Published: Wednesday, 5th August, 2009 3:49pm

Ghostbusters

by Narin Bahar

Comments (0) | Print | Email

PS3

There seem to be no new ideas in film anymore. As we wait for the Fame remake to hit the screens (the renaissance of legwarmers can only be a matter of time), Star Trek takes its place near the top of the 2009 box office chart and Pelham 123 prepares for release this week. Not so with games though, right? Wrong.

If you're of a certain age, then there's only one response to the question 'who ya gonna call?' and I'm afraid the answer is not some wacky directory enquiries company with an irritatingly catchy advertising jingle. And the Ghostbusters are back, initially in this European-exclusive PS3 release, although later in the year it should be available on other formats too.

Written by the original creators (and Ghostbusters) Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis, who also pick up voice acting duties along with Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and the rest of the original cast, Ghostbusters: The Video Game sees Manhattan overrun with ghosts and ghoulies. You take on the role of a new recruit, given your own proton pack and asked to join the battle to save New York from the supernatural forces that overrun it.

Now most games attached to a film or TV license aren't that good. From Spiderman to Lost, Iron Man to Grey's Anatomy, it's been disappointment after disappointment. But this, I don't think this could be more fun if it actually were a new film. From the tutorial level, where you get to fight the Ghostbusters' old nemesis the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, through the whole laugh-out-loud funny script, the charm and warmth of the game means it gets away with some glitches in terms of the fiddliness of the controls just because it's so much fun.

The combat is a bit hit and miss, which normally in something which is essentially a first person shooter would be somewhat of a deal breaker. However, the bedlam of the combat which - paired with a sometimes overfast camera twirl - means sometimes it's quite difficult to see what's going on and who's knocking you off your feet, is easily forgiven for the sheer entertainment value. It's all here. Ecto-1, Slimer, the guys' exhortions for you to not cross the streams. If you're a child of the eighties or fan of the films then this is, frankly, the sequel you've been waiting for.

Five stars if you're a fan, a solid two if you're not.