Who you gonna call??????????? (Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PS3))

Member Name: kellylouj

Product:	Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PS3)
Date:	19/06/09 (203 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Realistic Characters, Original Actors doing voiceover, Great follow on storyline

Disadvantages: It is addictive!

When my husband found out that there was to be a new Ghostbusters Game for the PS3 there was no question of us not getting the game. We eagerly awaited the release and as it kept getting but back time after time I decided to just pre-order and wait for it to land through my letterbox and finally that day arrived.

Luckily my husband and I tend to play the same genre of games and as big fans of the Ghostbusters Films we were both excited to finally get our hands on the game.

You begin the game as "The Rookie" fighting alongside the original Ghostbusting team of Ray, Egon, Winston and Peter and what immediately struck me was how life like the characters were in the game as they mirror the original Hollywood stars that play them.

The Game leaves where Ghostbusters 2 ends and is a story in itself combining both Ghostbusters 1 and Ghostbusters 2, the game is set in 1991, two years after the second film was released and the voices of the original characters, voice the characters in the game which makes it even more enjoyable for the gamer and fans of the films.

The game begins with some training to get you used to the controls and mainly how to catch ghosts, sap 'em, cap 'em and trap 'em to be precise.

To sap the ghost you have to zap their energy using one of your weapons which will make the ghost weak, this is done by using the R2 button and each time you zap the ghost a target appears around the ghost which indicates how much energy the ghost has left and when the metre turns red simply cap'em with you capture stream which is automatically generated by your proton pack. To do this you need to keep using your R2 button and then at the same time press the L1 this will then lock onto the ghost and you can then try and stun the ghost allowing you to trap 'em using the combination of R2 and L1 and by pressing the square button the trap will get released and you need to use the coordination of trying to wrangle the ghost into the trap using R2, L1 and the left joystick to pull it towards the trap but make sure you move the opposite direction to the ghost to have more chance of capturing it.

So to recap to wrangle and capture a ghost press the upward arrow on the D pad to equip the Proton Stream and aim it at the ghost, press and hold the R2 button to fire the proton stream and weaken the ghost. Once they are sufficiently wounded will be wrangled by the Proton Stream to wrangle the large ghosts use the L1 button and then the slam gauge will show on screen one it has filled enough use the L2 button to slam the ghost and then press the square button to throw a ghost trap and manoeuvre the ghost into the trap with the left stick.

Every time you capture a ghost you will receive money that will allow you to upgrade your equipment, this is also done when you discover artifacts and as you move through the game more equipment will become available to help you with your missions.
If yourself or your team mates are attacked by any of the ghosts you have the revive facility to help each other out of difficulty and this helps to ensure you don't fail your mission. As keeping each other alive is a key part of the game.

Familiar landmarks show throughout the game such as the Firehouse, Times Square, The Library. The Ecto-1 is also a main feature in the game!!

The Firehouse is where you will learn how to use your Proton Pack by Ray and he teaches us that the hotter the Proton Pack gets the less use it will be too you and to ensure you use short sharp bursts and when it is not in use ensure you select the R1 button to remove any excess heat and try to capture the infamous Slimer enroute.
Throughout the game as a recruit you receive training from other members of the team
My favourite part of the game is when you get to the level at Times Square where you find yourself face to face with Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, now we know we are playing the REAL ghostbusters game, well that and the fact that the REAL actors are voicing the characters too!
Racing through Times Square in Ecto-1 is fun and when you exit to fight the oncoming gargoyles on route to capture Marshmallow Man whilst fending off some of the ghosts he sends your way.

I don't want to give too much away about the levels of the game or you will know what to expect but it is a fun game to play and does have you chuckling away at the characters as if you were watching the 3rd Installment of the Ghostbusters movie.

As the levels load you get to listen to the original Ghostbusters Theme Song by Ray Parker Jnr which for me is another bonus as I love the song and the game is a definite must for all Ghostbusters fans.

*~*Multiplayer and Online Capabilities*~*

There is a multiplayer option on this game for up to 4 players or play online with up to 3 friends.

Instant Action is when you take on a single job on your chosen map.

Campaign is where you play through different themes and upgrade your weapons with the cash that you earn.

You can play any of the character when you play as a multiplayer game and you can choose your weapon. The weapon chosen will receive upgrades in Instant Action and Campaign games. Each weapon has a different upgrade level and will hold a specified amount of ammo.

In terms of how difficult the game is this when you are playing a ranked game this is changed automatically based on the number of players, their average rank and their skill. For unranked games however you can choose from Easy, medium and hard settings.

Various job types are also available:

Survival is when all players must avoid being knocked out at the same time. Ghosts will come in waves and will attack until all players are incapacitated. Get to ten and you win!

Containment iwhen you must find, capture and destroy as many ghosts as possible within a certain time limit.

Destruction is when you visit areas where psychokinetic energy has been trapped in evil relics and must be released by destroying as many relics as possible and all of the ghosts. You have to destroy as many as possible within a set time limit.

Protection is where you must protect three PKE Disruptors as they are being built, only one can be built at any one time and as one is completed you must move onto the next one and defend it, if any ghosts try to attack it then you will have to protect it for longer until they are all completed.

Thief is when the Ghostbusters find themselves fighting against some ghosts who like to steal and you will need to ensure that the ghosts do not escape with any of the artefacts or you fail your mission.

Slime Dunk is when you are rewarded with cash each time you capture a ghost into the trap.

When playing as part of the multiplayer you will be rewarded with a cash score and ranked from 1st through to 4th and the score will then be applied to your profile.

Overall I think this game is a must for Ghostbuster fans and as with many of the PS3 games the game us much more enjoyable as it has a great story to go with it.

The graphics as you would expect from a HD gaming experience are fantastic and the characters match the real - life characters from the films and as the Rookie you really feel part of the game playing alongside Ray, Peter, Winston and Egon even with Slimer thromix thrown into the mix this game really comes alive and although I pre-ordered it from Amazon for the grand old price of £34.97 I think it is a great film for both the older generation of gamers as well as the younger generation of games and as its rated a PG you can find yourself playing along with your Dad, brother or even your son and enjoying one of the best games so far to come out of 2009 on the PS3.

Summary: Ghostbusters gets a Sony HD revamp.