness, whether it’s the soundtrack from the original films, the Ghostbusters song by Ray Parker Jnr. or the great sound effects, it’s easily one of the best sounding games out there and yes it does support surround sound.

The dialogue in the game is quite witty and there are some great comedic moments but best of all, the banter is throughout the game and is not forced or clichéd but rather suits this story perfectly.

Graphically, the title looks visually quite impressive the majority of the time on the PS3, although some environments look a little Spartan, such as the indoors of buildings.

The characters look brilliant and are quite reminiscent of their real-world counterparts with some great attention to detail. Even the villains and ghosts from the movie have been successfully recreated and yes Slimer does show his ugly green head.

It’s great how the developers have allowed the gamers to revisit certain parts of the original movies in the game which only adds to the entertainment and graphical experience of Ghostbusters!

Final words? Ghostbusters is a good game and although it may not win any accolades for thinking outside the square, the developers have created a sturdy gaming engine that perfectly recreates the world of Ghostbusters.

The gameplay is a little basic at first, however as you play, you have access to more items and weapons, only adding to your gaming experience. The biggest gripe that we had was that the game was that it was a little too short and you can easily knock this over in 10 hours or less and at times, the gameplay does become repetitive. However when it comes to movie based games, Ghostbusters helps break the curse and creates a fun gaming experience.