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Editor's note: Harrison is a new writer joining the team here at Talking About Games. Play nice, and give him a warm welcome!
Ghostbusters fans both young and old alike have been waiting eagerly to strap on their proton packs and bust ghosts of different shapes and sizes with Egon, Ray, Peter, and Wintson. Developer Terminal Reality has made countless Ghostbuster fanboys’ dreams come true with their entry into the series’ canon. All of those bad memories from past Ghostbusters titles can be long forgotten (NES owners, you know what I’m talking about).
Fans of the franchise will be at home once they boot up Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Given how fans have waited so long for a title of this magnitude, you’d think that Terminal Reality would falter on some aspects. Well, my fellow Ghostbusters fans, fear not. Everything you ever wanted is here, all right down to the small details on the proton packs and the crew’s firehouse headquarters. Memorable locales, characters, and ghosts will pop up on occasion here and there, but the atmosphere delivers where it counts most. But, the ultimate fan service with this game belongs to the original ghostbusting foursome who made the films comedic classics: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Ayrkroyd, and last, but not least, Ernie Hudson. Being able to join the ranks of the four that made it possible to be “not afraid of no ghost,” feels like a nice appetizer before filmmakers green light a third film…that is if that day does come.
Although, like most movie-based titles, Ghostbusters isn't perfect. Now, don't get frightened there, children. Ghostbusters: The Video Game still stays true to the likes of Egon, Ray, Peter, and Winston. It's just that Terminal Reality's ghosbusting bonanza suffers from occasional pacing issues and little grievances from one Bill Murray’s reprisal as Dr. Peter Venkman.
Hit the jump to find out whether Venkman and the gang are good to go, or maybe that they should consider a full-time retirement.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game comes to us during a time when a huge interest in the franchise has been revitalized. Talks of a third movie starring the original cast are in the works, but for now, we have one of the first true pieces of canon in the franchise to come along in 20 years.
The presence of Dan Ayrkroyd and Harold Ramis, the film's original writers and two of its leading actors, lent weight to the game as more than just a supernatural shooter involving familiar faux-technology. But we've seen impressive star power in movie adaptations before. Is this just a quick cash-in of things to come or is Terminal Reality living true to the source material?
The short answer to that question is yes and no. If you’ve never heard of or seen any of the Ghostbusters films, then you may have a hard time making a decision about a purchase. Developer Terminal Reality certainly shows a true love of the franchise, with details upon details of material that make the player feel like they are really busting ghosts along side with Egon and Venkman. Hell, once you start a new career, you’re introduced with the old Columbia Studios logo, followed by that same creepy wail you heard when you first saw Ghostbusters in theaters. But, what Ghostbusters: The Video Game suffers from is a necessity for more time in development and little more polish.
 Unlike past Ghostbusters games, you play as a no-name rookie, whose anonymity is enforced by the group due to his risky job as a prototype weapons tester. Terminal Reality made a smart move by not giving the recruit any back-story or a real name, which Mr. Venkman kindly states early in the game how he doesn’t like getting to know names. Having a fifth Ghostbuster on the team to truly care about would be hard to replicate in terms of witty humor and charisma that the other four possess. So, all is forgiven at the start.
After a few short introductions, you’re thrown into a nice training session with Ray, and the player is able to learn the ins-and-outs of trapping ghosts. Learning how to control your proton-pack’s abilities can be tad frustrating at first, but Mr. Stanz will kindly repeat each tip if your miss it the first time. It’s not that hard to learn these abilities, it’s just you’ll be having so much fun, eagerly awaiting the next lesson. The tried-and-true notion of “not crossing the streams” is implemented here also. So, if you fail to abide by this, prepare to be knocked on your ass with a quick remark from either of your Ghostbusting squad. As the new recruit, you’ll nab your first ghost without a hint of sweat. The first few minutes of the game serve as a way to keep you on your feet without scratching your head wondering how to lay your ghost trap.
 If there's one thing that Ghostbusters does flawlessly, it's the wild feedback you get from handling a proton pack. Whether you're whittling away at a burly apparition, or struggling to wrangle a slippery one into a trap, it hits the spot where it truly counts. The game did take some liberties with the Ghostbusters' arsenal, though. Even the proton pack got an alternate firing mode that behaves like a nuclear-powered RPG. But it was all in the service of making the experience better, and is thus OK. Frankly, some of the stuff feels like it's straight out the cartoon series. Take the slime blower. As advertised, it fires streams of the green stuff, which is apparently positively charged and can harm unfriendly ghosts, not to mention dissolve harmful, caustic black slime. But its alternate mode, the slime tether, is truly far-out. It basically acts like a gooey grappling hook, which you use to solve puzzles and yank some particularly annoying flying spirits down to earth.
If you’re familiar with most third-person action shooters, then this journey with the gang shouldn’t be too hard to grasp, control-wise. Like I said before, when there comes a time when a new piece of technology is introduced during each level, your fellow Ghostbusting pals will give you a quick lesson. Catching ghosts allows for money in your account, while the amount of damage you do in an area such as the New York Public Library will decrease it. When will the Ghostbusters ever catch a break from superintendents? This income certainly helps, considering you will be purchasing upgrade upon upgrade to increase your arsenal, instead of just buying the weapon. With that in mind, you’ll be introduced to familiar ghostbusting weapons such as the slime pack and PKE meter, which serves as a nice tool to identify a ghost’s weaknesses and history ala Metroid Prime. Speaking of which, who would have known that the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man had that much backstory, other than “popping in Ray’s head”? The PKE meter is heavily used here and will become your best friend once you have the cash to purchase its many upgrades. If you thought the device seemed underused in the films, get ready to have fun with it. Achievement junkies, I’d suggest taking my advice and scan the crud out of everything you can find.
 The formula behind Ghostbusters’ layout won’t surprise you: You basically go from haunt to haunt, eradicating the hostile spirits, and watching the story unfold. What’s impressive is how the game manages to switch from the everyday to the complete otherworldly at the drop of a hat. Early on, you’ll be introduced to familiar locales such as the five-star hotel from the first movie, battling Mr. Stay Puft from a forty-story building, and as mentioned the public library where the Ghostbusters finally tackle the ghost that started their profession. After that, the entirety of the game showcases new areas and deadly ghosts that are welcome additions to the franchise. But, one drawback from this is that, with the amount of fun you’re having, it ends way too quickly.
The first 1/3 of the game will be familiar to Ghostbusters fans, but after that there is usually never a break to let you rest. Overall, the action and intensity are in tact for a Ghostbusters game, but it causes the game to feel like Terminal Reality wanted the player to finish in record timing. For example, I finished the game in less than seven hours, and was perplexed to see the credits come out of nowhere. Also, prepare to sit through long loading times during checkpoints, as they occur frequently. Never in my life did I think I would begin to hate hearing the Ghostbusters theme every time I awaited the game to load up. Then again, it’s better than just a black screen with the Ghostbusters symbol twirling around.
As a piece of the Ghostbusters canon, fans may also be disappointed with how the ends, but I say it’s better than nothing considering how the world hasn’t heard a peep from the ghostbusting fab-four in two decades.
 Early on I also mentioned how Terminal Reality did a great fan service by convincing the film’s original cast to lend their voices to the game. Visually, the character models are right down to their 1980s counterparts, but during in-game cut-scenes, they come out as mere wax sculptures attempting to sync up their voices with their mouths. It draws the line between being odd and downright scary. The models don’t stroll into the creepy territory, but the in-game characters just aren’t as flashy as their CG counterparts. All in all, the game exudes authenticity. The firehouse headquarters, the Ecto-1, and the little details on the proton packs show the amount of time the developers put into the game. Every stream from your proton pack and every drip of slime are all fully rendered to give that feel and look that we have been waiting for in a Ghostbusters game.
But what about the famed actors who kindly joined along with Terminal Reality’s entry in the Ghostbusters franchise? Well, Dan Aykroyd sounds just like Ray, Ernie Hudson is still as charismatic as Winston, while Harold Ramis continues to channel his inner-nerdiness as Egon. However, it was Bill Murray whom I had the most trouble accepting. As Peter Venkman, he is still as suave and sarcastic as he was in the movies, but it comes off more like Bill Murray doing an impression of a ghostbuster. You just don’t buy his acting, and the player can expect to just roll their eyes after each sentence he utters. At times, I wished that the rookie would add in his words and tell him to just shut up. But since you have all four actors reprising their roles, I really can’t complain too much.
 One thing that’s sure to be mistakenly forgotten in this game is the multiplayer and online components. These modes would feel totally thrown away were the game’s mechanics not so well executed to give the full-fledged Ghostbusters experience. There are different game types, but all involve capturing ghosts, usually in cooperation with your fellow teammates. The most obvious treat here is the Slime Dunk mode, where you’re all competing to nab the most Slimers by means of fancy wrangling. In a sense, this becomes a fun diversion after you have completed the career mode, and you will be playing for weeks just to rack up the highest score online. In retrospect, this mode will give you a lot of mileage from zapping your friends when they’re in the process of scoring a dunk. Overall, Terminal Reality certainly did not forget to add the additional replay value to keep us busting Ghosts for weeks on out.
Aside from the fun diversions and little quips from Mr. Murray, Ghostbusters: The Video Game does an excellent job of recreating a faithful addition to one of the most treasured comedic films of the 1980s. It may not be one of the most impressive games of this generation, but Terminal Reality certainly did their homework by ensuring the wacky, imaginative world conceived by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis is intact. The game has a lot of heart, but it’s not a perfect title. The game may stop and start on frequent occasions to break up the action. And, the game is over before you know it, but Ghostbusters is an excellent fan service to those wanting to shout, “Who ya gonna call?”
Final Score: B+
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