Everybody has that one title that they hide behind all of the blockbuster hits so their friends don’t know they have any interest in it. Critics may have destroyed it and the overall sales may have said all-too-much about the game’s quality, but there is still something about it that hits your soft spot. Every time you pick it up, you’re giddy with joy; you’re well aware of the short comings and, frankly, know it’s not a good game in most senses – but it’s still one you must own. Recently, I found myself scorching furniture and light fixtures through the flooded hallways of the Sedgewick Hotel with my trust proton pack and came to the realization that Ghostbusters: The Video Game was my guilty pleasure game. I understand the gripes people have with it, but there is no way I can deal with not having it in my gaming library.
Outside of variety and slight repetitiveness, there is little about the Ghostbusters video game that I do not like. While Bill Murray sounds as if he slept through his lines, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson seemed to thoroughly enjoy being back in the tan suites, so to speak. Despite the added fifth character, being a nameless and voiceless character who’s only position is to test experimental equipment ensured that the team dynamic remained the same from the movies to the game translation. The story may not have been all too inspired, but after reading through many of the comics and books that followed, it’s plain to see that the city’s paranormal eliminators are doomed to face off against Gozer worshippers for the duration of their career.
Gameplay was pretty solid and offered a nice answer to how the game would handle the “ghost capture” mechanic. Struggling against a belligerent specter caught in my neutrona wand’s capture stream is really an act that I don’t find myself ever getting tired of. Even more satisfying is pulling off the difficult task of crossing the streams which, while rather detrimental to the player, produces a satisfying explosion.
Revisiting old locations and facing off against familiar foes served to bring back a bit of nostalgia that is a welcomed part of any classic movie adaptation. With the look and feel of the original Ghostbusters back in place, the video game succeeds in capturing my heart and, in my eyes, doing the classic film series justice. While limited in options, the added multiplayer expands upon the team’s dynamic, breathing life back into the quartet. Hopping into the skin of the same characters that I’ve grown to almost idolize is nothing short of video game euphoria for me.
If you were to pick one title to describe as your “guilty pleasure” game, what would it be? Do you find yourself spending your Friday nights grooving to the beat of Kinect Star Wars dance-off, or are people more likely to find you looking past the glitches and faults of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City?
Castlevania 64 and / or the PS2 Shinobi. Dark Sector’s on the list, too.