Ghostbusters: The Game - First Impressions

This won’t come as a surprise, but Ghostbusters: The Game was made specifically for fans of the film (and its sequel). The game can still be enjoyable for those unfamiliar with the franchise, but the real joy comes from seeing our favorite characters kick some ghost booty after such a long absence. I’m not saying that the gameplay isn’t fun, but it’s definitely not the strength of this game.

I’ve played through roughly half of the single-player campaign and I’ve enjoyed my experience for the most part. I have yet to try out the multi-player component, but that will all come with a full review later this week. The game hit me with a brick wall of nostalgia the second I popped the disc into my Xbox 360. Hearing that theme music still pumps me up and reminds me of a different time when life was carefree, though it’s hard for life to be anything but carefree when you’re five years old. The story, voice-acting, and vibe are practically perfect and an absolute delight for Ghostbuster fans.

The problem with Ghostbusters: The Game is that it’s not always that much fun to play. The gameplay consists of using your PKE Meter to scan ghosts and find your way through the levels, followed by using your Proton Pack to destroy or capture ghosts. While these aspects do work in the game, they get rather repetitive and just become a chore. New weapons are unlocked throughout the course of the game, but none of the new weapons ever add enough variety to keep you interested.

Another problem I’ve noticed is that the in-game lip syncing can be extremely off at times. There are times when dialogue will stop, but the characters will still be moving their mouths for at least another fifteen seconds. This not only takes you out of the experience, but it ruins the flow of the game as well. You could be sitting around waiting for a door to be opened by another character (because he’s stopped talking), but you’ll have to waiting for his mouth to finish before any progress can be made.

Overall I am enjoying my experience with the game, but it definitely has some problems. I do feel that the Ghostbusters license is the saving grace for this otherwise underwhelming game, but the second half could end up blowing my mind. You can expect a full review of Ghostbusters: The Game later this week.