Loaded Couch Potatoes

Sorry, other guy that reviewed this. Let the REAL Ghostbusters handle this one.

Light a cigarette and get a drink. This is a long one.
Being the mega-ultra-super-huge fan of Ghostbusters that I am, I had a laundry list of high expectations for this game. Not only did it pass all of my tests, but it shot me in the face for even thinking that it was going to be bad. The first part of the review will be for the 360 / PS3 versions. Ill have a separate the Wii review from the rest.
Now, right off I’ll get to the bad stuff. There were only a few actual problems that I had with it, but it wasn’t anything that should put someone off from checking the game out. The biggest complaint that I have seen on other reviews, message boards, etc. is that the game is too short. The first round thru I played the campaign on normal and completed the story in 6-7 hours. Yes. That’s pretty short. HOWEVER. This was such a cinematic experience that I think it would have taken away from the game if it was too much longer. Aykroyd was actually quoted in a few interviews as saying that if you are a fan of the movies that this will be like the third installment with you as the main role. If you’re trying to get a whole lot more out of everything, then you will wind up making dialog, situations, objectives seemed kind of forced and thrown in. If you want to add a couple of hours on to the campaign time, kick the difficulty up. It will definitely take you a little longer. Along with the time problem I only found two others. There were several situations where the characters were conversing in-game (not in the cinematic cutscenes) and weren’t throwing their lines out when they should. Instead there was a few second delay, and then the appropriate line. I didn’t notice it more than 2 or 3 times. The last problem I found is that there was a time or two where the AI characters would “forget” what they were doing. You would have to backtrack a little in the level to get them to respond and to get them back on point. Apart from that I didn’t find any problems.

Now for the good! The game has completely taken over my life. The campaign was a blast. Like I mentioned before, for some of the fans it will be like a third movie, and it was for me. I laughed, I cried, I busted ghosts. Ok, not so much cried. Everything about the game was able to just draw me in and make me forget about everything else. They were able to nail the sounds and visual effects of the equipment, which was one of my main worries. The extra items on the proton pack also actually wound up being interesting. I didn’t really want anything past the original proton pack, but after playing around with all of the tools, Ive come to enjoy them and use a couple a lot more than I though I ever would. It gave the game a more sci-fi feel.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Im not an obsessive fan like you are. Is this game for me?” If you have seen and enjoyed the films then, yes. Yes it is. If you haven’t seen either of the original films, then you’re either 6, or you’re Amish. Either way, get out. I jest. This game is for everyone tho. The previously mentioned cinematic value of the film is reason enough to play thru it. The simple controls make it easy to pick up and go with, but it still takes some time and coordination to bust like a pro. Even the pretend friends that you have over to watch you play will enjoy themselves while watching and lol-ing at the script.

As far as the Wii version goes, its about what you would expect. Its almost like a parahprased and more animated version of the other next gen console versions. The controls are what you would expect. Point and trigger to bust, analog stick on the nunchuck to move, yadda yadda. You even get to make the trap throw motion to throw out the trap. Nerd boner. I still wasn’t able to completely enjoy the game but really only due to the fact that the wiimote / sensor combination still isn’t perfect, so there were ghosts that got away.  Not a huge deal, but it definitely frustrated me a few time. This has a little bit bigger learning curve than the other systems, its still a fun play regardless of how old you are or how much GB experience you have.

There you go. There’s 7 hours of your life wasted on a review for the game when you could be playing the game. This is a must have.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (360 / PS3) : 9/10

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii) : 7/10

And on a completely unrelated note, yours truly was selected for the next phase of the Ghostbustersishiring.com search for who should be the next Ghostbuster. Booyah.