One of my presents for my *ahem* birthday, was Ghostbusters: The Video Game for the Playstation 3. Now, I had considered purchasing this game, so it’s one I’d have played either way. Being a child of the 80s, it was inevitable that I’d want to fulfil all those boyhood dreams be a Ghostbuster! Well – actually – I always wanted to be a scientist; but hey, these guys were paranormal researchers, all with PhDs or doctorates. They just got to kick some spectral bottom too!
However, the nearest thing up until this point has either been the ZX Spectrum Ghostbusters game, or running around in a jump-suit at fancy dress parties… And when everyone thinks you’ve come as Aneka Rice, you know it’s time to stay indoors, and turn on your PS3.
This game has just caught the image and appeal of the franchise very well. All the original Ghostbusters team provide voice talent, and the story was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The graphic are great, without being over-done, the photon-beams are very faithful, the trapping is great, and the abuse of the physics engine lends well to modeling psycho-kinetic capable entities. See, I’m even sounding like one of the team.
The only niggle I have is that wrangling ghosts with a joy-pad just doesn’t translate that well, sure it’s fun, but it would probably be more fun if a friend could tie some rope to my hands whilst I’m playing, and occasionally drag me around the room whilst I was attempting to capture ghost in-game. But then we start drawing up analogies with the Aneka Rice gag… Perhaps this is a game which would lend itself to a fishing-reel like controller, or at least something with a little more buzz or force-feedback than a wireless controller.
Either way, it’s still a hoot, and I’m looking forward to trying some on-line play, once I complete the single-player game!
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