Ghostbusters
Release Date: July 12, 2016
RPG, TPP, movies, co-op, action RPG, splitscreen, multiplayer, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
A co-op-oriented TPP role-playing action game by FireForge Games, based on the popular movie series of the same name. Although the game's release coincides with the release of another movie in the franchise, their plots are not directly connected, and players become a beginner ghost hunters, whose task is to clean Manhattan of various wraiths and other spectral nuisances.
Ghostbusters for PC, PS4 and XONE is a co-op-oriented TPP role-playing action game based on the popular movie series of the same name. It's one of the two titles (the other being Ghostbusters: Slime City for mobile devices) released alongside the new movie in the franchise, directed by Paul Feig, which is a completely new version of the cult classic comedy film from the 1980s. The game is the result of the cooperation bewteen Activision ans Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Plot
The plot of Ghostbusters utilizes many characteristic motifs and elements of the movie series, although it's not directly connected to any of them. You play as a group of beginner and inexperienced ghost hunters, whose task is to clean the streets of New York City of wraiths and other spectral nuisances.
Mechanics
You can choose one out of four available characters (two male and two female) and every one of them has a unique personality and fighting style, complementing the rest of the team. The game features a bird's eye view (at a small angle), and the gameplay is focused on completing a series of story quests, consisting mainly of fighting the ghosts haunting Manhattan — from common poltergeists to powerful bosses, which you can only defeat by maintaining good cooperation between the members of your team. In combat, the team uses a varied range of weapons and gadgets known from the movies, including the iconic proton pack. Ghostbusters also features a level-up system, thanks to which the characters can develop their abilities and equipment, and go from being a rookie to becoming a true warrior.
Ghostbusters for PC, PS4 and XONE is concentrated mostly on a local network co-op mode for up to four players. In case of insufficient number of players, the rest of the team is controlled by the AI.
Technical aspects
The game bears a strong resemblance to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, released two month earlier, also by Activision; they both feature similar cartoonish cel-shaded visuals. Just like its movie predecessor, Ghostbusters is filled with many jokes and a wacky sense of humour.
Last updated on June 15, 2016
Videos and Screens
[1:00] Ghostbusters launch trailer
[0:32] Ghostbusters trailer #1
Digital Spy: 2 / 5 by Stuart Andrews
There's precious little sign of excitement, imagination or progression, the weapons are weedy and the storytelling poor. Given that there are plenty of other twin-stick shooters with better gameplay and graphics out there, you'd be mad to buy it were it a fiver. At [its launch price], however? That's the biggest joke of all.
ZTGD: 2 / 10 by Justin Celani
Simply put, this is a cash in the likes of which I’ve hardly seen. I usually find some redeeming qualities in a movie tie in, even if it’s lacking. Here I’m not seeing much of any redeeming qualities, at all. There was one check mark that Activision most likely needed to ensure when creating this game and that was keeping the franchise license from expiring.
IGN: 4.4 / 10 by T.J. Hafer
This is the sort of game that great uncles and grandmas are going to buy for the young people in their lives because they heard Ghostbusters was popular, or that littler kids will point out in the mall just after seeing the movie. But no informed gamer should fall for the siren song of that catchy main theme. It’s not actively painful to play if you happen to be at your eight-year-old cousin’s house and need a co-op game for six to eight hours that’s not going to require much skill. But you could do so much better. I can’t imagine ever wanting to drop a full 50 dollars on it, especially considering there are plenty of games out there that are equally fun to play for kids and adults.
Ghostbusters Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Developer: FireForge Games
Publisher: Activision Blizzard
Ghostbusters System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i5-750 2.67 GHz/Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz, 3 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 660 or better, 12 GB HDD, Windows Vista/7/8/10