When I heard a Ghostbusters game was in development, I was equally excited and terrified at the same time. While part of me couldn't wait for the opportunity to bust some ghosts, the other part of me was worried this latest Ghostbusters gaming experience would leave me feeling slimed.
Essentially, the third movie in the series, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is what fans of the original films have been waiting for. Written by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Rammis, the game is set in 1991 (2 years after the events of Ghostbusters 2) and sees the Ghostbusters employing a new rookie.
Taking control of this rookie, you follow the Ghostbusters around New York city catching ghouls with your proton pack whilst trying to solve the mystery of the current upsurge of spooks, which seems to centre around a museum exhibition based on a certain Sumerian shape-shifting destruction god called Gozer. If you have seen the first movie, the name Gozer should ring a bell or two.
Graphically the game is impressive. The familiar settings such as the Sedgewick Hotel, the city library and of course the Ghostbusters HQ all pop up at some point during the duration and are all rendered superbly. Occasionally the frame rate does stagger, but this is forgivable considering how much is going on at times. Whilst the locations are rendered well, the textures on the characters could of done with a bit more work and the game suffers further from poor lip syncing.
The game does a fantastic job in recreating the feel of the seminal 80's film. This is helped in part by the fact that the principle cast return to provide their respective voice parts, including Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Rammis and Ernie Hudson. Having them return for their roles, genuinely gives you the feeling that you are working with the Ghostbusters and had they used any random voice actor the experience would not feel as genuine. As you progress through the various locations they talk and bicker with one another - with each actor delivering their lines with an impressive authenticity identical to their performances in the films.
The soundtrack also warrants a mention – many of the classic themes that graced the first film to such an effective charm, are given an airing for the fans. The sound effects are spot on too, from the hum of the proton packs to the splatter of the slime guns, the sound design in this game is stunning.
The attention to detail is admirable and there are an endless amount of Easter Eggs thrown in for the fans. Among the many spooks scattered round the city is Slimer, Mr Staypuft and the “shhhhh” librarian from the opening scene of the first film (whom they still haven't caught!). That's not to say they aren't surprises along the way.
During certain levels things will happen that will spin the game on its head. While chasing a pirate ghost in the Sedgewick Hotel, the corridors suddenly become flooded and inhabited by sea animals. On the New York City Library level you are somehow transferred into another dimension, where the library is changed into a floating set of ruins and there are tie-dyed skies above you. There is even a level in the New York History Museum, where many of the artifacts suddenly come to life. All this demonstrates the game still has some imagination up its sleeve and doesn't entirely rely on the nostalgia value to entertain its audience.
As you progress through the game Egon upgrades your weapons, this adds a nice bit of variety. Starting off with a proton pack you are soon provided with the slime gun. From here Egon provides you with all sorts of weird and wonderful equipment.
The developers have been quoted as describing this game as “Gears of War lite”, but if the controls are anything to go by, I'd say it has more in common with the Resident Evil series – the only difference being that you can run while firing your proton pack.
The game is without a doubt a love-letter to the fans of the films and whilst this is its greatest asset, it is also its greatest stumbling block.
So much work has been put into recreating the Ghostbusters universe that one has to wonder if the developers were concerned about the gameplay.
At times things can get a little repetitive. You walk along, bust a few ghosts, walk along again, bust a few more ghosts and so on and so forth. When playing the game on a harder setting I found it all a bit infuriating and like I said, very repetitive.
This wasn't helped by the fact that the same music is played again and again. However, I found that playing the game on an easier setting the pacing was much better. That essentially is the main problem with Ghostbusters: The Video Game. It is more preoccupied with telling you the story than providing a quality gaming experience. That's not to say that it is not fun, it's just that there are better games out there and if you a not a fan of the films this will do nothing to convert you.
Having said all that, Ghostbusters could have been a disaster of biblical proportions, but as film licensed game it stands as tall as Mr Staypuft. I couldn't help playing this with a big smile on my face.
Verdict: 7 out of 10 - busting makes me feel good!
The Good
- It's Ghostbusters
- Great sound design
- Great graphics
- Good solid story that is respectful to the original film
The Bad
- A bit repetitive
- Weak character animation
- A bit buggy
- Long loading times
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