Ghostbusters : The Video Game
Ahh, nostalgia. When I think back to my first days of using the internet, two things come to mind: cold basements and Ghostbusters. I know it sounds strange, but it's true. I remember going down into my grandparents' chilly basement and sitting in front of their olive-green Acer Aspire computer, a small gray space heater whirring eternally at my side. I would sign in to AOL and, after the harsh cacophony of dial-up screams ended, I would immediately start searching Yahoo! for everything related to Ghostbusters. I remember the very first time I saw rumors about the upcoming Ghostbusters 3 and how excited it made me. And I remember how crushed I felt when Dan Aykroyd later said that it was pretty much a dead project. Well, fast forward quite a few years and I just might get to see another Ghostbusters sequel, just in a very different form.
Rumors about a Ghostbusters game first started circulating early in 2007. A few videos of a game in early developmental stages with a similar gameplay style to Gears of War surfaced all over the internet. Shortly after the videos were released, Sony immediately issued a cease and desist order. These videos ended up being nothing more than a tech demo created by ZootFly for an upcoming game. While this was a crushing blow for Ghostbusters fans everywhere, rumors of an upcoming game continued to slowly trickle out of various news sources. Ever so slowly the rumors became more credible. Proton Charging posted a news article about Ernie Hudson discussing an upcoming video game that he was involved with and expectations began to grow feverishly. Soon, an official announcement seemed to be just a matter of time. Finally, in November of 2007, Variety posted the good news. A Ghostbusters game was in the works for six different platforms. So now, on to the details.
The best news of all is that both Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, the scribes from the first two films, have signed on to write the script for the game. This practically guarantees a return of Peter Venkman's witty one-liners and another captivating plot-line. Plus, all four of the original Ghostbusters have agreed to return and voice their iconic roles. Even Bill Murry will be providing his vocal chords for Peter Venkman's character. And if that's not enough, Annie Potts, the actress who played Janine Melnitz, has also agreed to voice her character. With so much of the film's original talent returning, it seems like the game will at the very least be a unique experimentation in movie and video game tie-ins.
As for the story, very little substantive information has been revealed so far. The game will take place shortly after the events of Ghostbusters 2 and will of course involve ghosts wreaking havoc on New York. The ghostbusting team will also find themselves journeying through the spirit world in a few of the game's levels. And for the fans of Slimer and the Staypuft Marshmallow Man, both will be returning as ghosts to catch. No word yet on the Scoleri brothers but I've got my fingers crossed. Plus there will be plenty of new ghosts to catch.
The technical specifications of the game are pretty intriguing as well. The game is set to be released in two separate iterations. The first, which will be released for the PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3, will focus on high definition graphics and a more cinematic single player gaming experience. Little is known about any possible multiplayer modes for these consoles. These versions will also feature downloadable content that will supposedly be unique to each platform. The second version of the game will be released on the Nintendo Wii and Playstation 2 and will retain the story line of the other game. This version will include more cartoonish graphics and have a few local multiplayer modes. One of these will see players choosing to play as either a Ghostbuster or a ghost as they try to outsmart each other. The game may also see a release on the Nintendo DS but very little information is known about this port so far.
While previous video game incarnations of classic movies have often been sketchy at the very best, hopefully the Ghostbusters franchise will fare a little bit better in translation. There has only been a very small amount of early game-play footage, but what has been shown looks promising. With a little luck and a whole lot of ectoplasm, I've got my fingers crossed that the game will deliver an experience worthy of the Ghostbusters name. Look for Ghostbusters: The Video Game and a review in fall of 2008.
©2008 TeamWarfare.com
Community First Gaming, LLC, All rights reserved
Reprint Inquiries Contact:
news@teamwarfare.com
Graphics by: LadyRed
Copy Editor: Splinter_Spoon