However, our excitement was tempered with some trepidation. After all, Ghostbusters is a huge licence and games of films often turn out to be less successful than hoped for. Neither Terminal Reality, developers of the 360 and PS3 versions, nor Red Fly, developers of the Wii version, are studios with a great deal of pedigree.
However, if there's one thing we learnt from our day in London's Soho House hotel, it's that we needn't have worried. Atari, having stepped in and saved the game from limbo, are clearly taking this release very seriously, with Head of PR, Lee Curtain, stating that the aim of everybody involved is for Ghostbusters to be one of the best games released this year. Atari's presentation was lavish, with proceedings kicking off with a screening of Ray Parker Jr's seminal music video and an appearance from the man himself, who seemed thrilled to be involved in the project.
After being shown the trailer, we were left in the hands of Terminal Velocity, who talked us through the title's development and some of the features. From the outset, it was clear that Terminal Velocity were very proud of the game they have made and have treated the subject matter with suitable care and respect. What soon became clear, and came as a surprise to Gamestyle, was the level of involvement that the original cast have had with this title. As you'll no doubt know by now, the script and story are the work of Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis, writers of the original films, and this game is considered by them to be the 'Third Chapter' in the Ghostbusters story. More than enough of an endorsement for us! In addition, the original Ghostbusters have all provided their voices and likenesses for the game as well as having input into the enemies faced and even the new equipment and weapons designed for use in the game.
Sadly, the solo campaign will not see the player take on the role of one of the original team. Rather, you'll be playing a rookie experiment equipment technician, employed to test out Egon's latest inventions. Deployed with either some or all of the team, you'll play just as much of a part in trapping ghosts as them. Presentation is clear and simple, with the HUD removed and the necessary information instead displayed on your character's proton pack. The game is graphically impressive and it's clear that a great deal of effort has gone in to recreating the look of the films. Of course, one of the great things about the films was the damage done by the 'busters in order to save the day. The game takes that idea and runs with it, with nearly the entire environment being destructible in some way. Damage is persistent, which adds to the sense of the game staying true to its roots. Of course, with the script being written by Ackroyd and Ramis, there's plenty of humour in there too.
What might be a disappointment is that there's no online co-op story mode. When quizzed on this, Brendan Goss, the game's executive producer, said that a lot of time had been spent evaluating this point very carefully, but that the story mode was like being involved in a third film and that the developers were keen not to detract from this experience. Goss continued that the developers were keen to preserve the characters from the film and not to upset the dynamic between them. However, the game will feature online multiplayer; players can create set playlists in advance and this mode will allow them to take control of their favourite Ghostbuster. Goss likened this mode to being like 'the Ghostbusters going out on a job' rather than playing through the story.
Dustin Dobson, from Red Fly, revealed that the Wii version started life as a lower-res version of what he described as the 'next-gen versions'. However, Red Fly were not happy with this and set about making their own game based on the same script. In came what Dobson described as a more 'Pixar-like' graphical style and drop in/out co-op gameplay.
We got our hands on the Wii version. Despite being distinctly low-res in appearance, especially when running next to the 360 and PS3 version, we were impressed with the demo. The motion controls are put to good use, with traps thrown out in a bowling motion and a good bit of waggle needed to trap ghosts. There's more of a puzzle element in this game and the cartoony style works well.
Our only real concerns with either version of the game is that the action might become repetitive, but well have to wait for the full game before we can tell if that's really the case. We were also a little dismayed to find that iconic characters like Stay-Puft have been resurrected, but the developers promise that this has been sensitively handled and is in context with the story.
This is one game we're eagerly anticipating, with the preview having really whetted our appetite. After all, busting makes us feel good! Watch out for our full verdict this summer.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is scheduled to be released in June 2009, to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of the release of the first film and its arrival on blu-ray.
