MZ's initial thoughts on Ghostbusters The Videogame...

[MinionZombie]

F A N G A S M ! ! ! ... I've had a couple of sessions on it so far, and I have to say the first time I got this going I was grinning from ear-to-ear as soon as the first logo came on and the trap captured the first logo. I just waltzed around the fire station at first, listening to the phone messages, checking out all the detail, listening to Viggo's painting talk to me, listening to phone calls for Janine, sliding down the fire poles (an achievement in itself - excellent). I love the titles of the achievements too - quotes from the films like "I feel so funky" or "The flowers are still standing!" and naturally I got the proton reversal achievement quite quickly. Trapping ghosts is also really fun, wrestlin' with them, throwing out the trap, smashing them about, and wrangling them into the trap - brilliant fun. The throwbacks to the first movie are really well done too, and it's great that your capabilities are gradually rolled out as you require them so that the learning curve is natural. The dialogue is great, the cutscenes are fucking awesome, it looks really good, and it's even quite scary/creepy at times - like tracking that fisherman guy through the hotel corridors all on your own. The use of the PKE meter is also great and really fun, with added coolness in the form of collecting certain items which are then dotted around the fire station - so it was really fun to play with the spirited toaster on the pool table. So yeah - I fucking love this game.

[MikePizzoff]

I felt the same way about the game during the first 2 or 3 days I played it. After that, it quickly spiraled down into something "meh" worthy for me. I grew so tired of it that I never even finished the game before trading it for something else. Sucks cause I really wanted myself to enjoy it from start to finish, and believe me, I tried to.

[bassman]

I felt the same way about the game during the first 2 or 3 days I played it. After that, it quickly spiraled down into something "meh" worthy for me. I grew so tired of it that I never even finished the game before trading it for something else. Sucks cause I really wanted myself to enjoy it from start to finish, and believe me, I tried to. I can understand this. It does lag a bit in the middle sections, but after chugging through it I really enjoyed the last levels. Speaking of the phone messages....did you hear the one from "Dr Jones" saying that the Vigo painting "should be in a museum"? Glad you're enjoying it, MZ. If you enjoy it all the way through you should try it on Expert. It's rough...

[Danny]

i really wanted to get this today, but dammit, dragon age came out and its a bioware rpg, i literally couldn't say no. honestly, the game is self aware and keeps calling me a bitch and threatening to cut me!

[bassman]

i really wanted to get this today, but dammit, dragon age came out and its a bioware rpg, i literally couldn't say no. honestly, the game is self aware and keeps calling me a bitch and threatening to cut me! Would you rather be cut or have a particle stream fired at you making every molecule in your body explode at the speed of light? Total protonic reversal. Think about it, dude.

[capncnut]

i really wanted to get this today, but dammit, dragon age came out and its a bioware rpg, i literally couldn't say no. honestly, the game is self aware and keeps calling me a bitch and threatening to cut me! Good choice, I didn't know Dragon Age was out so soon. It's supposed to quite violent and sexually explicit, so I hear.

[MinionZombie]

Exactly. Who doesn't want to operate a proton pack?! ... One annoying thing - you don't really know when the game saves, so to be sure when exiting, I've been exiting after cutscenes. However, DON'T exit when you're in the fire station, because it'll skip you right to the beginning of the next main level (like I found out earlier today - as such I'm catching up on the missed cutscene(s) on YouTube) ... so that's annoying, but now that I know 'the method' to exiting properly, then it's a way around. Still though, it's a really silly flaw and I'm amazed nobody raised this as a problem during testing. You get to see the main pre-rendered cut scenes through the menu, but you can't re-watch in-game cutscenes that way, which is weird. So yeah - know when you should exit the game, and you'll be okay, otherwise - off to YouTube so it is. I found a guy who has done the entire game and put it on there - bless him for it too, otherwise I would have missed some of the story. ... I can see the odd bit that feels a bit draggy in the gameplay, and the occasional hoardes of non-trappable ghosts is a bit odd, but entirely understandable from a videogame perspective (nicely covered with "dispersible" in the spirit guide ). I just finished the library level, so I'm not sure how far into the game I am, but I've now been able to enjoy the slime tethers.

[bassman]

So far what do you think about the comedy? You think they captured the comedy style of the films pretty well for a video game? I lol'd several times throughout the singleplayer campaign. But I'm in love with these characters, so I don't really count. Curious to hear if a more casual fan finds it funny.

[MinionZombie]

So far what do you think about the comedy? You think they captured the comedy style of the films pretty well for a video game? I lol'd several times throughout the singleplayer campaign. But I'm in love with these characters, so I don't really count. Curious to hear if a more casual fan finds it funny. Well I wouldn't call me a casual fan, I'd just call you a rabidly OTT fan. I grew up with Ghostbusters, had the toys, the pack, loved the cartoon and so on. So I'm definitely not a casual fan, but like I said, not as immense as you are (i.e. the home-made super awesome proton pack for example). ... Anyway, comedy wise I'm digging it, even the purchase item information is funny. The dialogue is great and really does capture the essence. I really do feel like I'm playing the third movie, it's very convincing.

[bassman]

Well I did say MORE casual fan. Meaning you aren't a freak like me. You said you found the in-game cut scenes on youtube. Got a link? All I can seem to find are the CGI cut scenes... I've already beat the game numerous times and on mulitple platforms, but all this is making me want to try it again. After Liberty City, I suppose.

[Danny]

Good choice, I didn't know Dragon Age was out so soon. It's supposed to quite violent and sexually explicit, so I hear. there are like 3 or 4 achievements for what i read from one reporter as "fanny bashing" in it, so pretty age of conan meets oblivion.

[MinionZombie]

I reckon I'm on the penultimate level (considering the level art sections I've unlocked). I'm now on a level set on some island that's risen out of the water. Yes, I've definitely been tasting the rocky mid-section of the game that isn't as good as the superb first few levels, and then rather cool chunks of the museum and return to Sedgewick levels. Still rather enjoying it though, but I think part of the lull in the mid-section is down to more swarms of corporeal dispersibles, rather than trappable ghosts ... but then it is a tightrope walk to get right, so it's forgiven.