Ghostbusters has been one of my all-time favorite movies for as long as I can remember. It was released when I was just 3 years old, so I obviously don’t remember its release, but since it has been around for nearly my entire life, I essentially grew up with the characters of Ray, Egon, Peter, Winston, Janine, and the rest of the gang. In addition, my childhood included regularly watching The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series, playing with Ghostbusters action figures, and even sporting my own toy proton pack and ghost trap. Basically, I’ve been a Ghostbusters fanboy my entire life.

So when I first heard that a new Ghostbusters game was in development for release 25 years after the first film came out and it would feature the original cast lending their likenesses, voices, and writing talents to the game, I was obviously very excited. Now, after a few months of delays, Ghostbusters: The Video Game has finally found its way into my home.

The game was released in various forms on the XBox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and Playstation 2. From what I understand, the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 versions are nearly identical, offering the most realistic journey into the world of Ghostbusters. The Wii and PS2 versions follow mostly the same storyline but feature cartoony graphics. And the DS version is completely different. So, knowing all that, I bought the XBox 360 version, wanting to have the closest experience to a second Ghostbusters movie sequel as possible. As such, the review below applies only to the 360 version (but also likely applies for the similar Playstation 3 version as well).

I picked up the game at midnight on release night and immediately played for around two hours. From the opening cutscene, I was hooked. My hopes of reliving the same feelings evoked by the Ghostbusters films were fulfilled and then some. Ghostbusters: The Video Game is quite possibly the best movie-based game ever produced. Since most movie-based games are terrible, that may not be saying much, but if you’re a fan of the Ghostbusters films, there is nothing about this game you won’t enjoy.

It is a treat to hear actors Dan Akyroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and a few others reprise their classic roles and really get into it. With the possible exception of Murray’s new portrayal of Dr. Peter Venkman, all of the actors sound like it was only yesterday that they last played these characters. Murray is a bit more low key than he once was, but still delivers funny one-liners and plenty of sappy romantic schtick.

The game developers did a fantastic job creating computer-animated versions of the actors. While they’re not photorealistic, they do capture the essence of each actor’s facial expressions enough to draw you into the moment, especially during the pre-rendered cutscenes (of which there are 11) that look and sound good enough to be spliced together to make a Ghostbusters animated short film.

The game does not place you in any of these well-known roles, but rather as a rookie Ghostbuster tagging along for the ride. While some may be upset that you don’t get to pick your favorite Ghostbuster to play as, I believe that the game designers made an excellent decision by placing you as a nameless third-party character. The playable character always takes a back seat to the real stars, which makes the game feel more like an interactive movie rather than a video game. It also allows the real Ghostbusters to almost-constantly talk back and forth, moving the story along while you run through the game. It’s like a never-ending playable cutscene.

The game features many recognizable movie characters, including Slimer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, the Librarian, and many others that I won’t spoil here. There are also plenty of new characters (mostly enemies) that fit right in. Fans of the films will enjoy a return to many settings from the first film, including the Ghostbusters firehouse (of course), the Sedgewick Hotel, and a few others. These familiar settings are mixed in with new locations very well.

Since the game plays more like an interactive movie than a traditional video game, there isn’t a constant swarm of enemies. Instead, gamers will find themselves fighting enemies for a while, then walking around with the Ghostbusters for a while, exploring areas using a PKE meter, hunting for hidden artifacts and figuring out where to go next. It’s not an open world, but it does give you enough freedom to play at your own pace without fear of encountering too many baddies.

The game is a tad on the easy side and I recommend that avid gamers choose the “Professional” difficulty level. I played through on the “Experienced” (medium) difficulty and finished the game in 7 hours. So while the duration of the game is not as long as many, replayability is very high. Once you strap on your proton pack for the first time, you’ll want to go back and do it over and over again.

I haven’t had a chance to try the XBox LIVE online modes yet, which feature a number of “jobs” you can perform as a Ghostbuster, but they sound less fun than the main game. Unfortunately, only the Wii version features local co-op play so you’ll only be playing single-player on the 360 or PS3 without XBox LIVE.

Overall, hardcore gamers may describe Ghostbusters: The Video Game as too easy or too short, but hardcore fans of the Ghostbusters series will find nothing wrong with it. After finishing the game earlier today, I honestly felt like I just watched a non-existant Ghostbusters 3 film and a good one at that. I’ve read many times that the gang is actually making a third Ghostbusters film, but until that really happens (and I’ll only believe it when I see the first production still), this video game is the next best thing.

Finally, after so many years, I can truthfully say: Bustin’ makes me feel good.

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