23.8.2010

Ghostbusters is another great movie based game to add to the (Sadly) small library with the like of chronicles of riddick, toy story, stranglehold, tron, spiderman, godfather and evil dead. It truly is something special when a game based on a film is actually really good, unique and captures the spirit (Ha ha) of the film. Which this game does.Presentation:Box art is cool and, like the films slightly cheesy. The menu is straight forward and easy to use (Single player, multiplayer, options and extras projected onto the front of the ghostbuster HQ). Loading is sometimes hidden in with the cutscenes (So splinter cell wasn't the first!)The story is while not as good as either film is still better than a lot of game stories.It should be considering it was written by the creators of the films. It is good enough to see you through to the end. You play as a fresh recruit, the fifth ghostbuster in the team. He never speaks and is referred to as "the rookie". This works well because it allows the main characters to perform without your character getting in the way too much.Graphics:The graphics are really good and capture the likenesses of the four main characters (Ray, peter, egon, winston) As well as Walter Peck and Jenine almost perfectly. There is some really good lighting effects (Shadows, darkness lights up when you fire your proton stream, ghosts glow weirdly etc.) The main weapon (The proton pack) has the best effects and when they are fired look like they just came out of the movie.There is also an awesome destruction/ physics system. While no where near on the level of chaos such as red faction guerilla. Furniture and most of the scenery break apart realistically or can set on fire. When you fire at a wall it leaves a burning scorch mark like in the films. This destruction is persistant. It doesn't just break and disappear it stays broken. Even in the in-game cutscenes. After a particulary chaotic fight with ghosts it is quite cool to see the state of the room you just fought in. There are little details also for example you can be "slimed" and your character is covered in the green goo. As well as the ghost trap smoking after it has caught something.The HUD in the game is minimal. Health and ammo is displayed on the proton pack itself with only money, weapon selection and any downed team mates flashing up on screen. These can all be turned off if you wish for a truly filmic experience.Sound: Another high point. All the ghostbusters, Walter Peck and Jenine have returned to voice their respective characters. The script is a lot better than most games but not as good as any of the movies. There are some good jokes and the characters act as they should (For example peter being smarmy/ sarcastic Or Ray being too caught up in the science of a dangerous event to realise they almost died.) But there really aren't any quotable lines like in the film (Eg. GET HER/ where do these stairs go? They go up).All the ghosts (And there are around 50 different types with different weaknesses and attacks) sound manic as they should do like in the films. Most of the ghostbusters soundtrack has been lifted from the films (Although weirdly only about 30 seconds of the actual main ghostbusters theme??) The sound of things breaking are as they should be and the proton pack is accurate also.Gameplay: This is what really matters. And even though it uses a lot of the mechanics from other third person shooters it still manages to be quite unique. The weapons and the whole ghost catching thing helps this. There are four weapons (Proton stream- standard weapon, shock blast- shotgun type weapon, slime blower (Sadly green rather than pink) and meson collider- machine gun type weapon. You will use all of these for different enemies and puzzles and they all have different secondary fires: Boson dart- grenade, stasis stream- freeze ray, slime tether (Can be stuck at two points, the slime then attempts to pull these two points together, sadly not fully realised and only on some rare very specific parts do you catch a glimpse of its potential eg. bringing floating platforms together, slamming a ghost quickly into a trap, using it to help the ecto 1 pull down a fence.) There is also the meson shot- stronger boson dart.You have infinite ammo put instead after a while of constant firing the proton pack over-heats and has to cool down for a few seconds. The vanilla proton pack is by far the best and will be the one you use the most. There are many enemy types (ghosts, slime monsters, golums made of books etc.) Some have to be caught with the trap, others destroyed. Using the ghost trap is the most fun because you have to "Wear down" a ghost until it is stunned. You can then pull it into a ghost trap ray to capture it. This is really cool because sometimes when it isn't quite stunned it fights your capture stream in an attempt to escape and even more so as it is dragged into the trap. It weirdly seems like fishing, but with ghosts.You also use the PKE scanner to "Scan" ghosts and weird objects (Each with their own back story). It works quite well but sometimes goes a bit wrong (Points you in wrong direction etc.) The game is quite linear and you never get to drive the ecto 1. Money is earnt by catching ghosts and can be used to buy many upgrades (EG. more damage, more shots before an overheat).Lasting appeal:The game is fairly short, 8 hours if you don't rush it and look for all the collectables. Achievements are awarded for finding collectables and after you have finsihed the game the level select tells you what you have missed. The game is quite re-playable because of its unique ideas and gameplay. There is a four player co- op online mode (Not campaign) Which is really fun. There are many different "jobs" to play in such as survival (Think of waves of ghosts like in horde on gears of war or firefight on halo.) Capture (Capture as many ghosts as you can within the time limit! The servers are not quite dead but it isn't brimming with players either. There are some dedicated people on fairly regulary though.Sorry if you don't understand some of the things mentioned here. I have written in a way that only a person who has seen the films can fully understand. but if you havn't i don't expect you to buy or even look at this game. Someone who isn't a fan of the movies will undoubtably have less fun than i did and may find more flaws.Also be warned! If you don't play shooters regulary i suggest putting the game on easy. I played on normal and found it quite challenging and i play a lot of shooters. i don't even wanna know what hard is like!

16.6.2009

Pros:+Well written dialog and exchanges between the characters+Top-notch production values+A lot of variety in the gameplay and overall a lot of fun+Lots of detail given to the environments+Good voice acting+The multiplayer we get is a lot of fun!Cons:-No multiplayer for the main campaign-Some may not like the whole, "Silent protagonist" thing... this is all about the original four GhostbustersAlmost everyone knows Ghostbusters. The film was a hit in theaters and it had a couple of animated television shows that were pretty good as well. The film in and of itself is one of my personal favorite of all time (not to mention one of the funniest). In the video game realm,video games based off movies are usually not that great. Most of them usually come off as rushed and unpolished. This isn't true of Ghostbusters. In fact, as you play the care and devotion to the game can be seen. If you were a fan of the movies in particular, this game is like a trip down memory lane.To begin, the production values of this game are stellar. The environments look exquisite, and the cutscenes look great. The music from the film is thrown in (including the signature song) for good measure and used really well. Also, the writers of the movies hopped on board as well as the cast to provide the voices for Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston. That being said, there's a good dose of humor here, particularly from Peter. In all the years since the second Ghostbusters movie, it's nice to know that the actors are still able to get back into character and that its brand of humor is still there.The presentation in and of itself is absolutely stunning. You'll be in the Ghostbusters lair in between missions and you can interact with a lot of stuff like the arcade machine, slide down the poll, listen to messages on the phone and mess around with the jumping toaster. All this is well catered to fans and it looks absolutely marvelous.Yet its the missions themselves that make you feel like a Ghostbuster. You're an unnamed silent protagonist who is there mainly for the sake of testing out Egon's new gear. You'll be happy to be strapped into the jumpsuit and given your own proton pack (and what self-respecting Ghostbusters fan wouldn't want the proton pack?). Even better, however, is when you can start going off and blasting ghost. You may think the whole thing might be repetitive, but it's really not. There are a good variety of ghosts around, and many of the environments are destructible in and of themselves. When you shoot at a wall, the embers and marks remain for the duration of the mission. You could write your name in the floor if you wish. Most of the ghosts you meet can easily be blasted to bits, while others will need to be trapped in the ghost trap. It's a lot of fun and will keep you immersed. As you go on missions, you'll also be accompanied by the original Ghostbusters and they'll continue with their banter throughout.The only real urk about most missions may actually be the banter. It's fine and dandy, but sometimes the Ghostbusters will hold the mission up. If the writing weren't so snappy and clever it might be a pain. You'll find that sometimes you'll achieve the current objective while they're still going on... and you have to listen to it all before you can move on. You can't skip it. At least most missions do go smoothly. They're fairly linear, so there's not much off the beaten path you can do.Your proton pack is also quite versatile. You'll certainly be blasting a lot of ghosts, but there are other ways you can take down ghosts. You can use Boson Darts or a Shock Blast. There's the Statis Stream which mostly slows down enemy advances. There's also slime tethering. There are moments where the game will make you use most of these things. There are other types of weapons as well.In spite of all you can do, Ghostbusters is not always an easy game. It's a fairly hard game most times, but at least you hardly feel like it's beating you up. You won't find yourself frustrated, but from time to time you will find yourself challenged. The missions are varied enough and the environments are fantastic looking so you'll find yourself immersed in the game.If there was any major setback to the game, it would be that there's no local multiplayer for the main campaign. It's a solo job. That isn't to say there's no multiplayer at all. There is, and you can go online with friends and play in several multiplayer arenas. In one instance you are there to trap as many ghosts as you can in the given time. In another you have to survive while trapping ghosts. There's also a multiplayer game where you all have to dunk slimer in the ghost trap as many times as possible. There's even a multiplayer campaign that begs of you to destroy stuff! Most of this stuff is a lot of fun. Still, it's a drag you can't run through the main story with a friend at your side.Graphically, the PS3 version looks alright, but the 360 version looks noticably better. If you have both consoles and graphics mean a lot to you, you may want to consider the 360 version over the PS3 one. There's just a lot more detaill there. Regardless, it's still fun to play.When all is said and done, Ghostbusters is a solid title. It fits in well with the canon and has top notch production values. Most important of all, it's fun and easy to get into. Where as most games based off (or spun off) of movies tend to lack a lot of things, Ghostbusters succeeds where so few have succeeded (and many others fail). It's more than just simple fan service. It's an enticing adventure.

26.6.2009

It's everybody's dream to become a `Ghostbuster' & surprisingly, this VG did deliver that childhood vision.This game basically is a movie, `Ghostbusters 2.5' (I say that cuz there's an actual 3rd movie coming). It takes place in 1991, a few yrs after the 2nd film, & you're the new recruit, a weapons guinea pig & you don't have any lines (that way, you get the full chemistry/jokes between the original cast).Now, I'm not going to go over the plot, but there are returning (ghost & ghouls) characters for you to fend off. Just like the movies - so there's no health bar, weapon ammo...well, there is, but not like on the screen corner, but actually on your Proton pack.It can get a bit frustrating; trying to see how much more hits you can take before being KO'd cuz the angle doesn't allow good visibility (especially when you're being bombarded), when your health is low, your controller (if you have a Dualshock 3) will vibrate regularly & the rim of the screen becomes red & your vision (the TV screen, not you) becomes a bit blurry. So it's brilliantly realistic & annoyingly frustrating not knowing your exact health lvl.The career mode allows you to play up to 8lvls (not a lot if you a game guru, you can complete it within days if not hrs). Throughout the campaign, you get to purchase upgrades for your equipments, scan ghosts & find/collect (still scan) artefacts. Now the latter 2 helps boost your cash (catching ghost is the main money generator).Now, catching ghosts, that's the whole reason you're interested in the game right? Of course it is! It couldn't be satisfying throwing a trap on the floor, a yellow beam shoots up notifying you & your team mates where it is & it's prepared. Anybody played `Pokemon' knows the similarity (yes, I'm talking to the kids out there), 1st you weaken the ghost by firing your proton stream (sometimes it can be a different weapon, depending on the ghosts weakness), once their health is low, you grab `em & drag `em to the trap. Now, sometimes you have to wrangle with `em (picture fishing) to get them in as they try to make a desperate escape. There is a 2nd solution: slam `em in (picture dunking a basketball - on a lasso). After getting the ghost in, you hear a constant beep & once it stops, you can retrieve your trap.Now proton stream is not your only weapon, you have the option of 4 (with proton stream as 1 of `em): slime blower mark 2, shock blaster & meson collider. Now each of these 4 weapons have a secondary weapon, which a bit more powerful, but can quickly drain your ammo/energy. As fun as firing the proton stream tearing things apart, you can't keep blasting without ventilating your pack.Other equipments you can use if the PKE meter/goggles, help tracking down ghosts & artefacts.Now my favourite, online. You basically play multiplayer with gamers online, it can be ranked on unranked matches (the latter allows you to enter a match that's ongoing). Ranked matches allows you to participate in 2 game types: 1) Campaign - which you have to play a 3 series of games (job) modes, 2) Instant - a 1-off game (job).The games (job) include:- Survival: remain alive as long as possible; you win if just 1 gamer is alive after 10 waves of enemy bombardment. Your best hint is to revive your team mates as soon as possible, or stay alive long enough (about 30secs) for your KO'd comrades to get up themselves.- Protection: You gotta prevent ghosts/monsters attacking the PKE disruptors, once the PKE charges up to 100%, you've successfully protected it. You got to do this 3x.- Containment: within a time limit, you attempt to capture as many ghosts as you can.- Destruction: Within a time limit, you gotta destroy as many evil relics as possible.- Thief: You gotta stop ghosts from stealing all 4 objects within a time limit.- Slime dunk: The only game mode that have you compete against your fellow gamers, almost the same as containment, capture as many Slimer ghosts as possible within a time limit.Adding to that are a collection of most wanted ghosts that only appear online on certain game (job) modes. It really adds a replay value even acquiring the highest rank (20).With everything (game play wise) done right, `Ghostbusters' VG suffers from annoying little hitches such as:- Your game save is not there (still on your PS3, but it's not there in the game) - the way around this either restart game or enter/exit multiplayer mode.- You might lose all your upgrades & still have your funds deducted.- Unable to connect online or having the wrong map version or unable to join a match (these got nothing to do with your internet connection, for some reason we are limited to who we can play, so you can't have a European gamer having a match with an American gamer)- Game freezes (online), not sure about anybody else, but so far `Ghostbusters' has frozen/crashed on me 6x already.Overall, it's a good game, especially for a `Ghostbuster' fan base, the only drawback is constant glitches that might ruin the experience for any gamer. So here's hoping that somebody comes up with a patch sooner rather than later to fix these problems. If you get the game, you'll get cheap scares, funny moments/dialogues (NOTE: this is 1 of those few rare VG where you can listen to the music stored on your PS3 whilst playing the game) & the satisfaction of capturing the ghosts while singing "I ain't afraid of no ghost!"

7.7.2011

Ghostbusters was a long time in the making, years in fact. There were several developmental delays along the way and the actual publishers of the game changed at least once! For a while the game seemed to remain in limbo (like a ghost), until another company (Atari) took over and eventually licensed the game.There probably aren't many people around who haven't heard of the Ghostbusters films, cartoons, toys, breakfast cereal (probably), and this isn't the first time a Ghostbusters game has been attempted. The first such attempt was back in the 80's (shortly after the original film's release) which was a simple blocky adventure on the Atari, in which you drove a blocky car around,shooting at blocky ghosts with your blocky characters trying not to cross the blocky streams.......blocky! It was a fun, simple little game which I still have fond memories of playing on my commodore 64 (remember those?). Several other versions materialized (like a ghost) and the Ghostbusters have appeared (in one form or another) on most formats, including NES, Master System and a particularly quirky, but fun version for the Sega Megadrive back in the 90's (I can recommend that one).So, is this newest version any good? Well, yes it kinda' is. It doesn't quite live up to the hype that preceded the game's release, although this is understandable as due to the long wait the hype just built up and up to ridiculous proportions (like a massive pie filled with hype). The only other game I can think of that has less chance of living up to it's own hype is Duke Nukem Forever (if that's even getting made anymore). The game picks up a couple of years after the events of Ghostbusters 2 (a film that's almost universally hated...I remain convinced that I'm the only person in the world who preferred the second movie to the original). The Ghostbusters have hired a new recruit to field test Egon's new weapon designs and this is where the player comes in. It's a good idea to have the player be basically an anonymous, silent protagonist as it means you get to interact with the `actual' Ghostbusters and feel like you're part of the crew, whilst listening to all of the (mostly) witty banter. The Ghostbusters are all voiced by their movie counterparts and the comical script is written by the original movie writers Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis.The actual gameplay is similar in style to Gears of War (for want of a better example), although unlike Gears of War, this is actually fun (oooooh, controversial). The main character is controlled from a third person, over the shoulder view, while aiming and firing is controlled via a floating crosshair which displays the health of any enemies you point it at. The basic idea is that you blast a ghost until its health decreases to almost zero, at which point you fire off a sort of tether blast which imprisons the enemy. While it is trapped in this beam, your character (or one of the other Ghostbusters) can throw out a trap. The idea then is to wrangle and maneuver the ghost into the beam of the trap and once it's inside, collect the full trap. This sounds long winded, but it's actually quite good fun and you can even bash the tethered ghosts into walls, or slam them into the floor to weaken their resistance when dragging them into the trap. Also, it's important to state that you don't have to go through this routine for most of the smaller ghosts or possessed items/ furniture etc, they just go down after a bit of blasting, so the whole trapping ghosts thing doesn't get old too quickly.As you go through the game catching ghosts and generally wrecking stuff, like the, uh...'real' ghostbusters (not the cartoon), you earn money which can be spent on the usual weapon upgrades. This adds an extra level of interest, as it's helpful to have extra traps, more powerful beams upgraded secondary weapons, etc, and gives you something to aim for (other than ghosts).The weapons themselves are actually pretty good fun to use, and each one is useful at different times, although you'll mainly find yourself using the proton beam, as to be honest, any other kind of projectile coming out of the Ghostbuster's gun just seems wrong, somehow. It's also the most fun to use and has the most uses (the aforementioned ghost grappling business mentioned earlier). The slime tether is a fun weapon, although this too only has a few uses throughout the entire game, which is a shame. The additional weapons would work better and feel more important if there were more uses for them in throughout the course of the story. They are a welcome addition though, and it would be strange and slightly dull if what is essentially a shoot `em up contained only one type of weapon for the main character.In summary then, this is a nice game that does the Ghostbusters proud and was worth the wait....as long as you were just casually waiting while getting on with your life and not, um...holding your breath or anything. Um.........GHOSTBUSTERS!!!Overall score: Four ghoulies out of Five.

9.7.2009

The Ghostbusters, when the films were first released in the 80s, featured a cast of some of the best known names in comedy of that decade. I don't think I can conjure up a memory or thought of a film or TV show that matches the comic brilliance and originality of the first two Ghostbusters movies. Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have not combined their skills since those movies until this marvellous video game. The four original Ghostbusters including a few other original cast members reunite to deliver what has undoubtedly led to the talks and eventual confirmation of a third Ghostbusters movie.Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd combined their talents as the writers for the original plot of the video game.The plot circles around the player as a new recruit to the Ghostbusters who is undoubtedly thrust in at the deep end during his initiation period by having to face the Marshmallow Man on a destructive rampage during his first day on the job. What triggered this massive attack was a city wide PKE shockwave that the team eventually discovered has kicked off a tragic event which is slowly combining our dimension with the dimension of the ghosts.Set as a third person shooter, you are certainly placed in a scenario you will have dreamed of as a child. You are given the power of the proton pack in hand and given permission to blast the hell out of New York City and go against the infamous Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, amongst other famous ghosts from the movies. The aiming and firing aspect isn't anything overly unique but it's simple and effective, and allows you go take the enemy out with ease. The surrounding environments are surprisingly detailed and destructible, so destructible in fact, that when you're destroying it you are shown a meter in the corner that tells you how much your destruction is costing New York. Useless this meter may be, but I found it pretty cool.The enemies vary, there are the simple slime born creatures which can be disposed of easily with the use of the slime blaster. However, the small slime monsters are aplenty and do become a pain as they swarm around you. Another enemy type are the possessors which take on physical forms by using the objects around them and you may be forced to take on a new tactic aside from the general proton blast to take them down. Then there are the ghosts themselves, the ones we are all familiar with from the movies and these are quite tough when you first tackle them, but you become used to the attacks they may throw at you and they are quite easy to dodge. Wearing them down and capturing them is pretty fun though and is the main staple of what the Ghostbusters are about.I really enjoyed this game and am thankful that the old team were brought together for this as I would have hated to think the voice acting would've been done by imitators. The voice acting is very much on par with the characters we know from the movies. Some of the cut scenes are very well done, but they are not consistent as some are magnificently animated, whilst others use the game play graphics for the scenes which takes away from the overall movie like experience which I believe they're trying to project to the player. The comedy was there but in all honesty it wasn't wholly noticeable which is kind of disappointing, but overall, just to have the actors voicing in this game makes it a worthy addition to the Ghostbusters brand.I would recommend that anyone buy or rent it as it's certainly a fun game to get involved with and the trophies are relatively easy to collect, so if you play the games for the trophies, you will have them collected in a second.

10.1.2010

Like many pre-adolescents in the '80s I was a Ghostbusters nut as a child.I devoured the films and the animated series and one of my earliest (and fondest) gaming memories was playing the wonderful Ghostbusters game on my Commodore 64.Now in my late twenties I bought this along with the Ghostbusters Blu Ray Disc to give myself a nostalgic treat.Ghostbusters is an endearingly charming, witty and hugely playable affair which, though short lived, offers a lot of replay value by virtue of its simple yet fun gameplay as well as the multi-player mode.The developers have obviously taken great pains to create an authentic Ghostbusting experience.The story has been written by Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd (who wrote the films and played Egon and Ray respectively) and is intended to be, for all intents and purposes Ghostbusters 3 in a different medium. You play a Ghostbuster in training, the latest in a long line of paranormal interns whose fates have been about as charmed by luck as the drummers of Spinal Tap. As the newbie you tag along on various missions with the legendary Pater, Ray, Winston and Egon (and inevitably end up doing all the hard work for them). Of course the film's original cast provide the voices and there is infinite charm in hearing Bill Murray crack wise while you do battle together with the unquiet dead. The graphics have a real cartoony charm as well with characters still recognisable from the films in delightful caricature. The original score from the film reproduced here also adds to the wonderful sense of authenticity.The gameplay itself adds even more to the authentic and nostalgic feel. You start the game with the trusty proton pack, controlling the stream with your Wii remote. While other systems may boast superior graphics the Wii version offers a more entertaining gameplay experience for my money as the developers have made excellent use of the system's intuitive controls. The Wii remote feels just right as the proton gun and ghost traps are deployed with a cheeky underhand throw of the nunchuck. Slime attacks can slow you down as well as sapping your enercy but you can shake off the ectoplasm with a vigorous shake of your nunchuck. As the game progresses you are eventually equipped with a wider arsenal of ghost busting gadgets including an updated version of then 'slime blaster' from Ghostbusters 2. Shock Blasters (a sort of proton shotgun, ghost detecting goggles and the iconic PKE meter are all at your disposal as you go from place to place cleansing Manhattan of hauntings.The missions themselves offer very little in the way of a challenge, particularly to the seasoned gamer, but you'll be having so much time detecting and trapping the enormous and colourful variety of undead nasties you'll be having far too much fun to care. You won't find yourself 'dying' an awful lot either as your fellow Ghostbusters will always be around to help you up Gear of War style should you fall. Of course you must do the same again or they'll be unable to get to you in time.Fans of the film will see cool little in-references everywhere from the appearance of the loathsome bureaucrat Walter Peck to a rooftop battle with the Stay Puft Marshallow Man, a ballroom rematch with Slimer and even the infamous portrait of the evil Prince Viggo lying around in the basement of the Ghostbusters' HQ!All in all this direct-to-game sequel is a fine addition to the Ghostbusters mythology and a game that anyone (but particularly children of the '80s) will enjoy!

20.6.2009

If you're a child of the 80s or 90s, or simply just a child at heart, you'll be hard pressed not to get goose bumps when the Ghostbusters theme tune finally kicks in. Terminal Reality, the game's developer, has undertaken the mammoth task of making a video game adaptation of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. And given the gaming industry's long and glorious history of making movie tie-ins into stunning turds, you could forgive consumers for being a tad sceptical.We need not have worried. Ghostbusters delivers on almost every front. The story, penned by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis, is unsurprisingly faithful to the films and contains some genuinely funny gags.The typically idiosyncratic characterisation is as strong as ever too. It's hard believe that it has been twenty years since Bill Murray slipped on that famous jumpsuit - his performance seems so fresh. All four Ghostbusters make a return, the only notable absentees being Moranis and Weaver, but the script contains enough pep and vigour to keep this from being a huge issue.Your character, the rookie, is introduced as an experimental equipment technician and never speaks throughout the game. Perfect! Sometimes this ploy works and sometimes it doesn't. In Ghostbusters it couldn't be more appropriate as the feeling of interloping in the Ghostbusters universe is far more immersive as a faceless entity. I don't want to be Venkman, I want to be me, and this is the closest I will get - good move Terminal Reality!Gameplay is simple and satisfying. Catching ghosts involves wearing them down with a prolonged proton stream, knocking them into walls and furniture until they are suitably knackered and then holding them above the trap until they finally succumb. It's a genuinely tactile control system and there is a fine sense of achievement when you finally land that illusive free-roaming vapour. Less satisfying are the waves of inanimate objects that need to be despatched without a trap. It seems unnecessary to me and smacks of over-development.In the game's quieter moments the PKE meter is an essential device and allows you to see ectoplasmic residue left by ghosts. It can produce some genuinely scary moments and is a welcome break from the pressures of busting. You can capture a ghost's signature and save the information to your own personal spirit guide. There's even a section where you can openly explore Ghostbusters headquarters. Keep an eye out for the painting of Vigo and the dancing toaster - nice little nods to the source material.Having briefly played the multiplayer on release day, I have to admit that I am not convinced that it is anything more than a satisfactory addition. Play it with friends and you'll probably have a laugh, but I found myself getting a tad bored of wave after wave of ghosts and little in way of subtlety. Ghostbusters is a story driven game and it would have been nice to play the story levels with buddies. As it is it's a tad predictable. However, if you are yearning to suit up as Winston then this is the only place you are going to do it.One more thing...apparently if this game is bought by enough people then they may make a new movie. You know what to do. Who ya gonna call?

16.7.2009

If you grew up with everything Ghostbusters and are therefore a big fan I would recommend this game. As it stands the game itself is not all that special but you'll find little in game quirks and jokes that you'll get a kick out of and the fact that the four main leads from the movies are involved help recreate some of the magic from the films. Also you get to pretend to be a Ghostbuster. Who wouldn't want that?If you're approaching from a strictly gamer point of view though it can get pretty tedious and if you're not the type to be bought back round by a Bill Murray one liner you should probably not bother. As a fan I'll give it 8/10. As a game,probably 6.If you're still unsure see below.Good pointsOriginal cast providing the lines for their in game character is a HUGE factor. The game would have felt a lot less authentic if this wasn't the case.There are some good laughs along the way, mostly because of the decent script, but also in the form of little things you'll find laying around as you go about you ghost-busting business, like the `Employee of the Month' chart found at HQ in which Venkman seems to have awarded it to himself on every occasion bar one when Winston pipped him. He must have had a good month, or maybe Venkman was on holiday. The latter I'm guessing.Although you're given a standard character to play as (no customization for your in game persona) the team has done a good job to make him not only likeable but give him a presence that doesn't feel out of place. He's essentially quite bland, but that's not a bad thing considering the countless times I've had to play as some knuckle head or irritant in other games that force characters on you.Fans of the film (and I'm guessing most people will be) will get a kick out of visiting well known locations such as the Public Library and the Sedgewick Hotel. Granted these scenarios aren't that original, but as a fan it's something that'll get your nostalgia going.This is also the case when poking around the Firehouse HQ, where you can find and interact with various little quirks.Bad pointsI know it's not the same sort of game but Fallout is still fresh in the mind, and the level of exploration in Ghostbusters falls VERY short. I'm not asking for a virtual New York, but areas such as the Sedgewick could have been a little more open. Their really is only the one linear path for you to take. Having a bigger area of exploration would have added to the PKE Meter investigative side of the game.Although there are a different number of ways to down a ghost using your proton pack, all methods are very similar, and you do get through quite a few ghosts. Most of the time you're required to wear a ghost down before either trapping or dispersing it, which can become quite repetitive. There's not really a quick `head shot' option like you get in other games of this kind. But then, there was never really going to be.As far as I can tell the only real reason to go back and re-play the game is if A. You really enjoyed it and want to play the exact same thing over, or B. You want to unlock all of the Proton Pack upgrades and find any missing collectible items you missed, which if I'm honest, I kind of don't.

4.4.2012

I read reviews of this game before obtaining it, and based on what I read I was expecting a dull, lame rip-off of the Ghostbusters movie franchise. But I was pleasantly surprised with a fun, if slightly flawed, game.Before I ramble on, please note that this review may be slightly biased as I am a big fan of the films :)The game is based around you, a new rookie Ghostbuster joining the existing four cast members as part of the Ghostbusting team. The story involves not only the existing story from the first Gostbusters film, but a new story arc which expands on it brining in new adversaries as well as some old favourites.Graphically the game is pretty cool. Due to the limitations of the PSP,the cast are rendered as caricatures of their characters. I know on the PS3 and 360 the characters on-screen are uber-realistic and screen-accurate. But this is just not possible on the PSP. This isn't a bad thing, its not done in an insulting or unrecognisable way. The playing area is pretty standard, but everything looks as it should. A couple of reviews I've seen have very negative things to say about the camera control and the fact that backgrounds (ie walls, floors, ceilings) cannot be destroyed in the same way they can on the PS3. Most objects as in chairs, tables, cupboards etc can be destroyed, and since one of the objects of the game is to destroy as few objects as possible I don't see this as an issue. I agree the camera control is a bit dodgy. As many times as you get a clear view of the ghost you're trying to catch, you get a view that is obscured by a cupboard, a fellow ghostbuster, a wall etc. Yes this is annoying, and if you don't think you can get past it then I wouldn't recommend buying it.Soundwise the game delivers well. Voice quality isn't particularly good, but one awesome thing is that all of the 4 cast members from the movies have come back to reprise their roles. This in itself gives the game 5 star credibility. Soundtracks and incidental music from the movies is also used to good effect.The gameplay itself is very enjoyable. Others have criticised it as being "samey", as each level involves trailing ghosts, fighting ghosts, catching ghosts, moving on, fightingin ghosts, catching ghosts.... But I found the process of Ghostbusting really quite enjoyable. Ghosts must be worn down by firing your particle stream at them, then when they are worn down an arrow around your sights will tell you which direction button to press in order to capture it, after that you throw a trap down underneath them and zap, your ghost is busted. It may be repetitive, but I enjoyed it.Maybe I'm easy to please, maybe I've played lots of PS1 & PS2 games and don't need the uber-realism of the PS3 or 360, maybe I'm just a simpleton, but for whatever reason I really enjoyed this game. If you're a casual gamer and/or a big fan of the films then you wont be dissapointed!

23.6.2013

pros:1>fun to play2>lots of variaty in the ammo/proton gun used.3>lots of destructable objects in the enviroment4>lots of variaty in the ghost types including types which need a perticular proton gun or ammo variation5>references everywhere to the golden days of the ghostbusters6>the only version(xbox 360) whos multiplayer is still supported7>great looking enviroments8>great lore and tobins spirit guide entrys.9>in this game you ACTUALLY use the proton pack to weaken and stop the ghosts and you ACTUALLY use the traps to trap ghosts. this is something ghostbusters games have always been bad at, but in this game its done perfectly.10>if you can find a full party,the games multiplayer has lots of variation and is fun(hard though)middle points(neither pro nor con)1>the multiplayer,while great, has some issues. you need a full party of 4 to start a game really, if you try to start a game with just 2 and your freind goes off thats it your auto disconnected from the games multiplayer. it also seems to take forever to find anyone else to join your game via xbox live. the weapon upgrade system also seems to take forever to actually upgrade,not great when its only for that perticular multiplayer type.2>difficulty spikes. while i wasn't bothered by them(i was having too much fun)this games difficulty spikes A LOT. userally goes straight for really,really hard though.cons:1>am i actually doing anything to these ghosts?2>the hit detection can sometimes be off, rarely but sometimes.3>the ghosts can move very fast and be hard to hit.4>near the end of the game at the graveyard level the difficulty spike is easily noticble as the enemies are seriously OP(overpowered)with some killing you with just one or two hits.5>confusing startup menuACTS OF PLAYER/REVIEWER IDIOCY1>the fact your playing as a rookie. really?this is a point people complain about? READ THE BACK OF THE BOX/INFO IT CLEARLY SAYS THIS. i don't see the big deal with it either. my only gripe with the rookie is he/she doesn't have any personality and its only been designed for the male, as the female rookie gets the same dialouge as the male(Even down to them calling her a him!)2>you don't drive the ecto. again i cannot beleive this is an arguable point from anyone thats actually played the game as its joked about within the game at the graveyards starting cinematic. "maybe we should let the rookie drive the ecto....(all 4 ghostbusters)NAAAAAH".the ecto is family to the ghostbusters, they wouldn't run the chance you the rookie could break it. heck the ghostbusters WONT EVEN FIRE ON IT, thats how much the ecto means to them.so would i reccomend this game?YES. this game is awesomely fun to play and its the best a ghostbusters game has ever been, feel like a real buster and play this game!.

16.1.2010

I need to start by being honest, I have loved all things 'Ghostbusters' since I was at primary school and 'The Real Ghostbusters' was HUGE. So I may be a little biased, but this is brilliant! At first I was a bit jealous of the more realistic PS3 and X-box versions but the film meets cartoon style of graphics fits the Wii game perfectly. The moment the Columbia logo appears with the music, voices and sound effects all as they should be it feels like a proper part of the universe. Using the Wii controller system is probably as close to an actual proton-gun/neutrona-wand as you will get in fact I have taken to replaying it using the Wii Zapper to get that bit closer (if you play it with the Zapper it feels like the walking parts of 'Links Crossbow Training').

28.10.2010

As some other people have rightly said about this game. Its a perfect piece of nostalgia. The Ghostbusters are as good a creation now, as they were back in the 80's. This game is a perfect tribute to those lovable characters.First point. Everyone goes on about the graphics being cartoony. That isn't a problem for me, in fact I prefer the look. Of course its not as impressive as the PS3 and 360 in appearance, but I feel it gives the Characters more charm and personality.The bonus to the Wii version is the controls. The Wii remote acts perfectly as your "proton gun". In fact all you need is a big proton pack strapped to your back and it'd feel as if you were in ghostbusters.

26.12.2009

ive been waiting for this game for about 3 years when it was first anounced, back when it was a gta sandbox gameand i am not dissapointedi am a huge ghostbusters fan and this game did not let me downi got it on christmas day and i love it, anyway, opinions, starting with conscons-the gameplay can be very samey all the time, i can see why people would get board-sometimes the graphics can be a bit dated-im not fond of the proton pack upgrades, i tend to use the origional beampros-it is very faithful to ghostbusters, with the same actors, and also it constantly feels like ghostbuster, with the script, ghosts, scenes, you can imagine them in the films, perfect.

21.6.2009

I'd been waiting for this game for ages, and I'm pleased to say I am not dissapointed.The game takes places in 1991, 2 years after the last film, and almost all of our favourite characters are back including all 4 Ghostbusters with their voices being provided by the original cast, and if that ain't enough, the games script is written by Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis, so this is basically ghostbusters 3.In the game you play a new recruit who works alongside the ghostbusters trapping ghosts using the original proton packs and the trap. Fans of the franchise will love this as there are many reminders to the orignal films including the Stay Puff monster and levels taking place in the library and in the hotel from the first film.

15.4.2012

A 3D Ghostbusters game with the original cast voice acting! This was going to be almost as good as a new Ghostbusters film! And In many ways... it is.A great game if your a ghostbusters fan. As soon as i got to the controls and fired my first shot from my proton pack I was hooked. How Amazing! Nostalgia does not come any closer than this. Laying traps and catching ghosts, whilst trying not to cross the streams of course, Is as much fun as can be had with any video game.The scripted dialogue from the voice actors is spot on if a bit randomly placed at times but still great to hear the original voices. The Gameplay is good. better than average. sometimes the camera can swing a tad too much but nothing too major.

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