Do weird noises wake you up in the middle of the night? Have you ever been frightened in your basement or attic? Have you or any of your family members ever seen a ghost, specter, or spook? If the answer is affirmative, don’t waste any more time; pick up the phone and dial the number for the professionals…GHOSTBUSTERS!!! Ghostbusters: The Video Game is the first game in almost 20 years based on the Ghostbusters universe and features the actual voices of the original cast: Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), as well as Annie Potts, who reprises her role as Janine Melnitz, and William Atherton, reprising his role as Walter Peck, the team’s nemesis from the first film. It also includes the original soundtracks of the first two films, composed by the late Elmer Bernstein.
The narrative (written by Aykroyd and Ramis) is set in 1991, two years after the Ghostbusters defeated Vigo and stopped him from taking over the world. Since then, the Ghostbusters have been overwhelmed by the increasing number of ghosts manifesting in the city, prompting the team to add a fifth member. This is where the player comes in, adopting the role of the Ghostbusters’ nameless “new cadet” assigned to test Egon’s latest experimental equipment.
Just as the “new cadet” is being introduced into Ghostbusters, all hell breaks loose in the city as a large amount of spirit energy threatens to tear New York apart, and it is up to the player and his new employers to stop a familiar threat. The player will go through standard locations and face classic monsters such as Slimer and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man while using legitimate equipment such as the iconic proton pack and spirit traps to capture the many ghosts swarming throughout the stages. To accomplish so, the player must use the proton beam to wear down the ghost. Once it is weak enough, the shaft will automatically latch onto the spirit, requiring the player to set up a trap and guide the ghost towards it to prevent it from escaping.
There is also new equipment that can be unlocked during later stages and the ability to improve equipped things by gaining money for catching and destroying ghosts (although cash is also subtracted from the amount of destruction caused by the player on each level). The P.K.E. meter can also be used to follow spirits and scan various objects, ghosts, and residue left behind to fill out the Tobin Spirit Guide. The slime cannon from the second film, used to release possessed people, is also featured, allowing the player to safely capture spirits without injuring the person.
The plot is delivered through pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes, distinguishing it from its Wii and PS2 counterparts, which have a more cartoonish appearance and feel to the overall game. There are also online multiplayer options that allow players to connect with friends and form teams online.
