Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Xbox 360)

Vlad Piranha

I've awaited the release of this for a long time and bought it the first day of release. I can easily say that, as a big fan of the movies and the cartoon growing up, this was well worth the wait. If I had a DeLorean with a flux capacitor, I'd give it to my 8 year old self.

The Plot: After the defeat of Vigo and the revival of the Ghostbusters team in the second movie, times are good for the crew. The reelected mayor rode to office on a pro-Ghostbusters platform and now offers political support and protection for the team. Business is as good as in the old days and expansion has become an interest and that's where you come in. You play as a rookie hired on to test equipment and offer support. In a Gordon Freeman fashion, your character is completely unremarkable and has no speaking parts in order to immerse you in a first person story experience. While it sucks that you can't live out your childhood fantasy of being your favorite Ghostbuster, you do get to work alongside your heroes, which is satisfying enough. I gushed about the voice acting in Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena for its dramatic quality. Ghostbusters takes its A-list cast and take the comedic approach and does it well. The game has a brief opening credits sequence with the stars' names in bold and it never lets you forget that you really are listening to Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson banter back and forth while they trash five star hotels and toss traps. All of the major characters right down to the supporting cast of the originals are slated to appear with the exception of Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver. Even the original soundtrack gets used. All of this mixed with writing by Ramis and Aykroyd transforms the game experience into a movie experience. You feel like you really are watching the Ghostbusters, but with benefits. Quite possibly the best part so far was exploring the firehouse and getting reacquainted with the layout that I vaguely remember from its toy. On the top floor I immediately gravitated toward the firepole and sure enough, it was usable. It even unlocks the achievement "You've gotta try this pole!".

PROS: Quality models, the original cast of actors, the original score and the opportunity to live out movie scenarios alongside the main characters make this game euphoric for fans. In a break away from alot of titles like this, the more you care about the source material, the more fun you'll have with the game. The controls are simpler than you might think and don't take too terribly long to master. The obligatory tutorial level is amusing in its own way, so it doesn't have a slow start. There's even a co-op mode.

CONS: You only get to play as the main characters in multiplayer play (which I haven't yet tried). On higher difficulty modes, I can imagine certain scenarios being difficult and very frustrating. The AI isn't always perfect and in battles, teammates may become incapacitated by enemies and it's up to you to save them. While this hasn't been a big problem yet, AI squads in other games have taught me that it absolutely will be later. I've been playing on the casual difficulty level and been knocked out, so there will be some difficulty if you dive in on normal or higher. This review applies to the 360 and PS3 only. The Wii version is totally different and supposed to blow.

BOTTOM LINE: The $60 price tag might seem a little steep for people who aren't huge fans , but if you love the movies and are old enough to remember the cartoon, this is right up your alley. It can never truly live up to what you'd hope for, but I'll be damned if I'm not laughing and having a good time with this game.

CountChocula · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:57 am Post subject:

I was planning on picking it up next Friday (next paycheck), but after reading this review... maybe I'll spring for it tomorrow.
_________________

Quote:

[20:43] -≠∫ĆŤ∫≠- ŜρξčļαГ јỈмMﻻ: we'll aim for bender
[20:43] -≠∫ĆŤ∫≠- ŜρξčļαГ јỈмMﻻ: but use a lot of napalm

massive · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:31 am Post subject:

I liked the movie when I was a teenager - but isn't it a bit too late for this game? It's in the tween stage cuz isn't quite old enough to justify remake/classic videogame status - i.e. Spiderman, et Al

and $60? I'll pass
_________________

Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.

RK-Mara · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject:

I heard the Wii version is the best of the bunch. I might pick it up once the price drops to 20e.
_________________

DELETED · Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:55 pm Post subject: High Rated Product Guide

DELETED

DELETED

DELETED

DELETED · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2023 7:14 pm Post subject: Best Prediksi Togel Info

DELETED