Ghostbusters The Video Game

"Not as bad as some have said..."

But once you get past the initial disappointment, it is pretty entertaining. No, I have yet to play any of the console versions with all the familiar voices, but it is not a stretch to imagine how this version might be the worst of the lot. That is to say that it is not horrible. I will admit, though, I was disappointed when I started playing it, but, of course, I wasn't going to stop (I mean, I freaking paid for it) and I'm glad I opened my mind some more. It could still use some improvements, but overall, not a waste of money.

Story: 7/10
I'm starting with the story. This part of the game saved it for me. If the game chose not to feature the story, then, it would have been a huge disappointment, instead of a light one. Of course, for us Ghostbusters fans, the story is one of the two most attractive aspects of the game, being a sequel and all (the other attractive feature is the gameplay, of course). I know that on the handheld the story is shortened a bit, which is why I knocked the points down to seven, but it is nice to have and I thought it was very interesting. It expanded upon the historical backstory of Gozer's world and brought back a lot of familiar characters. I can't wait to get play the console versions to put these characters with the voices. Geekasm!!! So, nice story with fun dialogue, but could have been longer.

Sound: 7/10
Yup, another seven out of ten. The positive aspects is the classic Ghostbusters song, of course. Another nice feature are effects of the proton packs and the siren, sounds exactly like in the movie as opposed to dumbing it down for the game. Plus, some of the background music came off of the soundtrack of the movie, that was nice. Unfortunately, some of that music is cut too short and a little bit repetitive. They could have expanded the tracks and used more music from the film. Shoot, I wouldn't have minded hearing some of the music from the second movie. Another thing missing is the voice acting. And it is not out of the question for the Nintendo DS to have full voice acting, because I have Spider-Man Web of Shadows on DS and that has exactly that. It would have been nice to hear their voices in this version. Oh well. Again, something to look forward to in the console versions.

Graphics: 7/10
Noticing a theme here with my scoring. The graphics were pretty decent to look at for the most part, especially the proton blasts. However, I could have used more of the detailed film look of the characters instead of the cartoony nintendo look. Plus, some of the cutscenes show Ecto-1 missing a few features, such as the no ghost logo. Mostly nitpicks, but a tad bit more detail would have been nice. Although, I do have to admit that Slimer and Stay-Puft looked pretty good.

Gameplay: 7/10
Alright, on to the main event. I was initially disappointed with the game when I first started out and here's why. The driving controls are rough and take some getting used to. The on-foot controls were fine, but the missions are so easy and simplistic, there's almost no challenge to them. It seems as if there's no need for leveling up and upgrading weaponry which you get to do in the firehouse. Plus, all of the side missions are practically the same with no real puzzle solving elements and they all take place in the same three or four areas. But, after getting used to the driving, it gets better. You can even take the Ecto-1 out on a free drive to bust ghosts around town and add a little bit of variety to the gameplay. Sure, you lose reputation points because you'll miss a call on a bust, but those could be made up easily by taking the next job. All of the side missions are easy enough. And the ghostbusting part is pretty fun and addicting. That's what made me want to go back for more and forgive the simplistic gameplay. The story missions differ from the side missions by having dialogue and more variety in gameplay such as some puzzle solving and character-specific tasks. Also, as the game progressed, the side missions started to vary in their enemy ghosts and became slightly more challenging. As the story missions progressed, there was a need to level up character abilities and equipment. There is a lot to do in this game, although it is pretty short, which is my other complaint. Basically, the game became more fun as I progressed. Give it a chance, it may not be as awesome as the console counterparts, but it is still entertaining in its own right. Plus, you get to play as the original four ghostbusters and not a recruit (although, that is mentioned in the game).

Replayability: 7/10
Not a whole lot left to do once you completed the game, unless, you didn't upgrade everything throughout. Plus, if you ever feel the need to do some ghostbusting and/or go for a ride in Ecto, then, it is nice to revisit. Shoot, it's nice to revisit to see what it would be like if you lost all your reputation points. I might try that next.

Overall: 7/10
Despite being initially disappointed, I learned to enjoy it, but still wished there was more variety in the side missions as well as more challenging ghosts. But, I'd recommend adding to the DS collection.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/22/09

Game Release: Ghostbusters The Video Game (US, 06/16/09)