Ghostbusters: The Video Game

[FireNexus]

My brother bought this yesterday, and I've only gotten a bit into it so far, but it is fun to play and pretty funny. I enjoy that I got a trophy called "The Flowers Are Still Standing".

Has anybody else gotten to play this yet? If so, what do you think?

[Kurgan]

I didn't realize it was already out!

Well, if I see the PC version around, I may grab a copy, though I'm sure my ancient rig can't take it...

[Stark]

Man, I bet it's not out in AU yet...

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Man, I bet it's not out in AU yet...

360 version is region-free, IIRC.

[Stark]

For sure, but the doesn't helpme get it on the way home

[DPDarkPrimus]

I didn't realize it was already out!

Well, if I see the PC version around, I may grab a copy, though I'm sure my ancient rig can't take it...

The PC requirements are pretty steep from what I hear, and there isn't any multiplayer, either.

[RecklessPrudence]

It's out here on the 25th, Stark. XBox Live doesn't even have a demo out, though!

[DarkSilver]

Fun game, I'm about..oh...halfway into it?

Lots of ghostbusting goodness, and since it is technically the third movie in the series (aside from being a game), it is packed with a lot of GB history and details from the previous movies are given more depth.

I must say, I do enjoy the title Egon and Ray gives you when they introduce you to Venkman.

[Xon]

PC version is crippled due to remove content & features, the PS3 version looks like ass and it a massive step back in quality, and the 360 version apparently has wacky glitches.

Apparently; Atari, the publisher and thus the people footing the gamedev & publishing costs, is undergoing a major financial crisis.

Atari, already in dire financial straits as it is (it desperately needs Ghostbusters to do well in order to maintain solvency), was shutting down its European publishing operation and getting ready to transfer the publishing job to a new company called Distribution Partners (a Namco Bandai-funded venture); because it's a brand-new publishing operation and will need time to spin up, this would have meant that Ghostbusters wouldn't have made the June date over there. Originally, the game was set for an October release (on ALL platforms) in October.

Sony didn't want that to happen, since it owns the Ghostbusters franchise in the first place and wanted the game to come out at the same time as the Ghostbusters Blu-ray Disc, so it snapped up the European publishing rights for the PlayStation versions.

So it's not so much a dick move as it is Atari being out of money and Sony not wanting to market for the competition, instead wanting to get something out of its investment, as opposed to footing the publishing bill for Microsoft and Nintendo (and, shit, Sony isn't even a licensed publisher for either company and doesn't have the machines to do it). Sony's the good guy here, for once, as it rescued the PlayStation versions from coming out as late as the other platforms.

[Lagmonster]

My choices were to pay $30 and get it for the PC on Steam, and have it forever, or pay $60 and get it for the XBoX 360, then trade it in for $35 when I finish it in three days and realize that I don't give a shit about XBox Live.

At the end of the day, the only question you have to ask yourself if whether or not you really like Ghostbusters. If you do, the game doesn't have enough technical flaws, gameplay issues or anything to offset a purchase.

[General Zod]

At the end of the day, the only question you have to ask yourself if whether or not you really like Ghostbusters. If you do, the game doesn't have enough technical flaws, gameplay issues or anything to offset a purchase.

Unless you're a PS3 owner, I hear the PS3 version is rife with bugs and slowdowns.

[Kurgan]

Will people be able to mod the PC version?

At least in theory that opens up a little bit of possibility...

Lack of multiplayer is a big shame though, and if the company is suffering (pity to watch Atari, a once great gaming company, die so many deaths) that probably means the support will be jack squat unless it's a runaway hit.

Sad to see another game-movie tie in make one/both suffer in terms of quality (remembers the "Battlefront" fiasco with the SW 2004 OT).

When I first heard of this game I was sure it was going to be console only. Too bad it sounds like the PC version is chopped up, but at least it's better than nothing.

[Oskuro]

If the single player content is solid, then the PC version might be OK, specially if you play it after watching the Ghostbusters movies (as I plan to do).

[DPDarkPrimus]

For some inane reason you can't invite people to ranked multiplayer matches on Live, so it takes a bit of doing to get a party full of your friends into a ranked match. But if you don't care about ranked, or if you're patient, you've got the solid mechanics from single-player to play with your friends.

[RecklessPrudence]

It's out here on the 25th, Stark. XBox Live doesn't even have a demo out, though!

Well, found out the reason Live doesn't have a demo - it doesn't come out on anything but Sony platforms in Europe and Australia until September - but PS3 gets it in six days. Apparantly Sony bought the publishing rights for everything else in the PAL regions and decided that they'd hold it back for a couple of months to boost sales on the PS3.

EDIT: but that doesn't explain why the place I got the 25th from lists it for all versions - I just double-checked. Maybe someone assumed the logical thing and just entered in the PS3 date for all of them?

[Executor32]

I got it on Steam yesterday, and I'm really liking it so far. It's got all the humor of the movies, and then some, with solid gameplay to back it up. Well worth the 30 bucks, in my opinion.

Fun fact: The Vigo painting in the firehouse has a large repertoire of things to say to you, including visions of the future:

Pull my finger! I command you!

I see the evil of the times to come. The glove won't fit.

Have you savored the exquisite anguish of tortured souls? Salty...

I see the evil of the times to come. No flying cars - ever! HAHAhahahaha!

In my day, we had no time for such trifling amusements.

I see the evil of the times to come. You will remember paying $1.45 for gas, and weep hot tears for yesterday.

Sure, my cranium is large, but so is my devastation.

I see the evil of the times to come. "It" is just a scooter.

Call me Vigo the Despised, or Vigo the Unholy, or...ahh...uh, never mind.

I see the evil of the times to come. In time all music will be free, but for the cost of your soul.

How about a little sacrifice? Not a baby, but maybe a dog or a cat.

I see the evil of the times to come. They're all juicing! All of them!

You will know the torments of a million babies eaten alive in searing fire.

I see the evil of the times to come. Three more far away wars will come, and will tarnish even the undisputed glory of the first three.

I tire of the pithy meanderings of you simpering fools.

I should've painted myself a bathroom in this thing.

I see the evil of the times to come. You will choose a king far more evil than myself to rule over you. Twice!

Did you know that the human large intestine, when streched out, will wrap around a city block? You have to get a running start.

I see the evil of the times to come. Millennial apocalypse! Your world unravels...maybe. Maybe not.

[Executor32]

The answering machine is good for laughs, too, usually from complaints about the destruction caused in your last mission, but also random people calling. Here's a good one:

Professor Jones, trying to find out information on the whereabouts of the Vigo painting. Do you have any idea what's happened to it? It's a priceless historical treasure, it belongs in a museum!

[Hotfoot]

Any word on how long this game is? No spoilers, just hours played to completion.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Any word on how long this game is? No spoilers, just hours played to completion.

On "Experienced" ie, "Normal" difficulty it took me about 7 or 8 hours to beat. However, the entire game is very polished. It's a quality 7-8 hours. And if you're a completionist you'll be replaying the levels to get all the PKE scans and cursed artifacts. Even if you aren't a completionist, it's just goddamn fun bustin' ghosts.

[Hotfoot]

Any word on how long this game is? No spoilers, just hours played to completion.

On "Experienced" ie, "Normal" difficulty it took me about 7 or 8 hours to beat. However, the entire game is very polished. It's a quality 7-8 hours. And if you're a completionist you'll be replaying the levels to get all the PKE scans and cursed artifacts. Even if you aren't a completionist, it's just goddamn fun bustin' ghosts.

Fair enough. I plan on playing the game for certain, but I really just wanted to know if it was worth buying or just worth a rental. Thanks for helping make my decision.

[Stark]

On "Experienced" ie, "Normal" difficulty it took me about 7 or 8 hours to beat. However, the entire game is very polished. It's a quality 7-8 hours. And if you're a completionist you'll be replaying the levels to get all the PKE scans and cursed artifacts. Even if you aren't a completionist, it's just goddamn fun bustin' ghosts.

Does this mean it's a normal-length game (since modern games are pretty short)? I mean, different people have different levels of focus when playing (it look me waaaaaaay less time than Chards to finish Prototype for instance).

[DPDarkPrimus]

Any word on how long this game is? No spoilers, just hours played to completion.

On "Experienced" ie, "Normal" difficulty it took me about 7 or 8 hours to beat. However, the entire game is very polished. It's a quality 7-8 hours. And if you're a completionist you'll be replaying the levels to get all the PKE scans and cursed artifacts. Even if you aren't a completionist, it's just goddamn fun bustin' ghosts.

Fair enough. I plan on playing the game for certain, but I really just wanted to know if it was worth buying or just worth a rental. Thanks for helping make my decision.

The difference between it being a decent game and an incredible game hinges on how big a fan of Ghostbusters you are. The more you like Ghostbusters, the more you will like this game. It really is like Ghostbusters 3.

[Oskuro]

A decent game, with treasure-hunt content (wich I like) about the Ghostbusters? Now I'm positively looking forward to playing it. I'll probably place the case beside the movie DVDs if it meets expectations.

[Chardok]

Man, I played it. And I can say "Meh." I only play at this point for the cutscenes, which is just sad. It's bog-standard, boring poo. don't buy it. FOR GOD'S SAKE don't buy it. MAYBE rent it. But overall, not worth it. It's very VERY average, and average today, ain't good e-damn-nough.

[Erik von Nein]

Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was the only one bored by the game. The gameplay was kind of fun but the cut scenes were only moderately amusing, most of the time just being stupid. Also, the in-game chatter from friends was painfully repetitive. I must have heard the same line a billion and a half times just fighting that one tornado book boss.