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This thread has been linked to the game 'Ghostbusters: The Video Game'.
Ghostbusters The Video Game is a third person action adventure game based on the famous 1984 film.The films writers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis also wrote the story for this game.For those who did not know the Xbox 360 version of the game has been delayed until late October in Europe and Australia but luckily the US and Asian versions of the game have been released and both are region free. This means they will play perfectly in any Xbox 360 console.After this information was ‘leaked’ at this years E3 game show,there was an unsurprisingly large increase in worldwide pre-orders for this game.Sadly though,most retailers seem to have increased the price of it due to the raised demand.Even so this still seems to have been one of the most imported video game titles in recent years.
In the game you play a new recruit to the Ghostbusters team,which I initially feared would not work out at all (remember Shia LaBeouf in the last Indiana Jones film ?).Thankfully though it does,as the writers have managed to introduce this new team member without interfering with the original Ghostbusters characters.Each character is voiced by the original actors who played them in the films and this works really well.Except perhaps Bill Murray,who at times sounds a bit like someone doing a bad Bill Murray impression !.The Ghostbusters quip and jibe as you assist them through the various missions,learning your new trade as you go along.There are also other characters from the films voiced in the game.These include environment agent Walter Peck and of course their receptionist Janine.Its great as she answers the phone and gives you your latest job.Little touches such as this really make it feel like a Ghostbusters game should.There are various locations recreated from the films such as the library from the opening scene in the first film and the hotel where they capture the famous Slimer.Infact,many of the films enemies are present in this game.The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man level is particularly fun in my opinion and looks fantastic on a large screen TV.There are also new ghosts invented especially for this game.Some are fine but others would not look out of place in a Scooby Doo cartoon.The game is generally great fun but it does get a touch repetitive as most of the enemies can be despatched in a very similar fashion and the single player story is also very short.Its fairly easy too,which means younger players could enjoy it as well.Also your teammates pretty much walk you through the game which is a tad unnecessary in places as it’s a very straight forward affair anyway.For example,One huge end of level boss has a large glowing yellow eye and crouches down around every 20 seconds.Your teammates shout ‘blast him in the eye’.I feel that most people would probably have worked this out for themselves.The end of level bosses are all easily defeated throughout the game.This means the game plays like a fun movie as opposed to a hardcore gaming challenge.Personally I found this to be fine as it suited this game perfectly.But I could understand some people being slightly disappointed with a game that you can basically sail through.Saying this,it can also be played on higher difficulty levels as well as online in 4 player co-op.The online co-op may be of interest to some as generally the AI of your teammates is not very good at all.In some places you are left to do everything while they stand around aimlessly,while in others you could basically go and hide in a cupboard while they clear the level for you !.If one of your team gets knocked down it is up to a teammate to revive them.This works exactly the same as it does in say Left 4 Dead or the Gears Of War games.This is another area where the games dodgy AI slightly lets it down.You can be lying incapacitated while your teammates are running frantically around you.At times they don’t seem to think that helping you out is a priority.When they finally get around to reviving you half the ghosts seem to have already been captured.It is also worth mentioning the many cut scenes that are present in this game.There is a ridiculous amount of them for a game with such a short story mode.Luckily you can skip them by pressing the ‘start’ button if required.
There is one area in which the game does impress and that its use of the Ghostbusters equipment.You use your PKE meter to locate supernatural activity and take snapshots to update your spirit guide.This works well,especially in very dark areas where you would otherwise struggle to work your way through.There are 4 different types of weapon,each useful against different types of enemy.If you are ever in any doubt which to use,simply look at which weapon your teammates are using and switch to that.This is not always the case though as sometimes they will be hosing down an enemy with slime and need you to get in there to blast and trap it.You do not get all weapons to begin with as you are given them at stages throughout the game.These can also be upgraded with money earned from your jobs.You have to use them wisely otherwise they tend to overheat and die just when you need them most.The trick here is to pick your shots carefully and not fire unnecessarily.They are fun to use though as they can also destroy scenery.Torching hotel lobbys and librarys with your proton pack is just fantastic fun.As in the films though you must not cross the proton streams.Sometimes this is really difficult to avoid as you attempt to wrestle a ghost into a trap with up to 4 other streams waving frantically,inches away from your head.On the plus side,the first time you get knocked down by your own stream you actually get an achievement for it !.
Technically the game is a bit of a mixed bag.The graphics are generally reasonable although this is not really an area in which the game tends to excel.As already mentioned,the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man looks great as does some of the scenery.The proton streams look fantastic with their bright,vibrant colours looking every bit as good as they did in the films.But there are a few areas in which the game does fall down.Walking through area’s with a lot of detail leads to some quite noticeable frame rate issues.When involved in huge battles,with multiple enemies and teammates the game is plagued with some quite serious slowdown.In some parts its not really a huge issue but it is noticeable.But towards the end of the game it actually gets really bad.Other similar types of game such as Dead Space and the Gears Of War series look much better than this and do not suffer from these mentioned problems.On the audio front the game really does sound great.Once at the main menu,you select your mission and it will load to the sound of the famous Ghostbusters theme song.This perfectly sets the tone for the game which lays ahead.The voice overs are well used and can be quite amusing at times.While firing up the proton streams proves to be a real workout for your sound system.This game really does sound like a Ghostbusters movie.
The Xbox 360 version has been widely reported as being superior to that of the PS3.Having played both versions of the game I can’t really agree with this to be honest.The PS3 version requires a large 4 GB install,yet strangely still seems to have loading times which are no faster than the Xbox 360 version (which has no install whatsoever).The graphics do look slightly more defined on the Xbox 360 but as already mentioned this version is also far from perfect.Overall the game does look a little better on the Xbox 360 than it does on the PS3,but I personally think the difference is far smaller than many would have you believe.
Overall I found Ghostbusters The Video game to be a real blast and I would certainly recommend it to fans of the film.It makes great use of its licence,which is something that so many movie based games fail to do.Although the game is technically far from perfect there is still a great deal of fun to be had on it.But with such a short story mode,some Xbox 360 owners may wish to wait a few months and rent the game instead ?.
7.5/10
In the game you play a new recruit to the Ghostbusters team,which I initially feared would not work out at all (remember Shia LaBeouf in the last Indiana Jones film ?).Thankfully though it does,as the writers have managed to introduce this new team member without interfering with the original Ghostbusters characters.Each character is voiced by the original actors who played them in the films and this works really well.Except perhaps Bill Murray,who at times sounds a bit like someone doing a bad Bill Murray impression !.The Ghostbusters quip and jibe as you assist them through the various missions,learning your new trade as you go along.There are also other characters from the films voiced in the game.These include environment agent Walter Peck and of course their receptionist Janine.Its great as she answers the phone and gives you your latest job.Little touches such as this really make it feel like a Ghostbusters game should.There are various locations recreated from the films such as the library from the opening scene in the first film and the hotel where they capture the famous Slimer.Infact,many of the films enemies are present in this game.The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man level is particularly fun in my opinion and looks fantastic on a large screen TV.There are also new ghosts invented especially for this game.Some are fine but others would not look out of place in a Scooby Doo cartoon.The game is generally great fun but it does get a touch repetitive as most of the enemies can be despatched in a very similar fashion and the single player story is also very short.Its fairly easy too,which means younger players could enjoy it as well.Also your teammates pretty much walk you through the game which is a tad unnecessary in places as it’s a very straight forward affair anyway.For example,One huge end of level boss has a large glowing yellow eye and crouches down around every 20 seconds.Your teammates shout ‘blast him in the eye’.I feel that most people would probably have worked this out for themselves.The end of level bosses are all easily defeated throughout the game.This means the game plays like a fun movie as opposed to a hardcore gaming challenge.Personally I found this to be fine as it suited this game perfectly.But I could understand some people being slightly disappointed with a game that you can basically sail through.Saying this,it can also be played on higher difficulty levels as well as online in 4 player co-op.The online co-op may be of interest to some as generally the AI of your teammates is not very good at all.In some places you are left to do everything while they stand around aimlessly,while in others you could basically go and hide in a cupboard while they clear the level for you !.If one of your team gets knocked down it is up to a teammate to revive them.This works exactly the same as it does in say Left 4 Dead or the Gears Of War games.This is another area where the games dodgy AI slightly lets it down.You can be lying incapacitated while your teammates are running frantically around you.At times they don’t seem to think that helping you out is a priority.When they finally get around to reviving you half the ghosts seem to have already been captured.It is also worth mentioning the many cut scenes that are present in this game.There is a ridiculous amount of them for a game with such a short story mode.Luckily you can skip them by pressing the ‘start’ button if required.
There is one area in which the game does impress and that its use of the Ghostbusters equipment.You use your PKE meter to locate supernatural activity and take snapshots to update your spirit guide.This works well,especially in very dark areas where you would otherwise struggle to work your way through.There are 4 different types of weapon,each useful against different types of enemy.If you are ever in any doubt which to use,simply look at which weapon your teammates are using and switch to that.This is not always the case though as sometimes they will be hosing down an enemy with slime and need you to get in there to blast and trap it.You do not get all weapons to begin with as you are given them at stages throughout the game.These can also be upgraded with money earned from your jobs.You have to use them wisely otherwise they tend to overheat and die just when you need them most.The trick here is to pick your shots carefully and not fire unnecessarily.They are fun to use though as they can also destroy scenery.Torching hotel lobbys and librarys with your proton pack is just fantastic fun.As in the films though you must not cross the proton streams.Sometimes this is really difficult to avoid as you attempt to wrestle a ghost into a trap with up to 4 other streams waving frantically,inches away from your head.On the plus side,the first time you get knocked down by your own stream you actually get an achievement for it !.
Technically the game is a bit of a mixed bag.The graphics are generally reasonable although this is not really an area in which the game tends to excel.As already mentioned,the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man looks great as does some of the scenery.The proton streams look fantastic with their bright,vibrant colours looking every bit as good as they did in the films.But there are a few areas in which the game does fall down.Walking through area’s with a lot of detail leads to some quite noticeable frame rate issues.When involved in huge battles,with multiple enemies and teammates the game is plagued with some quite serious slowdown.In some parts its not really a huge issue but it is noticeable.But towards the end of the game it actually gets really bad.Other similar types of game such as Dead Space and the Gears Of War series look much better than this and do not suffer from these mentioned problems.On the audio front the game really does sound great.Once at the main menu,you select your mission and it will load to the sound of the famous Ghostbusters theme song.This perfectly sets the tone for the game which lays ahead.The voice overs are well used and can be quite amusing at times.While firing up the proton streams proves to be a real workout for your sound system.This game really does sound like a Ghostbusters movie.
The Xbox 360 version has been widely reported as being superior to that of the PS3.Having played both versions of the game I can’t really agree with this to be honest.The PS3 version requires a large 4 GB install,yet strangely still seems to have loading times which are no faster than the Xbox 360 version (which has no install whatsoever).The graphics do look slightly more defined on the Xbox 360 but as already mentioned this version is also far from perfect.Overall the game does look a little better on the Xbox 360 than it does on the PS3,but I personally think the difference is far smaller than many would have you believe.
Overall I found Ghostbusters The Video game to be a real blast and I would certainly recommend it to fans of the film.It makes great use of its licence,which is something that so many movie based games fail to do.Although the game is technically far from perfect there is still a great deal of fun to be had on it.But with such a short story mode,some Xbox 360 owners may wish to wait a few months and rent the game instead ?.
7.5/10
Sonic Chris wrote:
>Talking about movies and games, there's a very good
> article on cracked.com about "5 things the gaming industry
> will never fix (and why)"
> here
That article was great Chris.
That Streetfighter film was absolute garbage.The casting in it was unbelievably bad.The girl who played Chun Li looked like she would snap in half if you looked at her too hard and she didn't even look Chinese !.Blonde haired Bison was a big girls blouse.I could have kicked both of their asses !.The storyline was terrible and I doubt if it would have sucked more if Uwe Boll had directed it.There was one bit which was unbelievably retarded.Gen (who is about 70 in the SF games) played by Robin Shou (who is about 35),has been watching Chun Li from afar.She gets this secret scroll or something and realises where their paths have crossed.The last time was about 30 seconds ago when she passed him sweeping the street.She looks thoughtful as she says 'I must to go Thailand to find him'.Why !?!?,he's outside !!!,.The whole film is just one huge mess,its not even a guilty pleasure.Just more proof that games should not be made into films.
Oh yeah almost forgot,the wire enchanced fight scenes are craptastic as well.Seriously,don't bother ! :(
>Talking about movies and games, there's a very good
> article on cracked.com about "5 things the gaming industry
> will never fix (and why)"
> here
That article was great Chris.
That Streetfighter film was absolute garbage.The casting in it was unbelievably bad.The girl who played Chun Li looked like she would snap in half if you looked at her too hard and she didn't even look Chinese !.Blonde haired Bison was a big girls blouse.I could have kicked both of their asses !.The storyline was terrible and I doubt if it would have sucked more if Uwe Boll had directed it.There was one bit which was unbelievably retarded.Gen (who is about 70 in the SF games) played by Robin Shou (who is about 35),has been watching Chun Li from afar.She gets this secret scroll or something and realises where their paths have crossed.The last time was about 30 seconds ago when she passed him sweeping the street.She looks thoughtful as she says 'I must to go Thailand to find him'.Why !?!?,he's outside !!!,.The whole film is just one huge mess,its not even a guilty pleasure.Just more proof that games should not be made into films.
Oh yeah almost forgot,the wire enchanced fight scenes are craptastic as well.Seriously,don't bother ! :(
To be honest any game with a whiny 12 year old american isn't enjoyable ;D Talking about movies and games, there's a very good article on cracked.com about "5 things the gaming industry will never fix (and why)" here
Thanks pb.
I have tried the multiplayer,and agree it works well.Be a laugh with 3 of your mates.However,when played with 3 annoying 12 year old Americans (they sounded about that),I didn't find it quite so much fun.They were seriously doing my head in !.
I have tried the multiplayer,and agree it works well.Be a laugh with 3 of your mates.However,when played with 3 annoying 12 year old Americans (they sounded about that),I didn't find it quite so much fun.They were seriously doing my head in !.
Good review Pete. Agree completely with your opinion, a great little game that could be longer but is great all the same.
Multiplayer is fun too.
Multiplayer is fun too.
Cheers Chris !
Yeah,Ghostbusters is well worth a play through,its the best movie adaptation I have played in recent years.I'm not very good at games and I cleared it in 3 nights of casual playing.I reckon some people could complete it it a single sitting.Each level takes around 45 minutes (10 minutes of that is cut scenes) and there is only 7 levels.If you skipped the cut scenes you could play through it in a few hours.Wouldn't pay the silly money they are fetching on eBay at the moment,but would recommend renting it when it comes out over here.Theres a few hours of fun to be had on it.
Talking about a movie based game which is actually pretty good.I have just borrowed Streetfighter : The Legend Of Chun Li off my mate.Games based on films usually suck but films based on games ALWAYS suck !.Its sitting in my Blu Ray player now,I'm scared to press play ! :)
Yeah,Ghostbusters is well worth a play through,its the best movie adaptation I have played in recent years.I'm not very good at games and I cleared it in 3 nights of casual playing.I reckon some people could complete it it a single sitting.Each level takes around 45 minutes (10 minutes of that is cut scenes) and there is only 7 levels.If you skipped the cut scenes you could play through it in a few hours.Wouldn't pay the silly money they are fetching on eBay at the moment,but would recommend renting it when it comes out over here.Theres a few hours of fun to be had on it.
Talking about a movie based game which is actually pretty good.I have just borrowed Streetfighter : The Legend Of Chun Li off my mate.Games based on films usually suck but films based on games ALWAYS suck !.Its sitting in my Blu Ray player now,I'm scared to press play ! :)
Great review pete :) Ghostbusters is certainly a classic, and it was of these game films i was thinking "Just don't go there" but it sounds as though it's worked pretty well. I don't expect to see it topping the game charts, but it sounds enjoyable.
Ghostbusters The Video Game is a third person action adventure game based on the famous 1984 film.The films writers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis also wrote the story for this game.For those who did not know the Xbox 360 version of the game has been delayed until late October in Europe and Australia but luckily the US and Asian versions of the game have been released and both are region free. This means they will play perfectly in any Xbox 360 console.After this information was ‘leaked’ at this years E3 game show,there was an unsurprisingly large increase in worldwide pre-orders for this game.Sadly though,most retailers seem to have increased the price of it due to the raised demand.Even so this still seems to have been one of the most imported video game titles in recent years.
In the game you play a new recruit to the Ghostbusters team,which I initially feared would not work out at all (remember Shia LaBeouf in the last Indiana Jones film ?).Thankfully though it does,as the writers have managed to introduce this new team member without interfering with the original Ghostbusters characters.Each character is voiced by the original actors who played them in the films and this works really well.Except perhaps Bill Murray,who at times sounds a bit like someone doing a bad Bill Murray impression !.The Ghostbusters quip and jibe as you assist them through the various missions,learning your new trade as you go along.There are also other characters from the films voiced in the game.These include environment agent Walter Peck and of course their receptionist Janine.Its great as she answers the phone and gives you your latest job.Little touches such as this really make it feel like a Ghostbusters game should.There are various locations recreated from the films such as the library from the opening scene in the first film and the hotel where they capture the famous Slimer.Infact,many of the films enemies are present in this game.The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man level is particularly fun in my opinion and looks fantastic on a large screen TV.There are also new ghosts invented especially for this game.Some are fine but others would not look out of place in a Scooby Doo cartoon.The game is generally great fun but it does get a touch repetitive as most of the enemies can be despatched in a very similar fashion and the single player story is also very short.Its fairly easy too,which means younger players could enjoy it as well.Also your teammates pretty much walk you through the game which is a tad unnecessary in places as it’s a very straight forward affair anyway.For example,One huge end of level boss has a large glowing yellow eye and crouches down around every 20 seconds.Your teammates shout ‘blast him in the eye’.I feel that most people would probably have worked this out for themselves.The end of level bosses are all easily defeated throughout the game.This means the game plays like a fun movie as opposed to a hardcore gaming challenge.Personally I found this to be fine as it suited this game perfectly.But I could understand some people being slightly disappointed with a game that you can basically sail through.Saying this,it can also be played on higher difficulty levels as well as online in 4 player co-op.The online co-op may be of interest to some as generally the AI of your teammates is not very good at all.In some places you are left to do everything while they stand around aimlessly,while in others you could basically go and hide in a cupboard while they clear the level for you !.If one of your team gets knocked down it is up to a teammate to revive them.This works exactly the same as it does in say Left 4 Dead or the Gears Of War games.This is another area where the games dodgy AI slightly lets it down.You can be lying incapacitated while your teammates are running frantically around you.At times they don’t seem to think that helping you out is a priority.When they finally get around to reviving you half the ghosts seem to have already been captured.It is also worth mentioning the many cut scenes that are present in this game.There is a ridiculous amount of them for a game with such a short story mode.Luckily you can skip them by pressing the ‘start’ button if required.
There is one area in which the game does impress and that its use of the Ghostbusters equipment.You use your PKE meter to locate supernatural activity and take snapshots to update your spirit guide.This works well,especially in very dark areas where you would otherwise struggle to work your way through.There are 4 different types of weapon,each useful against different types of enemy.If you are ever in any doubt which to use,simply look at which weapon your teammates are using and switch to that.This is not always the case though as sometimes they will be hosing down an enemy with slime and need you to get in there to blast and trap it.You do not get all weapons to begin with as you are given them at stages throughout the game.These can also be upgraded with money earned from your jobs.You have to use them wisely otherwise they tend to overheat and die just when you need them most.The trick here is to pick your shots carefully and not fire unnecessarily.They are fun to use though as they can also destroy scenery.Torching hotel lobbys and librarys with your proton pack is just fantastic fun.As in the films though you must not cross the proton streams.Sometimes this is really difficult to avoid as you attempt to wrestle a ghost into a trap with up to 4 other streams waving frantically,inches away from your head.On the plus side,the first time you get knocked down by your own stream you actually get an achievement for it !.
Technically the game is a bit of a mixed bag.The graphics are generally reasonable although this is not really an area in which the game tends to excel.As already mentioned,the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man looks great as does some of the scenery.The proton streams look fantastic with their bright,vibrant colours looking every bit as good as they did in the films.But there are a few areas in which the game does fall down.Walking through area’s with a lot of detail leads to some quite noticeable frame rate issues.When involved in huge battles,with multiple enemies and teammates the game is plagued with some quite serious slowdown.In some parts its not really a huge issue but it is noticeable.But towards the end of the game it actually gets really bad.Other similar types of game such as Dead Space and the Gears Of War series look much better than this and do not suffer from these mentioned problems.On the audio front the game really does sound great.Once at the main menu,you select your mission and it will load to the sound of the famous Ghostbusters theme song.This perfectly sets the tone for the game which lays ahead.The voice overs are well used and can be quite amusing at times.While firing up the proton streams proves to be a real workout for your sound system.This game really does sound like a Ghostbusters movie.
The Xbox 360 version has been widely reported as being superior to that of the PS3.Having played both versions of the game I can’t really agree with this to be honest.The PS3 version requires a large 4 GB install,yet strangely still seems to have loading times which are no faster than the Xbox 360 version (which has no install whatsoever).The graphics do look slightly more defined on the Xbox 360 but as already mentioned this version is also far from perfect.Overall the game does look a little better on the Xbox 360 than it does on the PS3,but I personally think the difference is far smaller than many would have you believe.
Overall I found Ghostbusters The Video game to be a real blast and I would certainly recommend it to fans of the film.It makes great use of its licence,which is something that so many movie based games fail to do.Although the game is technically far from perfect there is still a great deal of fun to be had on it.But with such a short story mode,some Xbox 360 owners may wish to wait a few months and rent the game instead ?.
7.5/10
In the game you play a new recruit to the Ghostbusters team,which I initially feared would not work out at all (remember Shia LaBeouf in the last Indiana Jones film ?).Thankfully though it does,as the writers have managed to introduce this new team member without interfering with the original Ghostbusters characters.Each character is voiced by the original actors who played them in the films and this works really well.Except perhaps Bill Murray,who at times sounds a bit like someone doing a bad Bill Murray impression !.The Ghostbusters quip and jibe as you assist them through the various missions,learning your new trade as you go along.There are also other characters from the films voiced in the game.These include environment agent Walter Peck and of course their receptionist Janine.Its great as she answers the phone and gives you your latest job.Little touches such as this really make it feel like a Ghostbusters game should.There are various locations recreated from the films such as the library from the opening scene in the first film and the hotel where they capture the famous Slimer.Infact,many of the films enemies are present in this game.The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man level is particularly fun in my opinion and looks fantastic on a large screen TV.There are also new ghosts invented especially for this game.Some are fine but others would not look out of place in a Scooby Doo cartoon.The game is generally great fun but it does get a touch repetitive as most of the enemies can be despatched in a very similar fashion and the single player story is also very short.Its fairly easy too,which means younger players could enjoy it as well.Also your teammates pretty much walk you through the game which is a tad unnecessary in places as it’s a very straight forward affair anyway.For example,One huge end of level boss has a large glowing yellow eye and crouches down around every 20 seconds.Your teammates shout ‘blast him in the eye’.I feel that most people would probably have worked this out for themselves.The end of level bosses are all easily defeated throughout the game.This means the game plays like a fun movie as opposed to a hardcore gaming challenge.Personally I found this to be fine as it suited this game perfectly.But I could understand some people being slightly disappointed with a game that you can basically sail through.Saying this,it can also be played on higher difficulty levels as well as online in 4 player co-op.The online co-op may be of interest to some as generally the AI of your teammates is not very good at all.In some places you are left to do everything while they stand around aimlessly,while in others you could basically go and hide in a cupboard while they clear the level for you !.If one of your team gets knocked down it is up to a teammate to revive them.This works exactly the same as it does in say Left 4 Dead or the Gears Of War games.This is another area where the games dodgy AI slightly lets it down.You can be lying incapacitated while your teammates are running frantically around you.At times they don’t seem to think that helping you out is a priority.When they finally get around to reviving you half the ghosts seem to have already been captured.It is also worth mentioning the many cut scenes that are present in this game.There is a ridiculous amount of them for a game with such a short story mode.Luckily you can skip them by pressing the ‘start’ button if required.
There is one area in which the game does impress and that its use of the Ghostbusters equipment.You use your PKE meter to locate supernatural activity and take snapshots to update your spirit guide.This works well,especially in very dark areas where you would otherwise struggle to work your way through.There are 4 different types of weapon,each useful against different types of enemy.If you are ever in any doubt which to use,simply look at which weapon your teammates are using and switch to that.This is not always the case though as sometimes they will be hosing down an enemy with slime and need you to get in there to blast and trap it.You do not get all weapons to begin with as you are given them at stages throughout the game.These can also be upgraded with money earned from your jobs.You have to use them wisely otherwise they tend to overheat and die just when you need them most.The trick here is to pick your shots carefully and not fire unnecessarily.They are fun to use though as they can also destroy scenery.Torching hotel lobbys and librarys with your proton pack is just fantastic fun.As in the films though you must not cross the proton streams.Sometimes this is really difficult to avoid as you attempt to wrestle a ghost into a trap with up to 4 other streams waving frantically,inches away from your head.On the plus side,the first time you get knocked down by your own stream you actually get an achievement for it !.
Technically the game is a bit of a mixed bag.The graphics are generally reasonable although this is not really an area in which the game tends to excel.As already mentioned,the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man looks great as does some of the scenery.The proton streams look fantastic with their bright,vibrant colours looking every bit as good as they did in the films.But there are a few areas in which the game does fall down.Walking through area’s with a lot of detail leads to some quite noticeable frame rate issues.When involved in huge battles,with multiple enemies and teammates the game is plagued with some quite serious slowdown.In some parts its not really a huge issue but it is noticeable.But towards the end of the game it actually gets really bad.Other similar types of game such as Dead Space and the Gears Of War series look much better than this and do not suffer from these mentioned problems.On the audio front the game really does sound great.Once at the main menu,you select your mission and it will load to the sound of the famous Ghostbusters theme song.This perfectly sets the tone for the game which lays ahead.The voice overs are well used and can be quite amusing at times.While firing up the proton streams proves to be a real workout for your sound system.This game really does sound like a Ghostbusters movie.
The Xbox 360 version has been widely reported as being superior to that of the PS3.Having played both versions of the game I can’t really agree with this to be honest.The PS3 version requires a large 4 GB install,yet strangely still seems to have loading times which are no faster than the Xbox 360 version (which has no install whatsoever).The graphics do look slightly more defined on the Xbox 360 but as already mentioned this version is also far from perfect.Overall the game does look a little better on the Xbox 360 than it does on the PS3,but I personally think the difference is far smaller than many would have you believe.
Overall I found Ghostbusters The Video game to be a real blast and I would certainly recommend it to fans of the film.It makes great use of its licence,which is something that so many movie based games fail to do.Although the game is technically far from perfect there is still a great deal of fun to be had on it.But with such a short story mode,some Xbox 360 owners may wish to wait a few months and rent the game instead ?.
7.5/10