Format: XBox360; PS3
Before I get to deep into this post allow me to mention that I was and always shall be a fan of the Ghostbusters films. That being said, on to the review.
To start off the character that you play is a rookie in the company, the fifth Ghostbuster. All the actors reprise their roles for this game and the dialog is great. The only real issue I had with the voice over work was Bill Murray’s lines being delivered in a fashion that didn’t quite fit. Having that voice talent really helped with the immersion. I found myself waiting around the firehouse listening in on Janine’s phone conversations and talking to the giant painting of Vigo. Now to be honest the character models are perfect examples of life in ‘Uncanny Valley’, I found them to look like ventriloquist dummies more than people.
“Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back.”
Strapping on the proton pack honestly took me right back to being a kid again. It’s pure joy to throw that stream; it’s look, it’s sound… perfect. The proton pack has changed a little in that there are more functions built into it (4 total primary weapon types), you’ll have to unlock them as you play. On top of that each firing mode has a secondary fire so there’s no lack of options. Of course you have the proton stream and they have added a slime blower to the pack. There are also two new primary firing modes; a shock blast and a meson collider. Of course you h
ave the traps as well though they aren’t needed for every kind of specter you’ll run into. You also have a PKE meter and your para-goggles which allows you to have a glimpse into the ghost-world. The PKE meter will alert you when you are getting closer to paranormal activity along with allowing you to scan ghosts and other objects. When you scan these things they get added to your copy of ‘Tobin’s Spirit Guide’ which will tell you the best weapon to use against that particular ghost.
The story is decent enough to keep me involved centering again around Ivo Shandor and his cult of Gozerians. You revisit a number of sites that had been seen in the films. Which I don’t mind because there are new things discovered about them. The game is pretty much straight forward in its go-do-this type of missions. I was hoping that the developers would have made New York an open sandbox employing GTA or Spider-Man style missions. This is mainly because the only thing missing from this game is me driving the Ecto-1.
If you are a fan of the Ghostbusters, as I am, then this is a buy. If not, I would really suggest renting this one as it is a fun game and imagine that someone with more game-time on their hands may finish the game quickly.
Bottom Line: Rent it.
