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Ghostbusters: The Video Game (DS)
Release Date: June 16, 2009
Reviewed On: Nintendo DS
Also Available On: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP
Developer: Red Fly Studios
Publisher: Atari
ESRB Rating: Everyone - Fantasy violence
PEGI Rating: 7+
OFLC Rating: RP
Summer brought a blast of nostalgia with the release of Ghostbusters the Video Game. As a child of the 80’s, I have fond memories of Ghostbusters and was thrilled to play the game, despite the fact that given the past performance of movie based games.
After spending some time with Ghostbusters the Video Game, it’s clear that a lot of love went into the game from the developers at Red Fly Studios. However there are areas of the title that prevent me from wholeheartedly endorsing it. Although Ghostbusters will provide players with hours of entertainment and fans will enjoy the story, given the option (unless you’re a fan of handhelds) I’d steer players towards the Xbox or PS3 version of the game.
At its core Ghostbusters is an RPG. Make sure to upgrade your equipment.
Story:
Set shortly after the events of the second movie, players take on the role of Ray, Egon, Peter and Winston to combat the supernatural in New York, selecting missions to take on from HQ. At its heart Ghostbusters is an RPG featuring primary and side quests; primary missions are often much more fun, objectives featuring quirky dialogue, with a wider variety of tasks that combine gameplay mechanics while furthering the story. Side quests, on the other hand, become tedious and generally fall into three categories: rescuing folks, collecting items to research equipment upgrades and trapping ghosts.
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, the title is a trip down memory lane and packs more than a few moments of laugh out loud dialogue. The title also brings back many of the settings, characters, enemies that fans of the movies will remember and enjoy (Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man for starters). Providing fan service is all well and good but I would have liked to see the story evolve beyond the movies by introducing new elements to the Ghostbusters.
I ain't scared o' no ghost, zap and trap is the name of the game here.
Gameplay:
Headquarters is the command center of the game, and the location where players will take on primary and side quests with the goal of earning reputation points by successfully completing missions. The game is an RPG at its core and missions will allow players to take on well known enemies from the movies, as well as simple rescue missions, or zapping and trapping ghosts. Completing missions allows players to collect slime and money which can be used at HQ to customize character stats and unlock special abilities, as well as research and build equipment upgrades. The game doesn’t stress the benefits of customization and although it is a fun element and aids in completing quests it can be easily overlooked by players.
Ecto-1 is an iconic element to Ghostbusters, and while it’s nice that the game allows players to cruise around the streets of New York, the novelty wears thin, becoming one of the more frustrating aspects of the gameplay. Using clunky controls, players will drive the sluggish performing Ecto-1 using the map on the top screen to navigate the city to arrive at their next mission. Whilst maneuvering the car with the d-pad, players will also have to take down enemies using the stylus which controls a proton cannon and it’s important to reduce damage taken as this will slow the car down. Driving the Ecto-1 is a timed event and most of the time players will have more than enough time to reach missions. If players fail to make it in time, they will lose the ability to complete the side quests and completionists will be forced to restart the game from the last save point and try again.
In fights it's often to distinguish who's who.
Graphics:
For a Nintendo DS game, the visuals are impressive and there is rich detail in the environments of Ghostbusters, I would have liked more distinguishing features among different characters, especially in stickier situations when you want to unleash a special ability. The game also has a locked camera angle which centers the characters in the middle of the screen, making it difficult to dodge off-screen attacks by ranged and fast moving enemies.
Audio:
The music in the title needed more variety; as it is the music is limited and quickly becomes monotonous, even the iconic Ghostbusters theme song becomes stale. When players first hear the music in the Ecto-1 it’s almost impossible not to sing along to the lyrics of “who ya gonna call?” However since this is the only song you’ll hear when driving through the city, over and over again, the novelty will wear thin. Thankfully the developers allow players to mute the song and the Ecto-1 siren by pressing select. Finally, the dialogue in the DS version of Ghostbusters is limited to repurposed dialogue from the movies unlike versions on other platforms which recorded brand new dialogue from the original cast of the movie.
Fun in the beginning, after the fiftieth time driving the Ecto-1 I had to mute the music.
Summary:
Ghostbusters suffers from repetitive missions and gameplay, as well as weak audio. On the other hand the writing will keep players entertained, offsetting some of the negative aspects to make a decent enough game. If you prefer playing on a handheld platform or have a summer trip lined up then pick up the game and start zapping away.
Story: 7/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Graphics: 6/10
Audio: 4/10
Total Gaming Network Rating: 6/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Graphics: 6/10
Audio: 4/10
Total Gaming Network Rating: 6/10
~Bawdyjane