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Ghostbusters The Video Game


Ghostbusters 3 is here - and you get to star in it

Words: Justin Towell, GamesRadar UK

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is effectively Ghostbusters III, as in 'the movie'. Everything here from the sound effects of your proton pack powering down to the font on those famous boiler suits is spot-on.

The faithfulness to the original source material doesn't stop at the aesthetics, either. The characters' speech was written by Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd – writers of the original films. And with the majority of the original film's cast returning (Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver are the only notable exceptions) to add their voices to the game, this is arguably better than getting a new Ghostbusters movie.

Not only does it mean the digitised cast still look as young as they did in the 1980s, but it means we get to try out a proton pack and be the star of the show.


Above: The Ghostbusters trilogy

To allow the four Ghostbusters' characters to really come to life, you don't play as them during the single-player campaign (that's saved for the four-player online mode). Instead, you're a nameless rookie who has been brought in to test the equipment.

It can be a bit daft, seeing your mute twenty-something interact with the crew in cutscenes without saying anything (Dopey from Snow White was the image that sprang immediately to mind), but in terms of the game, it does work.

Not only does it mean the scripted dialogue is more natural and film-like, but you also get a fantastic impression of character – something the vast majority of games never achieve. When you go on a mission with Ray, you really get the feeling he's a nice guy and that you're safer because you're with him. How many other games can you say that of?

 

"Listen - what's that smell?"

Another thing that sets this apart from the crowd is that it's actually funny. Sure, some games make us laugh like Pain or Grand Theft Auto IV, but the Ghostbusters humour is much more sophisticated. Yes, even when Ray says "Listen – what's that smell?"

The fact the team chatters almost non-stop for the duration of the 10-hour long campaign makes this achievement all the more impressive – it must have taken ages to produce a script of this length, especially when it repeats as rarely as this.

The game is played from a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective, much like Resident Evil 5. It's pure fan-service too, so you'll find yourself returning to famous locations and baddies from the films. In the first hour alone, you'll get to walk around a perfectly-realised Ghostbusters HQ (complete with Janine Melnitz taking sarcastic phone calls on reception), catch your first glimpse of the Stay Puft Marshmallow man, and even get to recapture Slimer.

The green blob escapes his containment unit and returns to his old haunting ground – the very ballroom from the first movie. Check out this comparison video to see how accurate it is.




 
34 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
CARLINNIT  - 5 months 13 days ago 
Awesome. Probably gonna buy this :D
Dr.Salvador  - 5 months 13 days ago 
nah dosnt interest me
theeambassador  - 5 months 13 days ago 
so we rate licensed franchises higher the more we like them...?
Hazza22299  - 5 months 13 days ago 
rubbish.
waste of money because of all the good games in 2009 like mod warfare 2, assassins creed 2, fifa 10 and ... just cause 2 (in my own opinion anyway)
idrinkyourmilkshake  - 5 months 13 days ago 
I'm starring in it? I wish someone would have told me!
Setre  - 5 months 13 days ago 
Good review. Despite the slight problems with the game I’ll be picking it up. Why? Because bustin makes me feel good.
cart00n  - 5 months 13 days ago 
I already have this paid-off on pre-order (the 360 version). Can't wait for my phone call from Ray!
PS360Rulez  - 5 months 13 days ago 
Other reviews I have seen havent put this one quite as high as you did. I thought this game looked just ok to begin with and now that a favorable review isnt any higher than an 8 im gonna skip it and wait for the massive waive of games in a few months that will be causing me to go poor.
Timothy_Lemon  - 5 months 13 days ago 
whether the game is amazing or not it's bloody ghostbusters you have to play it.

terminator salvation for example, i thought was ok, very flawed but ok.

really good review made me want this game even more now.

go gettem' ray!
Timothy_Lemon  - 5 months 13 days ago 
...you still should play terminator purely because its terminator.
Johnny6Gun  - 5 months 13 days ago 
The question still remains,"Is Bobby Brown's song from Ghostbusters 2 in it?" I associate 'On Our Own' with Ghostbusters just as much as the original theme and would love to hear it in the confines of the game.
garnsr  - 5 months 13 days ago 
I think it's valid enough to rate settings we're familiar with and enjoy higher than unknowns. It's not always licenses, but things like the Metroid Prime reboot held our attention because it was Metroid, New SMB Wii only interests people because it's SMB, and so on (all the examples I can think of are Nintendo.) Enjoying the setting is a big part of what makes a game enjoyable, and can make you forgive a lot.
CoD_22  - 5 months 13 days ago 
ok, now imagine playing this game with motion control such as sony's orbs and xbox's natal, it would work, wouldnt it? have faith, the motion control will pull through and although it clearly would epic fail in some games, it could be awesome in others. youd direct the stream of the electricity with the 2 controllers at your side, or your hands on their own for natal, it would bring a whole new feel of realism to the game. dunno if this is worth buying, though, ive pre-ordered uncharted 2 already and i need big surf island for burnout then theres so many games coming out soon
Hobojedi  - 5 months 13 days ago 
It looks pretty cool.
Ravenbom  - 5 months 13 days ago 
Good Review, even though I secretly had my fingers crossed that Dan Amrich might do a guest review for this one.

I think I might have to pick this one up.
phoenix_wings  - 5 months 13 days ago 
Awesome. I'm picking this up--another birthday present to myself. I hope it pays off.
Demonflare  - 5 months 13 days ago 
Guys really...?

Do you think this is a cool game. Movie games are retarded. Just admit it.
curly_jefferson  - 5 months 13 days ago 
cool i'll probably pick this is up soon.
GamesRadarBrettElston  - 5 months 13 days ago 
"Do you think this is a cool game. Movie games are retarded. Just admit it."

Everyone admits that. No one will contest that point. It's not even an opinion, it's a fact. Most are awful. However, there are always exceptions, and based on this (and other) reviews, Ghostbusters looks to be one of those exceptions.
BenitoMasterSystem  - 5 months 13 days ago 
I love that this game is compared to Luigi's Mansion and that LM is seen as better. I am not disagreeing at all, because I haven't played Ghostbusters and I get that in certain ways the mechanics in LM might be better, but it just made me laugh to see it say Luigi's Mansion is better while RE5 and Gears of War are not.
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The Knowledge

Ghostbusters The Video Game

Genre: Action
Release date: 19 Jun 2009
Published by: Atari
Developed by: Terminal Reality
8 GREAT
Read the review
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