Product Description

Ghost Busters: The Video Game PC

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3692 in Video Games
• Brand: Atari
• Released on: 2009-06-16
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platform: Windows
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Features

• Save New York City from its latest paranormal plague
• Fight and capture wide range of uncanny phantasms and demons
• New story penned by original creators
• Features famous voices of original movie cast
• Equipped with a variety of unique weapons and gadgets

Amazon.com Product Description
Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise and featuring a completely new story, is coming to six game systems in 2009. Coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebration of the film’s original theatrical release, the game reunites original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humour and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation. Remember, don't cross the streams. It could end all life as we know it!

Familiar locations from the movies View larger. New Enemies! View larger. Multiplayer View larger. Who You Gonna Call? The Ghostbusters are back in an all-new story penned by the original creators! With Manhattan newly overrun by ghosts and other supernatural creatures, it's up to you to take on the role of a new recruit joining the original film cast of the famous Ghostbusters team. Equipped with a variety of unique weapons and gadgets, you will hunt, fight and capture a wide range of uncanny phantasms and demons in an all-new funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague. Key Game Features: Based on the classic Ghostbusters films and features the original cast Head out with unique weapons and gadgets Battle an incredible variety of supernatural foes Move through New York City and stop eerie enemies Become part of the famous paranormal ghostbusting team Cast from the Original Films Ghostbusters: The Video Game features the original film cast from the classic Ghostbusters films, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. Aykroyd and Ramis also return to write the script and storyline for the game. Enter an exciting gameplay environment that authentically recreates the whimsical time period of the film and expands the lore and supernatural events that seemingly plague New York City.

Amazon.com
The Ghostbusters are back in an all-new story penned by the original creators, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis! With Manhattan newly overrun by ghosts and other supernatural creatures, it's up to you to take on the role of a new recruit joining the original film cast of the famous Ghostbusters team. Equipped with a variety of unique weapons and gadgets, you will hunt, fight and capture a wide range of uncanny phantasms and demons in an all new funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague. Just remember to not cross the streams!

Customer Reviews

A few flaws but thoroughly enjoyable
As a long-time fan of the franchise, I was really excited for this game, especially considering that Aykroyd and Ramis wrote and starred in the game (oh, yeah, the rest of the Ghostbusters do their own voices too).

Simply put, it's fun and it's worth the money. Yes, it is inferior to the PS3 and 360 versions - no multiplayer, no achievements, plus controls designed for a console controller. On the other hand, it's half the price and the single player mode is identical.

The environments are incredibly detailed. Wandering around the firehouse in between missions, you can see the care the developers took getting the details just right. Levels are fairly well designed (though really linear), and catching ghosts is just a blast. The variants of the proton pack can be fun too, though some are kinda hokey. Most importantly, though, the story is fun and hilarious. I found myself literally chuckling or laughing at jokes from time to time (Hindenburg: The Musical? Priceless.).

There are a few issues - some repetitive gameplay at times, occasional collision issues, not a whole lot of replay value, but overall it's a solid game. Yes, the PC version has DRM - easiest way to fix that, IMO, is to buy it on Steam. Sure, Steam has DRM too, but it's not nearly as draconian as the DRM Atari, EA, and other publishers have subjected gamers to over the last couple years. Easy to manage, install, and uninstall.

If you like the franchise, buy the game. If you want to play with your friends, buy it for PS3/360.

Bustin' made me feel good
Let me start by saying that the printed PC version of the game suffers from an installer bug. I have a solution to the problem at the end of my review. That said, I don't at all regret paying full retail for Ghostbusters: The Video Game. It was a thrilling trip down memory lane, with a few bumps and bruises.

Terminal Velocity, Akroyd, and Ramis made a nice decision putting the player in the khakis of a new, unnamed, voiceless recruit. Starting out in the firehouse, I was hit by a tidalwave of nerdness while being able to explore the classic Ghostbusters HQ. Each of the original characters retains his own personality and voice, and it's loads of fun interacting with them. Akroyd and Ramis mostly hit gold with the script, with each character playing off the others and engaging in some pretty funny back-and-forth (Egon finally telling Ray to SHUT UP at the end of a tough level killed me). I could quibble with the volume mixing, particularly Murray's lines, but this is fixable by dropping the background and effects volumes to 75% while leaving voice at 100%. Overall, it's a treat just to watch the scenes unfold.

Oh but there's more. Remember the glowing ILM special effects from the films? Remember how much you wanted to be able to hold a proton pack for a second, just long enough to tear the paint off the walls of a luxurious hotel? Now double your enthusiasm, and that's the fun you can expect busting ghosts in this game. If you've seen screenshots or videos of the gameplay, you still don't understand the visual and audible awesomeness of holding your very own unlicensed nuclear accelerator. Finally dropping a spook into the trap after an exhausting battle is a joy indescribeable without playing the game. I can't overstate the greatness of the game's weapons (which vary nicely as the game progresses). And the ghosts look great too, with varied designs that are simultaneously fresh and in keeping with the style of the original films. Speaking of which, most of the classic locations from the first movie, like the library and the Sedgewick, are revisited in all their glory. The game detected and set up my Logitech gamepad perfectly, so the console control option is available for those who wish.

There are a few downsides to all the madcap action, unfortunately. The player's character moves realistically, that is, like an average adult male human being. Of course, he's fighting very inhuman enemies that can fly vertically, hurl objects, and spawn anywhere. Sadly not enough time was spent playtesting the levels, and while the game is relatively bug free, it's also outrageously and unfairly balanced in certain areas. Too many enemies are allowed to attack the player simultaneously, and the defensive intelligence of teammates is nonexistent. This results in a number of areas where you're constantly knocked out, or can't complete a mission due to babysitting duties with your "professional" allies. Fewer onscreen enemies, and more moments of invulnerability (while reviving teammates and using the PKE meter for example) could have nearly perfected the gameplay. As it stands, it's very fun and very flawed.

In summation, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a thrill on PC, and far better looking than any of its console counterparts. My average system ran it at a decent framerate with many of the goodies turned on, too, so it's not a system hog. Despite the balance flaws (and a disappointingly generic final boss), it's a big old bright neon, plaster-bubbling, ectoplasm-frying blast.

What I want to do briefly is help people with the installation bug. To avoid the problem altogether, choose "easy" installation. This installs the game to your C:Program Files folder. If, however, you choose the custom installation, the installer program goofs up and installs half the files to your preferred destination and the other half to the C:Program Files folder. The simple remedy to this is to go into C:Program Files\Atari\Ghostbusters and copy all files, then paste into your preferred Ghostbusters folder. Then retry the install, and it will complete. Of course you also have to go online to unlock the registration code, so consider this before buying the game.

Great game but not for PC
I was super excited about this game when I got it. After running through a couple hours of problems on PC I went to buy the Xbox 360 version. The game is awesome but not on the PC.

Here's some of the issues I experienced with the PC version.
1. The installer only works on the default mode. You can install to a different directory but you don't get 6 files needed to run the game. Installing to the default location then copying the missing files to the custom location fixes the issue. (it's also a REALLY slow install)
2. The game does not fully use multiple processors. If you're running a dual/triple/quad core processor the game will only really use 1. There's even a warning on the back of the box stating this. I'm running a triple core processor and the game seemed to run ok despite the load not being balanced.
3. Load time of levels/maps is EXTREMELY slow. Expect to see load times between 30 to 60 seconds. This may be related to the processor issue but I'm not sure.
4. Controls are made for a controller, not a mouse. You use WADS for moving and your mouse for looking around. When you're busting ghosts you need to zap them a while then wrangle them. Wrangling requires you to move your mouse in the opposite direction of the ghosts movement. Unfortunately it also means you move the mouse quickly to the edge of your mat, pick it up, recenter the mouse, and do it again. A trackball would probably be fine or a controller. Using a mouse is a bit of a pain.

The reason this game is 1/2 the price of the Xbox360 and PS3 versions is because it doesn't have multiplayer. (And was put on the PC as an afterthought IMO.) It's a fun game but you will play through it once or twice on the PC and be done with it. I give Atari props for reducing the price.

If you buy this game used make sure the instruction manual is with the game. There is a game key you will need inside the manual.