The comic book or movie video game tie in, it has long been a thorn in the side of every fan out there. How can we forget such gems as Superman 64 for Nintendo 64 or Iron Man, for the current generation consoles. Why is it that a studio can't put together a quality game based on some one else's IP. Sometimes and extremely rarely, we do get the pleasure of a really, really good one "The chronicles of Riddick" stands out as actually being better then movie it was based on. Also Wolverine Origins, if the movie was half as good as the game, there would be no posts on CBM. Well, I know that Ghostbusters is really not a comic book in the conventional sense, but the was a comic book about it, so it is relevant to the site, and any way i needed something to write my first review on. So here it is
Ghostbusters The Video game
ESRB rating - Teen
Darthstern's rating 9/10 Nick Cage bobble heads
This review is based on the X-box 360 version. I'm sure the ps3 version is identical, and no self respecting male should own a wii.)
From the moment you fist start the game, you'll feel a little nostalgic. Maybe its the fact that Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson all return to their respective roles, or maybe its that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis actually wrote the script for the game. Either way it feels like being back with old friends.
The year is 1991 and the Ghostbusters are still around "busting in NYC". Your character is a no named rookie to their outfit, just starting his first day. Actually this is one of the few problems I had with the game, there is no way to edit the look of your character. The game try's to make it feel like its you in the game, but no matter what gender or race you are, your stuck as a common looking white male.( Actually funny thing is that the character looked a lot like me or so i was told). In this generation of consoles you really should be able to alter the look of your character, its not a lot to ask for. The first level is your basic tutorial level. Here you learn the ropes of being a "ghostbuster", same old shoe, you have an objective, Slimer has escaped from containment and you have to get him back. Ray gives you the heads up on what to do and you also get the standard text messages on screen of what buttons to hit. Pretty straightforward stuff. Now comes the fun part, capturing a ghost. This is what you will be doing throughout the game, and for some reason it never gets old. You shoot the ghosts with your proton pack till their stunned, wrangle them with a lasso type effect, smash them into the floor or walls or whatever, throw out your trap and wrangle them over it and howl in girly glee as you "bust em". Really for some reason it never gets old. Thats basically the combat in a nut shell. Now it may sound simple and it may sound repetitive, but there is plenty going on in the game and plenty to do.
The game for one looks great, don't get me wrong its not Gears of War great but its really good. The character models look enough like the actors to pass, and like i said everyone is doing their own voice, so we know who's who. Actually thats what the graphics reminded me of, a dumbed down Gears of War. Now as for the sound effects and background music these are where the game really stands out. From the erie whispers and groans, to the sound of your proton pack firing its all great stuff that keeps you in the "vibe". Also the background music is the original score from the movie, so how can you go wrong.
Now for the combat and the rest of the game. Like I said earlier, it may sound monotonous,but for some reason its never gets old. Maybe its stems from my days as a child running around with my friends playing ghostbusters outside. I may never know. The proton pack has four modes, which will unlock throughout the game. Also you can buy upgrades with the money you earn in game. All the modes of the proton pack are pretty much the same thing with different effects for different kinds of ghosts. And there are a lot of different kinds of ghosts. The majority you have to trap, while some you can just dissipate with proton pack blasts. Also as you are searching for your intended prey, your nifty little ghost finder, I forget what its called, comes into play. When you equip it the screen goes all night vision and the bars go up and down on the gismo just like in the movie to tell you when a ghost is near. Now you cant fire your weapon while in this mode, but its just a simple press up on the D pad to bet back to normal. Also while in finding mode, when a ghost pops up, you can scan it a'la Metroid prime and then read about what kind of ghost it is weakness, etc. And don't forget the new trend in games, collecting silly trinkets. In this game their called artifacts, and it is totally optional, unless you like me are an achievement/ trophy whore and want all the points. The boss fights are pretty solid and there are the typical puzzles to solve. And the fight with the Stay Puff Man is epic.
I don't want to ruin the story so i wont comment on it, but the writing is great the one liners are flowing and well, basically this game is everything Ghostbusters 2 should have been. There are a few problems with the game play however. It seems like your getting knocked on your ass to much or that you have to constantly revive the other characters when they get knocked out. It also seems like when your in a room surrounded by ghosts you get caught on things you cant see. The movement of the player is also reminiscent of "Gears" right down to the "rodie" run which is great for a pop and shoot game but gets a little tedious when your trying to maneuver around objects, but all in all it in no way hurts the game too much. There are also some online elements to the game. I have not tried them out yet, but if they are any good i'll update this review
In closing. This game is one of the few great tie ins, its just plain fun to play, the story is top notch, the voice acting is great, and it just looks and sounds great. Give this game a try, you wont be disappointed. And remember, don't cross the streams!!