For many years, I have been a die hard fan of Ghostbusters in all its shapes and forms. With fond memories in mind of the two movies, cartoon series, and the countless hours pretending to be one of the "boys in grey" as a youth, there was no chance I was going to pass up on Atari's new release. Thus brings us into a new age of nerdom, Ghostbusters The Video Game.

  Ghostbusters The Video Game is set in the year 1991, and begins after the events of the second film. The game begins with excellent CGI cut scenes that set the tone for the rest of the game, and it does not disappoint. Shortly after, the game play actually begins inside the firehouse, Ghostbusters' HQ, which was a familiar and welcome sight. It is here we meet our playable character "Rookie" for the first time. Yes, the much talked about Create a Ghostbuster that was hyped up for months didn't make it into the actual game which was a bit of a turn off. The Rookie character is a mute that only responds with odd facial expressions and looks entirely like an oaf, but don't let that stop you from taking your chance to be part of the Ghostbusters team. Truth be told, the bizarre mute will grow on you as the game progresses. Anyway, after dawning your grey jumpsuit and being fitted with a brand spanking new Proton Pack the action begins after Slimer escapes into the firehouse's sub-basement. Perfect chance for a bit of training, don't you think?

  After following Ray down into the sub-basement, a training mission begins. Its Ghost busting 101, and gives you a pretty good idea of how the game play is going to go. You learn how to track the spooks with your P.K.E., how to zap em and trap em, even how to slam ghosts up and down against walls. That's right, you can use your proton stream to "Slam Dunk" ghosts. You also learn to use the game's HUD, which is entirely displayed on the Proton Pack itself to give a more movie like feel to the game. An excellent idea in theory, but it proves too difficult to see your health as you're running around dodging a ghost's attack. Just one of many minor annoyances in the game. The game's controls are tight and everything functions well, but movement can be blocky. The Rookie can easily get stuck on small debris that ends up around the room as you destroy your surroundings. Overall its not a big problem, but when you're dodging for your life it can be costly. An overlooked aspect of the game is its multiplayer options. By playing online you can engage in a few different game modes by either playing co-op or going head to head to catch some of NYC most wanted Ghosts. The online features are both fun, and highly addictive as you earn money and increase your ranking with the Ghostbusters. In a nutshell, if you can play Luigi's Mansion and Gears of War, you can play Ghostbusters the Video Game.

  I will not go into too much detail about the game's story, but you will visit many of the locations previously shown in the movie franchises. Early in the game, this tactic proved to be rather dull as it utilized every Ghostbusters cliché' available. After exhausting many simple one liners and repeated gags from Ghostbusters 1, the game's story began to pick up pase and levels became more and more unique. The story progresses like all level based games, move onto a new level and unlock the next piece of the story. It gets the job done, but I would have preferred to see something a little bit more seamless instead of the constant stop and go game play. The voiceovers are generally very well done and entertaining except for one, Bill Murray. Bill Murray's voiceovers are absolutely dreadful, and ultimately disappointing. Its a shame since everyone else seemed to put a lot of effort into the game, while Bill Murray's lack of interest is obvious. It is painful to listen too, and takes away from the overall experience. Although the story progresses well, in game instructions are at a minimal. I often found myself lost from the vague dialog offered from your Ghostbuster companions, but with a little tinkering around I'm sure you'll have no problems moving on to the next stage.

  Overall, Ghostbusters the Video Game was a welcome addition to the franchise even though it was far from perfect. Through out the game, I was highly entertained and it brought me back to my youth. In the end, isn't that what a game is supposed to do? If your a fan of the franchise, or just looking to bust some ghosts, Ghostbusters the Video Game should be on your radar...or P.K.E....

Written By: RB

Ghostbusters The Video Game is also available for Sony Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii

Over and Out

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