Who ya’ gonna call?
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
After the first film’s release in 1984, Ghostbuster fever swept the United States and the world. Their logo has become one of the most recognized symbols on the planet, and their theme song is probably one of the catchiest tunes to come out of the 1980s. They spawned a blockbuster sequel in 1989 and an animated series that ran for six years, plus toys, comics, collectibles, and video games. But, it was that last item, video games, where the franchise was at its weakest. The first game was an atrocious attempt at digital entertainment, and the game based on the sequel wasn’t fantastic either (although, better than the first). Now, with all of the ’80s nostalgia that’s been occurring for the last few years, it was only a matter of time before the Ghostbusters received some sort of revival. And it is through the medium of video games that everyone’s favorite paranormal investigators/eliminators see their triumphant return.
Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis return to write the game’s story and script, while the two of them plus Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, William Atherton and Annie Potts return to provide their voice talents. Visually, the designers managed to make the effects look like the special effects of the early 1990s, and the production design makes for a nearly picture perfect capturing of the sets and props from the films. Also, the music from the films is expertly utilized to provide the right atmosphere. Aykroyd’s and Ramis’s script provides the same wit, terminology, and charm characteristic to the films, too. And let’s not forget the digital recreations of each of the characters, which are (for the most part) excellent. Basically, what I’m saying here is that if you loved the movies, you’re going to enjoy the feel of this game. It is Ghostbusters, through and through.
You play as a new recruit to the Ghostbusters called “Rookie” (he doesn’t get a name, ’cause Peter doesn’t want to get attached), who then assists the guys in their job to investigate and eliminate paranormal infestations. It takes place in 1991, two years after the events of Ghostbusters 2, and the guys are still busting ghosts all over town. You’re pretty much dropped into the thick of things as Gozer-related havoc tears New York apart. The plot is clean and straightforward: ghosts are causing trouble, and you’re there to stop them. Everything unfolds simply and cleanly, and the player doesn’t have to do much thinking, in that regard.
As for the game on a structural level, is it good? In a simple word, yes. It’s a third-person shooter ala Dead Space and Gears of War. The camera sits above and to the right of your characters head, you line up crosshairs with your enemies and you shoot them. But it is also unique in the way you defeat enemies. Not every enemy is the same, and the weapons used to dispatch them are just as varied. There are four different weapons, each with two seperate fire modes. However, the most fun one to use, and the one most fans have been itching to play with, is the Proton Pack. When you have trappable ghosts (instead of the corporeal critters you just have to destroy), you get to zap ‘em and trap ‘em. After wearing them down with constant hits from the proton stream, the beam will latch on to the ghost and you or one of the others can toss out a trap and you can wrangle those pesky poltergeists down. The controls for this felt intuitive to me, as it feels like using a fishing rod to drag your quarry to their doom. This gets to be the most innovative and fun aspect of the gameplay. Oh, yeah, don’t cross the streams, it hurts.
As I mentioned above, your fellow Ghostbusters accompany you throughout the game, providing guidance and assistance. The game changes up which of the guys are with you, and in varying numbers. You’re alone a couple of times, but for the most part, you’re with at least one of them. This helps keep the in-game dialogue fresh and makes it so you don’t get tired of seeing the same dude over and over. They also come in handy as they will fight and catch ghosts even if you’re not trying to help. If you get knocked out, they can come revive you, and vice versa. However, that can get tedious in certain levels, as you’re having to play medic running back and forth reviving, dodging attacks and not getting to fight back. If everyone gets knocked out, it’s game over, so stay on your toes and keep helping them up. Also, the AI is good, but not great. They’re smart enough to not shoot you in the back or cross streams with you most of the time, and they’ll rush to your aid if you fall down. But sometimes they’ll run right in front of you while you’re firing, and they’ll also run straight into certain doom to revive you. So, they’re good to have around, but don’t rely on them too much.
After completing the game, which can be done in about 8 hours, there is little reason to replay the campaign. There are three difficulty levels, and some collection objectives by using the PKE meter to scan ghosts and find cursed objects, but that’s about it. Unless you’re really itching to replay a level, there isn’t much replay value there. But, via multiplayer, there’s a lot of fun to be had. This is where you can co-op a mini-campaign (but not the story mode) with friends, compete to see who can trap the most ghosts, or fight together for survival against waves of ghosts. There’s no deathmatch because it is not that kind of game, so forget it. But you can still have a lot of fun this way.
For fans of the franchise, this game will have you hooked and will be a definite treat to your inner child. There are plenty of references and Easter Eggs for the die-hards, too (like a PKE meter from the cartoon, sitting on a work bench). If you’re not a fan, or you’re just not familiar with the source material, you should still find it fun, but you might not appreciate it as much. I still wish that there was a good sandbox-style ghost hunt where you could drive Ecto-1 from place to place, but maybe that’ll show up later in some other game.
Grade: B+ (87%)