Ghostbusters: The Video Game

If you’re of a certain generation, Ghostbusters will more than likely hold a very special place in your heart. As a film and franchise it managed to tap exactly into the zeitgeist; it was funny, scary, big, had a lot of heart and, most importantly, it had Bill Murray. Though evil Hollywood forces seemed to conspire to keep the series from living, millions of fans rejoiced at the news of the game, but if it was ever going to work it would have to embody all of these things to succeed… and ignore Ghostbusters II.

To an extent, Ghostbusters: The Video Game succeeds admirably. It has all these elements, and though it doesn’t flow as well as it should, it’s still funny and at times scary, but unfortunately it’s not always fun to play. Ironically, what brings it down most are the game elements that appear to have been shoehorned in to create a challenge. The act of capturing ghosts starts off well, but as you progress it becomes difficult, unfair and incredibly irritating. Attacks will bombard you from all angles and the difficulty, on the medium setting, is much more of a challenge than it should be. It’s a shame, as there are some really interesting changes, particularly to the Proton Pack, that freshen up the licence.

When the game finally steps onto new ground and the story kicks up a notch it gets considerably more interesting, and you’re never short of visiting a new location or big set piece. But the action the game hangs on is far from perfect and will have you straining to control your temper.

As a Ghostbusters experience you’ll find everything you want – well nearly, as there’s no Ecto-1 driving. As a game, it has a few shortfalls and irritations that stop it from ever feeling like the perfect adaptation so many fans were hoping for. As a story, it treads far too much ground already covered in the films, but as a package it is an homage-ridden trip down memory lane that is sure to put a smile on the face of every fan.