Ghostbusters: The Video Game review

With the original voice cast reunited and a script penned by Dan Ayckroyd and Harold Ramis, this is essentially the third Ghostbusters movie. Set in 1991 (which is why the characters haven't aged a great deal), it harks back to the very first movie, with Gozer being the main villainous presence behind all the evil happenings in New York City. It isn't long after you arrive at the firehouse that things start going wrong. Slimer escapes and heads back to the hotel Sedgewick, the Staypuft Marshmallow Man is once again unleashed and you even get to track down the library ghost. It's a good way of easing you back into the Ghostbusters world by reintroducing you to these classic locations all before the plot starts to take a strange turn and you find yourself battling through another dimension.It's quite amazing how Terminal Reality have managed to really bring the spirit of Ghostbusters into the game. From the opening intro sequence (complete with theme song), to the way the firehouse looks just like it should (complete with pole), it's obvious they're as big a fans of the movies as anyone else. This seems to have had its effect on the vocal talents too. Having penned the script, it was clear that Harold Ramis and Dan Ayckroyd were fully bringing everything they had to the table, and Ernie Hudson was clearly game when you see him in the backstage videos wearing his Ghostbusters t-shirt. The shocking bit is that even Bill Murray has actually put some effort into his performance, his cocky vocals really slotting back into the Venkman character. Surprising, considering he's been against the third movie for so long.Authenticity aside, then, catching ghosts is the important thing here and thankfully it is handled well. There are two different types of entities you'll come across: the simple ones (normally involving everyday items coming to life) just require a full blast of a proton stream to destroy; and then there are the ghosts, which is where the fun is had. Trapping them is all explained in a neat tutorial sequence, but if you've seen the movies, you'll know what to do. Just zap the ghost with your proton stream and, once you've done enough damage, release the trap and try to wrangle him into it. It's great, and it works incredibly well. The combat system gets even deeper once you unlock other weapon add-ons for your proton pack, each with a secondary function, some of which are crucial in solving environmental puzzles that will crop up every now and again.Unfortunately it's not all greatness and nostalgia when you play Ghostbusters; there are a few annoyances that soon crop up. First of all, the graphics on the PS3 version are somewhat fuzzy, clearly upscaling sub-HD resolutions, and featuring some smudgy texture work in places. It's also missing some effects present on the Xbox 360 version, and looks significantly worse overall. That's not enough to make us throw the controller down in disgust, though. The main problem we found was mainly with the latter half of the experience. Once you've revisited the places from the movie, you move onto new areas that Terminal Reality have created specifically for the game, and these are a little worse. The ghost dimension you'll explore is full of drab scenery and a million staircases, while the cemetery level is as clichd as it gets. Still, it wasn't enough to put us off reaching the end; we just cant see ourselves returning to these, even to look for the secret artefacts littered through the levels.The other complaint would be the game's length. While we have no problem with a short game (as long as it entertained us through to the conclusion), this game could be completed in around 6 or 7 hours, maybe less. What will add to it is the multiplayer component. This is where you get to control the actual Ghostbusters in a number of game modes. There are the standalone co-op missions and the more competitive modes, normally revolving around time limits and the ability to catch more ghosts than your opponents. There's no apparent lag, and apart from a few problems trying to connect to games (a common complaint, judging by the official forum), they're a lot of fun. There's even a ranking system to keep you coming back for more, though we doubt it'll become your online PS3 game of choice. Nevertheless, it's a lot more competent than other tacked-on multiplayer modes.If you're a fan of the Ghostbusters (who isn't?), there's enough here for you to really sink your teeth into. But once you push aside the nostalgia factor, you start to realise that what is only a good game could have been something special given a few more months development time. Still, it's one of the better licensed games we've played this year.