Grand_OoF
06-25-2009, 11:32 PM
*Edit* Fixed some errors
Grand_Oof Presents: A NintendoFanboy19 Review:
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
With Special Co-Author: Red_Wizard
(All of his contributions and thoughts will be in red, for everyone's clarification!)
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/boxart_us_ghostbusters.jpg http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters-boxart.jpg
“Maybe now you'll never slime a guy with a positron collider, huh?!”
I think that it generally goes without saying that for most of us, the Ghostbusters are something of an American icon. We all grew up with them in some capacity or another. I know in my family Pete, Ray, Egon and the ever neglected Winston were everywhere. My family watched the movies regularly (which worked well since they were obviously family favorites). My brothers and I watched the cartoon on Saturday. We were young enough to enjoy Slimer’s Ecto Cooler Hi-C. I even watched the late 90s counterpart cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters (which, despite being glaringly PC and having the poor decision to label itself as “Extreme”, was actually a REALLY cool show).
But sadly, as The Angry Videogame Nerd can attest to, Ghostbusters and video games have had something of a shaky relationship. From personal experience, I had previously only played the Sega Genesis game. It wasn’t that bad, actually, despite once again neglecting poor Winston. But it was one of the better ones. For some reason, whether it was just rushed schedules, or technological limitations, or just a lack of caring, no company has ever really managed to produce an accurate reproduction of the experience of being a ghost buster.
…Until now.
Atari, along with Sony, Terminal Reality, Threewave Software and Red Fly Studios, have brought the highly anticipated Ghostbusters game to all the major consoles (along with versions for the PS2, PSP and DS). And…DS version not withstanding, the verdict is in…it’s a pretty damn good game.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters.jpg
"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mister Stay-Puft is okay. He's a sailor, he's in New York. We get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble!"
Taking two years after the events of the second movie, Egon, Peter, Ray and Winston have taken on a new recruit (a premade boy or girl in the Wii and PS2 version and a pre-made silent protagonist type character for the PS3 and 360 versions... they lack any type of customization, other than an optional, exclusive DLC "Flight Suit" outfit) to help them test all their new equipment. Of course, it just so happens that the new recruit has stepped into the next largest paranormal event of catastrophic proportions since the rise of M.C. Hammer’s popularity. The story is penned by Raimis and Akroyd themselves, so as you can imagine, it’s a classic. It certainly helps that there’s a top-notch voice cast, including all the original cast (and Walter Peck), and Alyssa Millano. Although…it seems there are some parts where Bill just isn’t that into it, which was a little disappointing.
The story is the same across all versions of course, but is going to set each version apart. On the PS3, 360 and PC versions, the graphics are breath-taking replications of the real Ghostbusters. The graphics look fantastic, and manage to capture both the look and feel of the movies in all their creepiness. The New York library feels especially haunting. I found the second part of the Library to be of particular note. You're actually in a part of the ghostworld which is pushing itself into the real world. There's floating land masses, decrepit walls, and freakadelic mirrors. And the part near the end of it defeinitely gives you a chill down your spine. Going back to the main part of the Library, I found the children's room to be particularly creepy and unnerving. I definitely don't want to go back there any time soon.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters_the_video_game-991.jpg
"He slimed me."
On the Wii and PS2, the graphics aren’t photo-realistic, but Red Fly instead chose to use a more cartoonish look. In essence, if you took the original movie, divided it by The Real Ghostbusters cartoon, and multiplied that by the graphical look of Psychonauts…you’d have the look of the Wii and PS2 version. Obviously, the Wii and PS2 version aren’t quite as easy on the eyes, but the style still manages to give off the appropriate vibe of spooky and still feel authentically Ghostbuster. And all things considering, it still managed to be pretty detailed. From the scorch marks left on the wall by your proton blasts to the Central Park level in particular where coffins rose out of the ground into the air, there’s definitely a good attention to detail.
Then there are the controls. The Wii version, was both surprisingly accurate and a whole CRAP load of fun. The joystick moves you, and you use the Wii-mote to turn the camera and target the ghosties. Using the B button, you’ll activate your proton charge and after you whittle away the ghost’s health, you’ll use your capture beam and slam them around to weaken them, before you lay out the trap (in a surprisingly accurate bowling motion with the nunchuck) that sucks them in. It’s just as simple as it sounds. The other consoles impress too. The 360 and PS3 versions offer tight, respsonsive controls and the ability to remap nearly all of the functions, which I found both useful and gratifying (its nice to see a developer offer more than just a few pre-determined control schemes). My only complaint about controls goes more to the gameplay aspect of them than anything else. Namely, the jumping/dodging. Now, don't get me wrong, I know I'm not playing as a super human or anything, and I know I've got a heavy, unlicensed nuclear accelerator strapped to my back, but the dodging just seems sluggish and slow to respond. And the actual jumping? Ha! Whomever programmed that aspect must have been a fan of the phrase "white guys can't jump." I've also found that its difficult to do anything while running. Other than that small gripe, the controls are very well done.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters_wii_1.jpg
"Doooooh...." "Raaaaay..." "Egoooon!"
And even better, each of your weapons gets an upgrade. Your standard issue Proton Pack gets the Boson Dart upgrade, giving you the option to shoot a concentrated blast. Your PKE Meter becomes goggles, and the other two gadgets you get some pretty nifty upgrades too. In the Wii system sadly, the money you collect amounts to little, but the money aspect of the other versions is actually presented far better than in previous Ghostbusters titles (yeah, I know, that isn't saying alot). I like how the money you earn is used to research and develop upgrades for your gear. And all your gear is upgradable too! You can even upgrade your ghost traps.
The music is probably the lowest part of the presentation, which is not to imply it is bad. But most of it is recycled from the previous two movies, and most of the new background music is pretty forgettable. But for all intensive purposes, the music manages to help set the mood properly, as well as help you get sucked into the world of being a Ghostbuster.
This isn’t to imply that everything about the game is perfect. Although the PS2 and Wii versions look fine, after comparing it with other games on those systems, it seems like Red Fly would have benefited if they’d gone the extra bit further and used cel-shading to convey the look they were going for.
Another issue was the camera. Particularly while trying to wrangle the ghosts. Since the little buggers can fly all over the place, sometimes the camera would move into awkward positions and make it difficult to keep an eye on the action, and this is particularly difficult when you’re being ganged up on. I didn't have too many problems with the camera on the 360 version. Although the damnable ghosts would frequently fly above or behind me making it hard to track and capture them unless I already had a capture stream on them.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters_wii.jpg
"Hee hee hee! 'Get her!' That was your whole plan, 'Get her!' You were scientific!"
Which was another issue. In the missions you were usually accompanied by one or more of the famous Ghostbusters. This sounds like a dream…except that the AI is particularly buggy. Often your allies sit there and take punishment from the stronger enemies until they pass out. This wouldn’t be a problem if you could simply ignore the fact until the screen is cleared, but since the Ghostbusters are the only things that can revive you when you get knocked out, it becomes somewhat important to keep them alive, especially with certain bosses or rooms with large swarms of spectral opponents. The AI in the 360 version wasn't that bad, although in two instances I can think of the game acted really strange. At one point I was in the Sedgewick Hotel and had just come through the kitchen and needed to board the elevator with one of the 'busters. Well, I waited around for about ten minutes and he didn't follow me. So I went back to the kitchen and found all of them huddled around a wall in the middle. I couldn't push them away or figure out what they were doing and so I started looking around, occasionally going back to the elevator to try that again (still didn't work). So I finally went back to the kitchen where they were, and looked up. There was a ghost, nearly finished off, stuck in the celing/wall. He had been there the whole time, but I had no idea. The Ghostbuster usually call out about a ghost's location to the player and each other, but they weren't saying. I proceeded to catch the ghost and then the story got underway. The other incident was in Central Park. I was making my way through with Ray, but he stopped suddenly and started sliming a wall. I went on, defeated several high-class ghosts along the way, and eventually came to a stop again. I went back to Ray, who was still sliming the same wall. I looked around and found a small patch of black slime on the other side of the wall that he was apparently trying to neutranize. So I slimed it myself and then the story proceeded again. These are the only incidents I can think of where the AI was really problematic. For the most part, the AI was well-adjusted to each scenario.
The biggest problem however with the game was its length. Ultimately, the experienced gamer will probably take no more than 6-8 hours to complete the entire thing, and unless you’re a completionist and you missed some of the artifacts or scans in the game, there’s little incentive to venture back and replay the game again. The addition of co-op (both online for the PS3/360 and PC and local for the PS2 and Wii) certainly make it a great game to play with a friend…but beyond that there isn’t much to call you back into the game.
With all of that established though, this is a masterpiece as far as licensed games are concerned, and is still a great game in its own respects. Ghostbuster fans will enjoy every minute of it, as the game is most certainly a love letter to them. There is plenty of fan service to be had, and the game is just a genuine testament to the notion that not all licensed games have to suck.
So should the opportunity arise, this is definitely worth a rental at the very least, but certainly wouldn’t be a poor purchase either. Just remember who to call, whether you’re looking for a classic movie or a fun game.
+ A great story penned by the original writers
+ An all star cast
+ Genuinely funny and creepy
+ 360, PC and PS3 graphics are fantastic
+ Great controls and weapons really help you feel like a Ghostbuster
- Music is either recycled or forgettable
- Wii and PS2 graphics are nice, but will definitely not appeal to everyone
- AI issues can bog down the game.
- The camera could get stuck in some frustrating positions
- Sadly short
NintendoFanboy awards Ghostbusters: The Video Game a B
---------------------------------------------------
SECOND OPINION!
Overall this is a good game. I thouroughly enjoyed myself while playing. The game is emerssive and really makes you feel like you're part of the team, even if you are more or less a guinea pig. While there is no local co-op for the 360/PS3 versions, there is online co-op, as well as a variety of online play modes (different "jobs"). One revolves around capturing as many ghosts as possible in the designated time, another around scanning and recovering the artifacts before other players do. In total, there are six different online play modes (not counting co-op). Each one is simple enough to understand...
Oh yeah. Those of us who pre-ordered this game got a rockin Ghostbusters T-shirt. I love that collectible stuff!
Grand_Oof Presents: A NintendoFanboy19 Review:
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
With Special Co-Author: Red_Wizard
(All of his contributions and thoughts will be in red, for everyone's clarification!)
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/boxart_us_ghostbusters.jpg http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters-boxart.jpg
“Maybe now you'll never slime a guy with a positron collider, huh?!”
I think that it generally goes without saying that for most of us, the Ghostbusters are something of an American icon. We all grew up with them in some capacity or another. I know in my family Pete, Ray, Egon and the ever neglected Winston were everywhere. My family watched the movies regularly (which worked well since they were obviously family favorites). My brothers and I watched the cartoon on Saturday. We were young enough to enjoy Slimer’s Ecto Cooler Hi-C. I even watched the late 90s counterpart cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters (which, despite being glaringly PC and having the poor decision to label itself as “Extreme”, was actually a REALLY cool show).
But sadly, as The Angry Videogame Nerd can attest to, Ghostbusters and video games have had something of a shaky relationship. From personal experience, I had previously only played the Sega Genesis game. It wasn’t that bad, actually, despite once again neglecting poor Winston. But it was one of the better ones. For some reason, whether it was just rushed schedules, or technological limitations, or just a lack of caring, no company has ever really managed to produce an accurate reproduction of the experience of being a ghost buster.
…Until now.
Atari, along with Sony, Terminal Reality, Threewave Software and Red Fly Studios, have brought the highly anticipated Ghostbusters game to all the major consoles (along with versions for the PS2, PSP and DS). And…DS version not withstanding, the verdict is in…it’s a pretty damn good game.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters.jpg
"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mister Stay-Puft is okay. He's a sailor, he's in New York. We get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble!"
Taking two years after the events of the second movie, Egon, Peter, Ray and Winston have taken on a new recruit (a premade boy or girl in the Wii and PS2 version and a pre-made silent protagonist type character for the PS3 and 360 versions... they lack any type of customization, other than an optional, exclusive DLC "Flight Suit" outfit) to help them test all their new equipment. Of course, it just so happens that the new recruit has stepped into the next largest paranormal event of catastrophic proportions since the rise of M.C. Hammer’s popularity. The story is penned by Raimis and Akroyd themselves, so as you can imagine, it’s a classic. It certainly helps that there’s a top-notch voice cast, including all the original cast (and Walter Peck), and Alyssa Millano. Although…it seems there are some parts where Bill just isn’t that into it, which was a little disappointing.
The story is the same across all versions of course, but is going to set each version apart. On the PS3, 360 and PC versions, the graphics are breath-taking replications of the real Ghostbusters. The graphics look fantastic, and manage to capture both the look and feel of the movies in all their creepiness. The New York library feels especially haunting. I found the second part of the Library to be of particular note. You're actually in a part of the ghostworld which is pushing itself into the real world. There's floating land masses, decrepit walls, and freakadelic mirrors. And the part near the end of it defeinitely gives you a chill down your spine. Going back to the main part of the Library, I found the children's room to be particularly creepy and unnerving. I definitely don't want to go back there any time soon.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters_the_video_game-991.jpg
"He slimed me."
On the Wii and PS2, the graphics aren’t photo-realistic, but Red Fly instead chose to use a more cartoonish look. In essence, if you took the original movie, divided it by The Real Ghostbusters cartoon, and multiplied that by the graphical look of Psychonauts…you’d have the look of the Wii and PS2 version. Obviously, the Wii and PS2 version aren’t quite as easy on the eyes, but the style still manages to give off the appropriate vibe of spooky and still feel authentically Ghostbuster. And all things considering, it still managed to be pretty detailed. From the scorch marks left on the wall by your proton blasts to the Central Park level in particular where coffins rose out of the ground into the air, there’s definitely a good attention to detail.
Then there are the controls. The Wii version, was both surprisingly accurate and a whole CRAP load of fun. The joystick moves you, and you use the Wii-mote to turn the camera and target the ghosties. Using the B button, you’ll activate your proton charge and after you whittle away the ghost’s health, you’ll use your capture beam and slam them around to weaken them, before you lay out the trap (in a surprisingly accurate bowling motion with the nunchuck) that sucks them in. It’s just as simple as it sounds. The other consoles impress too. The 360 and PS3 versions offer tight, respsonsive controls and the ability to remap nearly all of the functions, which I found both useful and gratifying (its nice to see a developer offer more than just a few pre-determined control schemes). My only complaint about controls goes more to the gameplay aspect of them than anything else. Namely, the jumping/dodging. Now, don't get me wrong, I know I'm not playing as a super human or anything, and I know I've got a heavy, unlicensed nuclear accelerator strapped to my back, but the dodging just seems sluggish and slow to respond. And the actual jumping? Ha! Whomever programmed that aspect must have been a fan of the phrase "white guys can't jump." I've also found that its difficult to do anything while running. Other than that small gripe, the controls are very well done.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters_wii_1.jpg
"Doooooh...." "Raaaaay..." "Egoooon!"
And even better, each of your weapons gets an upgrade. Your standard issue Proton Pack gets the Boson Dart upgrade, giving you the option to shoot a concentrated blast. Your PKE Meter becomes goggles, and the other two gadgets you get some pretty nifty upgrades too. In the Wii system sadly, the money you collect amounts to little, but the money aspect of the other versions is actually presented far better than in previous Ghostbusters titles (yeah, I know, that isn't saying alot). I like how the money you earn is used to research and develop upgrades for your gear. And all your gear is upgradable too! You can even upgrade your ghost traps.
The music is probably the lowest part of the presentation, which is not to imply it is bad. But most of it is recycled from the previous two movies, and most of the new background music is pretty forgettable. But for all intensive purposes, the music manages to help set the mood properly, as well as help you get sucked into the world of being a Ghostbuster.
This isn’t to imply that everything about the game is perfect. Although the PS2 and Wii versions look fine, after comparing it with other games on those systems, it seems like Red Fly would have benefited if they’d gone the extra bit further and used cel-shading to convey the look they were going for.
Another issue was the camera. Particularly while trying to wrangle the ghosts. Since the little buggers can fly all over the place, sometimes the camera would move into awkward positions and make it difficult to keep an eye on the action, and this is particularly difficult when you’re being ganged up on. I didn't have too many problems with the camera on the 360 version. Although the damnable ghosts would frequently fly above or behind me making it hard to track and capture them unless I already had a capture stream on them.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp332/NintendoFB19/ghostbusters_wii.jpg
"Hee hee hee! 'Get her!' That was your whole plan, 'Get her!' You were scientific!"
Which was another issue. In the missions you were usually accompanied by one or more of the famous Ghostbusters. This sounds like a dream…except that the AI is particularly buggy. Often your allies sit there and take punishment from the stronger enemies until they pass out. This wouldn’t be a problem if you could simply ignore the fact until the screen is cleared, but since the Ghostbusters are the only things that can revive you when you get knocked out, it becomes somewhat important to keep them alive, especially with certain bosses or rooms with large swarms of spectral opponents. The AI in the 360 version wasn't that bad, although in two instances I can think of the game acted really strange. At one point I was in the Sedgewick Hotel and had just come through the kitchen and needed to board the elevator with one of the 'busters. Well, I waited around for about ten minutes and he didn't follow me. So I went back to the kitchen and found all of them huddled around a wall in the middle. I couldn't push them away or figure out what they were doing and so I started looking around, occasionally going back to the elevator to try that again (still didn't work). So I finally went back to the kitchen where they were, and looked up. There was a ghost, nearly finished off, stuck in the celing/wall. He had been there the whole time, but I had no idea. The Ghostbuster usually call out about a ghost's location to the player and each other, but they weren't saying. I proceeded to catch the ghost and then the story got underway. The other incident was in Central Park. I was making my way through with Ray, but he stopped suddenly and started sliming a wall. I went on, defeated several high-class ghosts along the way, and eventually came to a stop again. I went back to Ray, who was still sliming the same wall. I looked around and found a small patch of black slime on the other side of the wall that he was apparently trying to neutranize. So I slimed it myself and then the story proceeded again. These are the only incidents I can think of where the AI was really problematic. For the most part, the AI was well-adjusted to each scenario.
The biggest problem however with the game was its length. Ultimately, the experienced gamer will probably take no more than 6-8 hours to complete the entire thing, and unless you’re a completionist and you missed some of the artifacts or scans in the game, there’s little incentive to venture back and replay the game again. The addition of co-op (both online for the PS3/360 and PC and local for the PS2 and Wii) certainly make it a great game to play with a friend…but beyond that there isn’t much to call you back into the game.
With all of that established though, this is a masterpiece as far as licensed games are concerned, and is still a great game in its own respects. Ghostbuster fans will enjoy every minute of it, as the game is most certainly a love letter to them. There is plenty of fan service to be had, and the game is just a genuine testament to the notion that not all licensed games have to suck.
So should the opportunity arise, this is definitely worth a rental at the very least, but certainly wouldn’t be a poor purchase either. Just remember who to call, whether you’re looking for a classic movie or a fun game.
+ A great story penned by the original writers
+ An all star cast
+ Genuinely funny and creepy
+ 360, PC and PS3 graphics are fantastic
+ Great controls and weapons really help you feel like a Ghostbuster
- Music is either recycled or forgettable
- Wii and PS2 graphics are nice, but will definitely not appeal to everyone
- AI issues can bog down the game.
- The camera could get stuck in some frustrating positions
- Sadly short
NintendoFanboy awards Ghostbusters: The Video Game a B
---------------------------------------------------
SECOND OPINION!
Overall this is a good game. I thouroughly enjoyed myself while playing. The game is emerssive and really makes you feel like you're part of the team, even if you are more or less a guinea pig. While there is no local co-op for the 360/PS3 versions, there is online co-op, as well as a variety of online play modes (different "jobs"). One revolves around capturing as many ghosts as possible in the designated time, another around scanning and recovering the artifacts before other players do. In total, there are six different online play modes (not counting co-op). Each one is simple enough to understand...
Oh yeah. Those of us who pre-ordered this game got a rockin Ghostbusters T-shirt. I love that collectible stuff!