By tackling the Ghostbusters mythos head-on, Atari was exposing itself to what even the creators of the original films feared: fan expectations. A considerable expectation generated by 20 years of patience (Ghostbusters 2 having been released in 1989), which a few derivative products had not been able to fill and which left a sword of Damocles hanging over the head of anyone who would dare to distort the adventures of the four hunters of ghosts. Basically, by digging up the franchise, the publisher had better pull it off if it didn't want to anger a few hordes of fans, ready to pull out the disintegrating positioners to defend the memory of their heroes. But fortunately, Atari did things well, since in addition to not betraying the films of Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters the game stands out as one of the most successful Third Person Shooter released since the beginning of the year.
What is the little cake?
The principle of the game could not be simpler since it involves crossing seven levels with varied universes, inspired by films (the Sedgewick Hotel, Time Square, the Natural History Museum, the New York Library) or invented from scratch (the Isle of Shandor, the cemetery in Central Park). We must also break ghosts, also from the movies (the Bibendum Chamalow, Bouffe-Tout, the Librarian) or straight out of the imagination of the developers, namely everything else. As it stands, it's hard to do more common, especially when you realize that the proposed levels, even if they have a complex and neat architecture, are in fact long straight lines on which the areas of fight. A certain lack of originality which is fortunately quickly swept away by a few strengths, such as a certain efficiency and omnipresent fun. Efficiency first, because in addition to its concept which has largely proven itself (destroy enemies in the third person), the game is teeming with some good finds which make it immediately pleasant, even endearing, whether for the eyes, the hands, or the brain. Fun then, because the title has the Ghostbusters touch, namely an offbeat humor and dialogues, which made the characters of feature films famous. It is no coincidence that we find these prestigious names at the top of the game's credits, the two friends having written the game's script (an unpublished story, it is not a simple copy-paste of films) and supervised by the Terminal Reality teams to offer a title as close as possible to their universe. This universe, for our greatest pleasure, we find it in all the sequences and in all the lines of dialogue of the game. From the crazy HQ to the Ecto-1 which falls apart, from the seductive smirks of Peter Venckman to the crappy and colorful explanations of Ray Stantz, passing through a few secondary characters (Walter Peck, Janine Melnitz...) and an enormous soundtrack (taking up several themes from the films, in addition to the famous hit by Ray Parker Jr.), we are clearly in Ghostbusters, and not in something that tries to approach it. Precision at all times, reinforced by the presence behind the microphone of the original actors to lend their voices to the characters (Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson included), which means that of all the games taken from the films (and there are had a bundle) this one is definitely the most faithful. And even if we could have been offended to discover that the playable character is none other than a clampin acting as the fifth wheel of the carriage, we will quickly notice that this option is perhaps the most judicious of all. . Indeed, devoid of name and totally mute, this character has the strength to facilitate the identification of the player with his avatar and to offer this first the chance, the privilege even, to become a hunter of ghosts alongside his four idols. .
Slime fast
But for the average gamer (the one who doesn't know what the little cake is – and who doesn't care – and who just wants to get his money's worth), what does this title really offer? ? For those who didn't have the good fortune to grow up in the 80s, we can't advise them too much to take a look at the films. It takes barely three hours and it's an excellent appetizer for the game. Then, we can add that he has nothing to fear, because in addition to this very relative quality that is fidelity to the he original work, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is particularly successful from many points of view. Starting with its technical coating (graphics, animation, playability, camera) which has never seemed to us to be faulty. The game engine holds up well (we only noticed one or two frame-rate drops in all and for all), displaying a lot of information on the screen without it ever spoiling the game. fun to play. In addition, when you know that more than half of the environments are completely destructible, you think that the little guys at Terminal Reality have really done a great job. The modeling of the faces, although not to die for, is all the same precise enough for us to recognize some facial expressions of the actors (Murray and Ackroyd in the lead), while the animation of the characters shows rather realistic (they are heavy, but at the same time it's normal, they carry around 40 kg of material on their shoulders). And we're not talking about the particle effects (the rays throw a lot of them, but without ever making the action unreadable) and the monster designs (funny and neat) which reinforce the idea that this Ghostbusters was not made in a hurry, even if we know that its release coincides with that of the first film on Blu-Ray (25th anniversary edition). Small flat on the other hand at the level of the voices. If there is little to reproach on their intrinsic quality, we can only regret that the subtitles arrive on the image at times when we will not be able to read them too much. Indeed, the valves launched by your acolytes being numerous, incessant and in English, subtitles appear on the screen to provide a translation. Outside, when you are in the process of getting rid of half a dozen ghosts with a blast of electric rays, you don't really have the head to read subtitles. And this is how we miss a good number of puns that could possibly make us laugh. So, we can always play in VF, especially since the publisher had the good taste to go find almost all the original dubbers of the films. Missing only that of Bill Murray. Pity…
From the crazy HQ to the Ecto-1 that falls apart, from the seductive smirks of Peter Venckman to the crappy and colorful explanations of Ray Stantz, passing through a few secondary characters, we are clearly in Ghostbusters, and not in some something that tries to approach it."
Beyond its scriptwriting and technical qualities, it's on the gameplay side that Ghostbusters gave us the most satisfaction. By coming to resume stricto sensu the modus operandi of the Ghostbusters when they attack an ectoplasmic emanation (a ghost therefore), the title offers a great range of possibilities which, once again, will bring back good memories to fans of the films. Everything happens as in the latter. We start by unearthing the ghosts with the psychotensiometer in phases in subjective view; then, you have to weaken them with a choice of four kinds of ray (traditional, shotgun, slime, or homing head) more or less effective depending on the type of ghost. And finally, all that remains is to capture them with the beam trap. And if all this seems simplistic on paper, the truth is any other controller in hand, since all the buttons of the controller are involved, requiring skill and speed of execution. Moreover, what might seem repetitive at the first blows of the blasters turns out to be particularly enjoyable and not necessarily simple. Indeed, the enemies, in addition to being devilishly mobile and rather clever, will not fail to retaliate by sending all kinds of attacks. Staying in place is often synonymous with knocking down, the key word for defending yourself will be "movement", by taking a few sprints or dodging enemy attacks. In this regard, it should be noted that we very rarely die in this game, since when you are down, your colleagues will come to treat you (and in exchange, you will do the same for them). A very good idea, which reinforces the spirit of camaraderie and the identification of which we spoke above, but which also proves that the developers have succumbed to ease. Like many other games in its category, Ghostbusters is not burdened with superfluous indicators that clutter the screen. Indeed, all the information you will need is on your proton pack, in particular the one indicating the overheating of the latter, which you will have to cool frequently under penalty of failure. Ghostbusters: The Video Game also allows you to upgrade your equipment, by buying improvements with money collected by capturing poltergeists and unearthing various artifacts scattered throughout the levels. In the same spirit, ghostbusters being researchers and scientists above all, it is also possible to keep a directory of monsters, by photographing them before they attack you. A little extra that brings a variety of additional gameplay and replay value to the title which does suffer from a short lifespan (about 8 hours of play). This is undoubtedly the biggest flaw of the game, with perhaps the impossibility of driving the Ecto-1 under the pretext of being a rogue...
