Ghostbusters: The Video Game

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I had been eagerly awaiting this game for over a year, as I believe the original release date was supposed to be last year. I finally got it in the mail and loaded it up to experience a since of nostalgia as the famous Ghostbusters music blared. Your character is a no-name recruit who gets to work aside the original cast, all voiced by the real actors, and the graphics immediately gripped me, along with the nostalgia and I was hooked--but not for long.

The story takes place shortly after "Ghostbusters 2" and has you revisting most of the locations from the first Ghostbuster movie (i.e. the library and the Sedgewick Hotel, etc.). You also battle some familar ghosts (i.e. Slimer, etc.). The plot also involves Gozer and more or less pays homage to the first movie, while kind of ignoring the second one (which is fine by me).

The graphics are spot on with the character models and weapons and vehicles. You will be amazed how detailed everything is, including the locations. The variety of locales is nice, but you often find yourself repeating some venues. The sound and music are all on-spot with Elmer Bernstein's classic score played throughout the action and cutscenes. Some of the sound effects can catch you off-guard and spook you a little which is always a good thing.

All of the original cast do a great job voice acting their original roles; there is a lot of the same comedy and it certainly helped with the original screenwriters.

The gameplay is a mixed bag and really makes this a 3 star game, which isn't bad, but isn't great either. It's not hard to control your character per se, except for maybe the run button being mapped to the circle button for some reason. Controlling your weapons is another story. I think the game company got caught up in adding so many secondary fire modes and additional weapons that they never made any one weapon really that good. You'll spend most of the game with the traditional particle beam weapon as seen in the movie. There are other beam weapons such as the one that shoots out a freezing-like beam; one that shoots out green slime; and one that acts almost like a fast response gun. You will find annoying the short length of time you can use any of them before having to hit the button to "vent" them; this usually happens in the middle of a battle when you don't have the time. The PKG goggles are a bit gimmicky, but do help you locate some ghosts and more specifically add to Tobin's Spirit Guide info you may find interesting and sometimes useful (i.e. weaknesses of the ghosts, etc.)

The teammate AI is perhaps one of the worst I have seen in a game in a long while. Not only are they incapable of holding their own, they rely on you to risk your own death to go "recover" them, which is a quick press of the X button when close to them. Most times this results in you falling down and you hoping there is a Ghostbuster around to return the favor--most times there is not or you can hear them coming and they get knocked down and it's "Game Over." Often, you and only one other Ghostbuster will be in a certain area. The ghosts will gang up (wait till you get to the graveyard battle--you'll know it) and throw a lot at you and if you aren't saving your fellow Ghostbuster constantly, you will most certainly die. Dying wouldn't be as bad if it didn't have a ridiculously long load time. (Mind you, the game does an install on the PS3's HDD, so why such a long load time every time you die?)

Among the issues above that seriously take their toll on your enjoyment as the game progresses, there are some inexplicable glitches (one in the library) where your character will just freeze for no reason (and it's not part of the game). Not often and definitely not something that bothered me too much, but it shows a lack of polish.

I've read a lot of high score reviews and can't help think they are based on the feeling of nostalgia. This is the BEST Ghostbusters video game ever released. I can't deny that. Was it fun? Yes, though it was short (about 7-8hrs). I recommend as a rental or as a purchase when the price comes down some. It is a good example of how movies and games can become seamless these days. With more polish, better AI, and a reduction in load times, it would easily be a 4+ star game. Hopefully any sequel will take these flaws into account.

3/5 stars

Pros:

*Superb graphics and sound.

*Great voice acting and nice plot that ties in with the first Ghostbuster movie.

*Nice selection of weapons.

*AI for the enemies is pretty good.

*Nice variety of locations.

Cons:

*Load times. (Inexcusable for a game that has a HDD install.)

*The worst AI in regards to your teammates.

*Running is mapped to an inconvenient button.

*The targeting is not always great.

*It is short at 7-8hrs.

*Minor glitches.

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Ghostbusters is a solid game. I'll start with the gameplay.

Single Player: In general I would say it's about average for this type of game. By average I mean the game play and controls are good, just nothing revolutionary. Sometimes it gets a little repetitive in spots but all in all a worthy effort. Using the proton pack is fun but loses a little bit of the fun as you use it so much sometimes.

Multiplayer: Good fun with your buddies or other online people. There are modes such as: Survive survive waves of ghosts, Destruction basically wreak havok and destroy these ghost container thingies, and Ghost Trapping Basically trap as many ghosts as you can in the time you have. There are the typical "gun power ups" you can earn along with new costumes, etc. There are weapon spawn points which are helpful so you can shoot different types of projectiles at the ghosts. Overall this is a pretty fun multiplayer but again nothing revolutionary.

As for the story, voice acting, cut scenes: The voice acting is super cool. I mean you just can't beat having the REAL voices of the ghostbusters as you play through the game. It really makes you feel like it's the real deal. The story is well written with the dialogue containing the usual witty banter you've come to expect from the Ghostbusters movies. I thought the cut scenes were well done, actually a little better than I expected. The voices, story and overall ambiance of this game really give it that extra polish that other games sometimes lack.

I would say the gameplay is about 3 to 3.5 stars but the great voice acting and story convinced me to rate this as a 4 star game. Considering most games based on movies are not very good this was a pleasant surprise. If you are a big Ghostbusters fan definitely pick this game up as the voice acting and story alone will bring back great memories. If not or you are on the fence you might consider renting this game first to see if you enjoy it enough to drop the cash on it.

Buy Ghostbusters: The Video Game Now

I am one of the people that grew up watching the two Ghostbuster movies and every incarnation TV series. If you are a fan of the movies, you will love the game. The story is full jokes and is just as funny as the two movies. There were many times that made me laugh out loud. While playing, it felt as if I was actually in the movie because the game has such great game/gamer interaction.

I have to admit that there are a couple of flaws with the game, mainly the running, which isn't the greatest. Besides that, there is really nothing that I didn't like. I had forgotten how much I loved the two movies and this really brought back the nostalgia, and I actually had tears in my eyes at times. The series just holds a lot of great memories for old-time fans such as myself. If you are a fan, you will want this game. It's great!

Read Best Reviews of Ghostbusters: The Video Game Here

Anyone who is a true video game junky knows that there is one written-in-stone, undeniable rule when it comes to video games that are based on movies.

They suck. Not only do they suck...they suck like a transvestite prostitute at a Hell's Angels rally. They suck like a court-appointed attorney. They suck worse than St. Louis style pizza. They suck worse than an animal shelter owned by Michael Vick. They suck worse than Chicago.

Well...okay, it's hard to suck as bad as Chicago. At least no video game based off a movie was ever home to the worst politicians EVER.

This game shatters that rule. It not only shatters it...it obliterates it.

The gameplay is actually innovative and fun. I had a bit of trouble at first figuring things out (the game didn't tell me how to deploy a trap...or at least I didn't see or hear it) but it has a little guide book to help you if you go into your menu. There's research to be done (although it's hard to get a scan of a creature on the PKE meter when it's throwing a bus at your head). It's neat to zap ghosts and feel like a real Ghostbuster like when I was a kid. I grew up watching the Ghostbusters and remember how excited I was when they released Ghostbusters 2.

Which brings me to what makes this game shine brighter than any star in the sky...the story and voice acting.

You have the ORIGINAL Ghostbusters voicing their characters from the movie. Bill Murray is fantastic (of course), Dan Akroid is absolutely hilarious as usual, Harold Ramis absolutely rocks the character of Egon with his usual intellectual wit, and Ernie Hudson returns with the straight-faced "I didn't see no ghost" one-liners. Every. Single. Scene. Had my girlfriend and I laughing out loud.

That's the important thing about this game...it feels like it wasn't made to sell to as many people as possible, it was made for the fans of the original Ghostbusters as a way for Murray, Akroid, Ramis, and Hudson to say "Thanks, everyone".

I honestly view this game as a gift for my years of watching, quoting, and stopping on a channel that happens to be showing the Ghostbusters movies to grin because I know the funny part is coming up next.

"GET HER!"

That was great, Ray. "Get her". Real scientific.

"I just panicked..."

"Ray...if someone asks you if you're a god...you say YES!"

"THE FLOWERS...ARE STILL...STANDING!"

"Must have been some cockroach..."

"It'll bite your head off, man."

If you don't know the movies...and quite possibly if you didn't GROW UP with the movies and cartoons then you probably won't "get" this game. You'll play it and maybe rate it as average or slightly above average.

If you, however, ate, slept, and breathed everything Ghostbuster and can answer the question "Who you gonna call!?" in less than a second and with GUSTO then this game will have you looking around with a feeling of creepyness one second and then crying with laughter the next and then RIGHT back to jumping out of your skin and madly flailing around with your proton beam.

Back to the game as I'm getting off on a nostalgic rant. There are bonus items in the form of "Cursed Artifacts" to collect. There are ghosts to read about by scanning them and entering them into your Tobin's Spirit Guide. There are also "power ups" to buy to improve your equipment and a running total of damage caused to all of the locations you visit.

If you, your children, spouse, best friend, or your pet are a fan of the Ghostbusters then you owe it to yourself to get this game. I have a half played copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sitting in the video game drawer that is seeing little playtime because I am now taking a trip down memory lane with the guys with nuclear accelerators on their backs.

So I'll say it loud and say it proud as I aim for the flat-top!

"Bustin' makes me feel GOOD!"

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2 years after the events of GB 2, it seems the boys in uniform known as Ray (Voiced by Dan Ackroyd), Egon (Voiced by Harold Ramis), Winston (Voiced by Ernie Hudson) and Venkman (Voiced by Bill Murray) are thinking of opening up franchises through the states in each major city. A new recruit just joined in, however more bizarre things have been going on from the Sedwick Hotel to all the way to Central Park as a new force of evil conducted by the Gozer-Worshipper has been happening as it's up to our boys to literally go through hell and back.

One of the best games i've ever played and i've been a huge GB fan for 26 years, it really satisfies any fan of this movie franchise. It co-stars Annie Potts back as Janine, William Atherthorn back as Walter Peck, Brian Doyle Murray, Max Von Sydow and Alyssa Milano. Here this game gives us clues on what lead us to the first 2 movies especially GB 2's river of slime cause.

The graphics are outstanding here especially the facial capture of the characters and the writing by Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd is amazing as it's based on GB 3's original concept called "Ghostbusters Go to Hell". Some familar faces like Slimer to Stay-Puft return but this time with a vegneance, you also get to battle some new ghosts like Shandor for example.

Some levels are hard but you have to get use to it and the controls are very good, you do different tricks like boison darts to all the way to sliming black slime that is very poisonus. This game is a major improvement on the horrible NES GB 1 & 2 games and as good as the arcade Real GB games and Genesis game.