Ghostbusters: The Video Game

The Good
Unlike a lot of licensed games, Ghostbusters completely captures the (pun intended) spirit of the films. Everything from the music, the hum of the proton blaster, the snide comments from Venkman, it's all here.

The game is total fan service, making loving homages to what was great about both films, and throwing in a few clever nods to the animated series as well. Ghostbuster wannabes can explore the firehouse to their heart's content, finding a treasure trove of relics and fun things to examine.

The story is incredible. It feels like the third movie, with all of the jokes and comments thrown in at just the right time. It's one of the few video games out there that understands the importance of delivery, and does it well. The story also provides a solid mystery for the Ghostbusters to figure out, and keeps players entertained until the end credits roll.

Dan Akroyd and Ernie Hudson pour their hearts into their characters. The others are good, but the level of "Ray Stanz" enthusiasm is infectious and so much fun. Egon deadpans, Peter smarms, Janine complains, and it all works perfectly. Kudos for bringing back almost the entire cast.

Ghostbusting itself.... It's perfect. I've waited for nearly 25 years to feel like a Ghostbuster, and this is my chance. From fighting to bust ghosts, to scanning with the PKE Meter, it all feels natural, and near giddy in execution. When you trap a ghost, you know you've earned it. When you get really good, you can do some amazing things with the weaponry to bring ghosts in ever faster. The feeling of discovery is remarkable.

What surprised me about the game is how genuinely creepy it is. Not just a little bit, but when normal environments start transforming into the supernatural, there is a chilling feeling of unease. There's even a few jumps in there. Again, they found the right FEELING for this game.

For the most part, the cut scenes are excellent, and feel like a movie.

Multi-player? Simple, to the point, and fun. You find a good team of online players, things get crazy. Not to mention the thrill of finding a "special" ghost, which takes on a Pokemon "Gotta catch 'em all" rush to trap the exclusive spook.

The Bad
There are, unfortunately a few minor problems with the game.

The lip-synching is way off. It's not too apparent sometimes, but it does pull one out of the realm of the game's world. Some animations are also a little too stiff, especially in walking animations.

The Meson Collider is useless. The other weapons are fantastic, traditional and inventive. Take this with a grain of salt, but the yellow blaster feels a little TOO video-gamey, as if it doesn't belong in the game's world.

Bill Murray's performance is hit and miss. There are lines he delivers with total conviction and personality of Peter Venkman. There are other lines where it sounds like he'd rather be a million miles away.

There are also times where the player spends most of its time saving the other team members than focusing on 'busting. The AI isn't "stupid" as a whole, but there are times that it makes really bad mistakes. There have also been times that the game has had to be restarted as team members don't move to the next checkpoint to trigger the next objective.

The Gamestop downloadable Ghostbusters 2 jumpsuit also has a glitch in the single player mode where the original logo overlaps the updated logo. It's a really sloppy move for what is supposed to be an exclusive and special download.

The Bottom Line
Considering all the trials and tribulations and delays and losses of publishers, it was questionable if Ghostbusters would ever come out, much less be a solid and enjoyable gaming experience. But it survived, and the extra few months undoubtedly made it a much better game.

Ghostbusters is truly a "one of a kind" experience. With the game reuniting the major cast, the writers, the music, the sounds, the characters, the none too subtle nods to the fans, and the feeling of bringing a childhood daydream to digital life, this is the first time that a "Summer blockbuster" doesn't make its debut in theaters, but on a person's television screen.

Every ghost you bust is a challenge that doesn't get repetitive. You feel like you're part of the team. The Rookie character is left undefined so that the player can take the part of the role and make it themselves with their imagination, and there is a gleeful rush of pride when you team up with the whole crew, looking the way they should, sounding the way they should, evokes a sense of "magic" that you simply don't find in a licensed game. You feel like you're actually part of the team, and that's something special in itself.

There are a few minor quirks that momentarily detract, but the whole of the experience is solid. Kudos to Atari for actually having the brains to pick this title up and making sure that we're "ready to believe" all over again.