The Weird Pixel

Review: Ghostbusters

By Sean - June 20, 2009 - 13:53 UTC

After 25 years since the release of the film Ghostbusters returns on next-gen platforms but does bustin’ still feel good?

Game Length – 6-8 hours
Replayability – You may go back but it’ll just be for trophies/achievements
Technical Aspects (Looks,Sounds,Controls) – Graphically average for next-gen, Great sound (Uses original movie score) and controls are easy to pick up and use.
Online Capabilities – 4 Player Online, modes are fairly generic.  (Note: No online on PC version)
Value For Money – Unless you play it online, just rent it. If you buy it, give the PC version a miss.

I won’t shy away from the fact that I love Ghostbusters. In fact playing through the game seeing classic ghosts from the movie is nostalgic and ultimatley makes the overall experience even more realistic.  The bonus of having all the original cast back and an entertaining plot really do make this feel like the third Ghostbusters movie and that is no bad thing!

When I first started the game and the opening tutorial mission played I felt that the controls couldn’t have mapped much easier. However, with the ghosts contiunally moving, the bright colours of the proton pack and the screaming lights for the ghost traps you can sometimes feel confused, especially in the later stages when you begin to encounter larger numbers of enemies.

Despite this, ghost capturing is fun and somewhat rewarding, especially when that ghost is one which raises nostalgia. It is made solid and enjoyable by a strong and easy capturing system which really captivates the essence of the films, you really do feel like the fifth ghostbusters. Terminal Reality did a great job getting the original cast on board as it is one of the things that make the games. The plot is entertaining (although predictable to Ghostbuster fans), the voice acting is well done and interjections of light-hearted comedy makes for a nice break from the action.

In game you get to revisit all the classic landmarks from the film including the Sedgewick hotel, libary and museum as well as exploring some new areas. Throughout the game you get to team up and work with the different Ghostbusters which is cool but what I do dislike is how you are put in the role of an unamed recruit who has no lines in the whole game. This seems to be to make it ‘appear’ that you are the Ghostbuster, however, if they wanted to take this approach then first person may have been the route to take.

Ghostbusters consists of only 7 stages but don’t be fooled, the stages are actually surprisingly long. Each level is spread into checkpoints so if you die or need to leave you can join the game from pretty much where you leave, it certianly makes the game ‘pick up and play’ friendly.

Loading screens are almost non-exsistent and are subtly hidden behind cut-scenes. It makes the game feel like it flows much more and there’s nothing more that I hate than waiting behind a loading screen! In fact the only time a loading screen explicitly occurs is if you are loading a saved game up to continue your progress but you never really mind as the Ghostbusters theme tune plays while you wait and let’s be honest most people love to sing along!

The camera always seem to be good but I don’t like the fact that you can’t have a more precise aim. The fact you can’t concentrate or zoom in your aim can make it hard to hit enemies who are contiunally moving, something ghosts seem to be good at.

The gameplay is what you’d expect, you go round ‘busting’ ghosts each level where you reach a boss at the end, each one requires something a little different to do (I won’t spoil it for you though). The game remains quite interactive, you can drink water from the in-game fountains, listen in to Janie’s phonecalls at Ghostbusters HQ and even interact with the ‘cursed artifacts’ you find too.

The next bit of the game really feels like I’m talking about Pokemon. You get a PKE meter to help you find ghosts and ‘cursed artifacts’ but it also acts as a kind of a pokedex. You can scan each ghost you encounter, it gives you information on the ghost and its weaknesses and you can also gain a trophy/achievement for scanning them all. The PKE meter as I mentioned above also guides you to ‘cursed artifacts’. These are often quirky items which are explained by witty summaries. Again you can get an achievement/trophy for finding them all. These simple little additions give some extra to the game and offer some replayability as you may find yourself going back to scan all the ghosts/get all the artifacts but as I mentioned above any replayability seems to simply stem from the desire to get achievements/trophies.

My final comment about the single player is the ability to upgrade weapons. It’s a basic system but again gives you something to work towards. Admitly I could buy all the upgrades (with money left over) after the fourth level but, perhaps, this is how it should be as it actually gives you a chance to use your own upgrades!

Ghostbusters on the PS3/360 comes with four player online multiplayer and it comes with 5 online modes. When I played them I really felt like they were there because they ‘had’ to be and not because they needed to be. They don’t offer anything extra to the game and the modes are average and only mildly satisfying to play. The modes are what you expect, there is survival, containment (capture as many ghosts as you can in a set time), a capture the flag style mode, and a few other modes. The modes are overseen by a basic rank system which is dictated by the amount of the money you make in each mode and I can actually imagine that the game’s co-op is lots of fun with friends!

Online multiplayer is needed to boost the game’s playing time and value without it the game itself feels pretty short and what is a good plot build up is ruined by a climax which happens far too quickly. Fans of the series will not be disappointed as gameplay is both solid and fun. Don’t expect anything ground-breaking or revolutionary, Ghostbusters relies on a tried and tested formula but it is executed so well that it is much better than your average franchise tie-in.If you’re not a fan of Ghostbusters then you’ll probably wonder what the fuss is about and the experience will be much different. Part of the fun of the game is the exploration and fighting of familiar locations and old ghosts. Non-fans should rent this game but if you feel at all any love for Ghostbusters then go out and buy this game because you will not be disappointed.

Final note of interest – Bill Murray is in it and he is a legend …

Please note this is a review of Ghostbusters on PS3, 360 and PC, the Wii, PS2 and PSP versions are signifcantly different!

                      

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