As a gamer, since until recently I didn't own any of the more recent consoles, I wasn't able to play games when they first came out. I read an article somewhere, stating that an essential part of gamer culture is being able to play a game when it is first made available to the public, and then relating to your fellow gamers what you think of it. For several years, I haven't been able to do this. Now, now I will be able to again. I rented a game last Tuesday, and took it back earlier today. Let me give you my thoughts on Ghostbusters: the Video Game.
Ghostbusters! The name conjures memories of a retro 1980's comedy/action flick with an all-star cast, top notch writing, good special effects (provided you aren't too weaned on CGI), and even a few genuinely scary moments. It's considered one of the funniest and cleverest movies ever made, and I believe it. The success of Ghostbusters was followed up by a sequel, a cartoon series, and video games. Let me tell you, I've played Ghostbusters 2 on the NES. Let me warn you; James Rolfe (AKA the Video Game Nerd) was right to slam that title to Hell and back.
You see, the problem was two things: 1, game technology back then could not properly convey a movie-like experience, no matter how hard developers tried. Games didn't become cinematic until the late 1990's, and even then, there's the second problem. 2, back in the NES era, practically nobody regarded video games as an artform. Of course, I am of the opinion that games are only as artistic as the developers want them to be, but on the other hand, a game like the recent Ghostbusters couldn't exist back then. Know why?
Because the new Ghostbusters game is written by, that's right, Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis. You can tell, bcause the dialog is just one joke after another. Not only that, but they're constant continuity nods to both of the live-action movies throughout the game. And, not only that, but every character from the movies is voiced by the same actor. That's right, you've got Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Dan Akroyd as Ray Stantz, Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler, Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, and every other returning actor playing their parts. And no one phones in their lines; they deliver with the same gusto that they would with a movie. Now, I know, I love to champion lesser known actors who are talented voice actors, but I'm gonna take a break from that for a moment and say this; Ghostbusters: the Video Game is one of the greatest examples of celebrity actors doing voiceovers for a game ever. I mean, think about it, Bill Murray plays a character! One of my favorite comic actors of all time voices a character in a game! And he plays the sarcastic smartass Venkman exactly as he did twenty years ago. All the characters are exactly as you remember them.
The game takes place two years after the second movie, and appropriately enough, all of the in-game character models look exactly as the actors did in the movies. The level of detail in their likenesses is downright scary. It's a sharp contrast with the various ghosts you must fight in the game. The humans are photorealistic (photorealistic in-game graphics still a somewhat new phenomenon in games, mind you) whereas the ghosts are either cartoony, or ghoulish in appearance. Say, remember the Ghostbusters cartoon show? (Entitled "The Real Ghostbusters." I like the title) It was a separate continuity from the movies, but the game does draw one inspiration from The Real Ghostbusters; the guys fought a much larger variety of ghosts in the show than what was seen in the movies. In this game, expect that too. There are some, shall I say, classic poltergeists, such as Slimer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and the Librarian Ghost, but you'll encounter many, many other ghosts along the way, some of them pretty interesting.
But, does any of it matter? Is the game itself fun? Yes. It's a third-person shooter that plays kind of like Gears of War 2. You play not as any of the classic characters, but rather, a new recruit who has no name, (everyone calls him "new guy") no voice, and is basically you the player. The game is basically your career as a paranormal invesitgator/exterminator. You get to use the Proton Pack, and, per video game rules, the Proton Pack can do more than just shoot a continous stream of energy. The different Proton Pack settings are your weapons. You can also use the PKE detector to locate ghosts, paranormal items, and other strange things. The other Ghostbusters are your squadmates; and much like in GOW, they are good partners to have. This game is not really easy. The ghosts are tricky, some of them can be killed just by shooting at them, while others require the ghost trap to be defeated. There are some puzzles in the game as well, but they aren't too difficult.
I believe that only as a video game could Ghostbusters be revived nowadays. Think about it, the actors now would be too old to play these characters in live action, but they can still supplement their voices, and with the magic of real time 3D graphics, can look just like they did when Ghostbusters was still new. Not only that, but being a Ghostbusters is a good concept for an action game. I mean, game makers knew that 25 years ago. This is one of the greatest examples of a movie game that doesn't suck. Any Ghostbusters fan is gonna love this. Yes, they do have the Academy Award-nominated theme song in the movie, and yes, the game's BGM is pieces from the movie soundtrack. And although the gameplay is really similar to GOW, it's not a ripoff; it's a clone. A clone that can stand on its own two feet.
However, if you do play Ghostbusters: the Video Game, do me one favor; don't cross the streams. Trust me when I say that crossing the streams is a very, very bad idea.
