Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters hit the screens when I was a pre-teen, and instantly became one of my all-time favourite films. Now, when I first heard about Ghostbusters: The Video Game, I wasn’t sure what to think — movie-related games are rarely very good. But when it was said that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis would be penning the script to the game, and that the original actors would be reprising their roles in voiceover, I allowed myself to become cautiously optimistic…
I’m pleased to tell you that the game was not a disappointment! It’s been getting consistently good reviews, averaging around 80% scores, and I would definitely agree. It’s a solid Triple-A title, good both as a game, and as a sequel to the Ghostbusters franchise.
This isn’t your typical FPS run-and-gun style game… rather, the most unique thing about the Ghostbusters has to be their ghostbusting equipment and tactics, and that’s what I find the most fun about this game: you bust ghosts just like they do on-screen in the films. Your proton pack fires an eratic beam which is used to wear down and eventually capture the ghost. You then toss out a trap, and work to wrangle the ghost over top of it, and hold him there while he is sucked in. This all works wonderfully in 3D, and adds an almost sport-fishing adrenaline rush to most encounters.
The script is not quite “Ghostbusters 3″ as some had been billing it — Aykroyd and Ramis didn’t really write it, they just tweaked the script written by the game company. It’s a sequel, but tied very heavily to the events of the films; there is a lot of “fan service” here. The plot revolves around re-busting a lot of the ghosts from the films, and learning more about some, like the librarian. The ultimate villain is Ivo Shandor — the architect of the building in the first film (who, incidentally, was originally planned to be the final form of Gozer in that film… but now I’m getting too geeky for ya probably…) In the end, the script is amusing and interesting, and there’s nothing quite so cool as hearing the original actors play these roles again after all these years.
Games like these usually have multi-player modes that are just “tacked on” and unsatisfying, but not so with Ghostbusters… they have well thought-out modes and activities — you’re not shooting at each other of course, but working cooperatively (and sometimes competitively) to trap ghosts and accomplish goals. The only downside — and I would say this is the biggest strike against the game as a whole — is that it doesn’t feature split-screen play — neither in the main campaign, nor in multi-player mode.
I highly recommend this for any gamer that likes the Ghostbusters franchise; you won’t be disappointed! And even if you’re not willing to pay top dollar for a new game, keep it in mind when they reduce the price later on! It’s definitely a unique gaming experience.
