Review: Ghostbusters (PS3)

By Mike Koss | July 5, 2009

In the latest video game iteration of the original Ghostbusters universe in almost 19 years, and to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original movie, Terminal Reality has resurrected one of the most beloved cult-followed movies to be pried from the heads of Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd. Have they crafted a phoenix, or did they manage only to dig up some zombies? Strap on a proton pack, and let’s get to bustin’ some ghosts and this review.

The story behind the game has been woven by the masterful hands of Ramis and Aykroyd, and the dynamic duo is able dust out the cobwebs for one more visit to the Big Apple infested with apparitions. As I already mentioned in the First Thirty, you fill the shoes of a new hire and are quickly thrust into the day, and night, job of seizing spirits. The story revolves around Gozer returning one more time in attempt to wipe out humanity. You’ll remember him as the ultimate evil from the first movie, especially when he takes his destructor form as the unforgettable Stay Puft marshmallow man. Unfortunately, the game and story almost completely ignore the second movie except for the appearance of a few props and the slime gun. This is a shame because at times it can feel like a shallow attempt to cash-in trying to rekindle the original fire. Luckily, in the end the game manages to find and stand on its own two feet.

I'm Vigo, the Carpathian, and one of few GB2 references... sigh.

The graphical presentation in the PS3 version is luscious, even if it is marred in comparison to the 360 version. Without trying to beat a dead horse, there are textures that are more akin to a mid-generation PS2 version than the current state of games on the PS3. Since they are limited to tertiary items there is no experience-jarring effect, just rather a let-down that makes it feel like the game was pushed out the doors to meet a deadline. The characters, ghosts, objects, and even environment models are nothing short of spectacular. The characters are almost drop-in replacements for the real-life counterparts as they would have been back in the mid-80’s. All of the ghosts, which there are quite a few different ones, are excellently rendered. It’s a shame that everything moves so fast because you don’t get a chance to truly appreciate the level of detail at times. The destructible environments is where it really shines. As in the movie, if you squirt your proton stream on something other than a specter, there will be burning, charring, or better yet destruction. Now, yes, somethings are off limits, but it’s the little details that pull you into the game world. Another nice feature comes packaged in loading screens that are ‘hidden’ by story-progressing videos, and luckily there aren’t too many loading screens in the game.

Sorry, Egon, this isn't Cash Cab

Audibly is where the game truly shines. With all of the original Ghostbusters reprising their roles, the magic has been captured. Out of all the quips, only a handful rise to the echelon of the original movies and could be routinely recited. The rest of the banter is still entertaining, funny, and what you’d expect to be mouthed by the boys in grey. The 5.1 sound aids greatly in tracking down the floating fighters since they will quickly change location. The background music throughout the game is almost wholly taken from the original movie soundtracks as composed by Ray Parker Jr. This undoubtedly completes the package of placing you right there next to Venkman, Egon, Stantz, and Zeddemore in 1984 (or 1989 if you prefer), standing hip-to-hip ridding the onslaught of poltergeists.

Great, now I'm stalked by music blaring disco dancing pants

It can’t go un-noted that this game is not without it its problems, and that the biggest gripe has to be the graphical glitches. The low resolution PS3 version is wholly inexcusable, and the game/system hobbling bugs are things to be expected from a 3rd-rate, shovelware, one-off, me-too game for the Wii. Now that’s out of the way, let’s pick on a few more little things. For one, the AI of the other Ghostbusters seems to be adaptive between the range of mediocre and dumb. At times they can help battle with the baddies, and then moments later they’re nothing more than cannon fodder that you must continually resuscitate. Dying consists of being knocked down, until you are revived by another character. This is a nice touch that becomes flawed when too often the computer controlled characters are already down, or getting picked off as they meander through the minefield to help you up. The difficulty of the bosses becomes painful, almost 1989-hard with its ‘cheapness’. When a single attack can wipe out you and/or the whole team it starts to feel like a quarter-munching arcade game from the 90’s. This is only further compounded by the load time after death. When you add a multi-minute load time, it’s nothing more than tedious. There are trophy/achievements for finding all the items through out the game. Too bad the only way to know if you’ve collected everything for a level is to finish it and then replay it. And lastly, while it is more than a handful of hours, the game is too short and definitely leaves you longing for more.

Overall, I really enjoyed Ghostbusters. Ignoring the major flaws, I’d say that it’s one of the best titles out so far this summer. The PS3 version must be fixed though. Right now Atari and Terminal Reality really need to step up, patch the game, and even issue a voluntary disc recall. It would be nice if they threw in some extra stuff as well to compensate for what can only be surmised as the pre-release/preview version of the game. If this does occur, I would wholeheartedly raise my review score, but until then it has been docked a full point and blasts in at 3.5 out 5 Aeropausonauts.

Check out Ghostbusters and other PS3 reviews at Test Freaks.