Ghostbusters has always been perfect video game fodder.
(PG)
Pros: Ghostbusters is one movie that's perfectly suited to a game adaptation - and this one is essentially Ghostbusters 3, according to original film star Dan Aykroyd - who wrote the game with Harold Ramis. It's set on Thanksgiving, and there's an unusual amount of paranormal activity to cut
your teeth on. Aykroyd and Ramis both voice their characters excellently, as does Bill Murray. It's presented in typical third person shooter style, with upgrades available to your ghoul-smacking pack gained as you play an unnamed fourth team member - "it pays not to get too attached to new recruits".
The gameplay certainly feels like a Ghostbusters sequel, as you use a combination of ghosty traps, PKE meters and proton beams to gradually weaken ghosts before lassoing them and popping them into a portable trap, or slamming them into the monster trap atop Ecto-1, the legendary Ghostbusters wagon. Other challenges include blowing flaming gargoyles out of the sky, providing a welcome relief from ghost-grabbing.
Cons: Gameplay gets a bit repetitive: walk around, find the ghost, fight the ghost, trap the ghost, does start to grate after a while. AI is also slightly sloppy, with some characters interaction as realistic as the chances of getting a five-star movie-linked game. Graphically, the PS3 version doesn't look as polished as you'd expect - it's HD, but not the eyeball-popping 1080p glory that it really should have been.
Verdict: In terms of gameplay, Ghostbusters is not the most exciting title in the world although it's pretty engaging and cut scenes drag players right into the movie-ness of it all. It's better than many movie-licensed titles and is likely to appeal to those ageing gamers among us who are after a bit of nostalgia. Does it live up to they hype? Nearly.
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