Bustin' Makes Me.......Satisfied
Licensed games are traditionally bad. Churning out a procession of low quality experiences to take financial advantage of a “synergy” with a popular movie/T.V show has put all but the most naïve of gamers off such titles. There has however been somewhat of a turn in the tide on this front and licensed games over the last few years have ascended the ladder from abysmal to mediocre – a far cry from their potential, but a significant improvement none the less.
Ghostbusters seems like the ideal franchise to push this agenda of improvement even further. Anyone who has seen either of the films will undoubtedly admit to having contemplated the prospect of strapping on a proton pack and answering that age old philosophical question, “will bustin' make me feel good?” The answer to that question is yes.......but not for long.
You play the role of the newest recruit on the Ghostbustin' block as you join up the old team to investigate the mysterious blue energy pulse that signalled the resurrection of New York's paranormal population. As the rookie you have the dubious honour of testing experimental new weaponry in the field as you investigate the pressing supernatural mystery. The game is essentially an over the shoulder Gears of War style action shooter, but crafts out it's own identity with it's trademark ghost wrangling and capture mechanic. Upon encountering a spook, spirit or spectre, you must weaken the enemy with either the standard proton beam or any combination off the various experimental weapons you possess before catching it in a capture stream. At this point, the ghost needs to be thrown about a bit to soften any remaining resolving before you slide out a trap and let it pull them into the containment field. This process is fun but can feel a little long winded until you unlock certain weapon upgrades. It is slightly disappointing that the ghosts show no changes in demeanour or behaviour when you are zapping them, nor do they especially try to evade your capture, so you are left to their decreasing energy bars to assess their current situation. There is something pleasantly visceral about the whole ghost wrangling experience though.
The plot and dialogue are written by Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd who wrote both of the original movies and it clearly shows. The storyline revisits several locations and characters familiar to fans and the dialogue maintains that delicious balance between light hearted flippancy and deliberately undecipherable techno-babble. The voice work is for the most part superb, even if Bill Murray does sound a little like someone performing a Bill Murray impression (albeit a particularly good one). The brevity of the game meant I experienced very little repetition in the the speech and certainly not enough for it to become an annoyance. In fact the shear amount of dialogue was, although not unpleasant, a little jarring particularly in comparison to other games in the genre. This quality of this aspect of the game has been criticised a little too harshly by some, partly I believe because the franchise is held in great esteem by many and there was a high level of expectation on this front. Don't listen to the naysayers, the overall standard in this department is excellent.
Unfortunately this game has added more kindling to the 360 vs PS3 flame in the graphics department, but thankfully the consumer friendly Sony conglomerate decided to release this as a timed PS3 exclusive here in Europe rendering this argument somewhat moot for the time being. Taken in isolation the graphics on the PS3 version are more than acceptable, the frame rate was solid and it makes a refreshing change to see a game avoid the homogenous looks of Unreal Engine titles. The only problem on the technical front is the frankly abysmal lip syncing during the many in game cutscenes, a sin which would be more forgivable in a less dialogue-heavy game. The persistent nature of proton blast scorch marks was particularly pleasing.
The multiplayer is unlikely to be the initial focus of many, but it offers more than the usual fair of deathmatch and capture the flag. The modes are primarily player Vs ghosts either in resisting the horde variants or more competitive capturing/trapping the most ghost contests. There is a wider selection of ghosts and ghostly powers/behaviours in the multiplayer to keep anyone entertained for a least a few hours after the single player has been exhausted.
The biggest criticism to be levelled at this game is undoubtedly it's length. I managed to complete the game on the medium setting in a little over 5 hours having purchased all of the weapons upgrades. There is no real motivation to replay through the story mode other than to pit yourself against a higher difficulty or to mop up any outstanding collectibles which offer little incentive other than the perfunctory trophy.
Ghostbusters is ultimately a fun, if shortlived experience. The plethora and standard of dialogue and voice acting is guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of even those unfamiliar with the franchise, whilst the act of busting ghosts is original and enjoyable enough to please any who are willing to partake. Fans of the franchise will have already made their purchase and will likely be satisfied if not ecstatic. For everyone else it is an easy recommendation as a rental and comes with my assurance that bustin' will make you feel good!
