Ghostbusters The Video Game Remastered | Xbox One Review

Growing up as a child, I was subjected to a wide variety of movies that I fell in love with and still cherish to this day. One of my favorites was the first Ghostbusters movie. I liked the second one, but it didn’t quite click for me like the first. As time moved forward, I had always heard grumblings and musings of a third entry in the franchise, but that never came to fruition.

Years later, as an adult, I remember Ghostbusters: The Video Game being released and the writers saying it was supposedly how the third movie would have played out. I remember picking up a copy, but unfortunately I was not able to finish it due to my disc being flawed. So when I was given the opportunity to play the remastered version for Xbox One, I snapped up the chance. So with that trip down memory lane, let’s take a closer look on why this game could possibly be for you.

Still Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts

The story picks up a few years after the second movie ended, with The Ghostbusters still catching ghosts in New York City. You play as a new recruit to the team who has been brought on board to test new equipment and help the gang with the recent rise in calls. As the game progresses you meet and greet many new and familiar faces to the franchise.

You also get to traverse around some familiar locations that have been in the movies, as well. Just having a chance to walk around the firehouse from the movie is amazing, with all the hidden throwbacks and easter eggs. Your character helps unravel a mystery that essentially began to form all the way back in the first movie. For newcomers to the series, don’t fret, the game does a fairly good job of explaining the past events. The culmination of the story is also quite an interesting take on what the third movie could have been.

We Have the Tools

As far as gameplay goes, you have a multitude of gadgets in your arsenal to help catch the ghosts and defeat other paranormal entities. You have your trusty Proton Pack and ghost trap as seen in the movies, and these are simple enough to operate. Further along in the story, you gain additional gadgets such as a “stasis beam” that slows down ghosts. My personal favorite is the “slime sprayer” similar to the one seen in Ghostbusters 2, which is used to defeat certain types of enemies or clear out certain types of hazards. Each new item is given to you as new enemy types appear, making them easier to capture.

Ghosts from the Past

One of the most welcome additions to this game is the voice acting. While it was also in the Xbox 360 and PS3 version, it was a first for me. I have always enjoyed all the actors from the movie series, and hearing them all play their respective characters was a real treat. Especially due to Harold Ramis, who played Egon, having passed away. He and Dan Akroyd helped write the script for the movies and this game. But in addition to the main cast, they also managed to rope in the supporting cast from the movies such as William Atherton and Annie Potts. With all the original characters comes their mannerisms, which is just a wonderful addition to the voices. 

The cutscenes and overall animation look good for the remastered version. Ghostbusters: The Video Game was released last generation, but there is a significant jump in quality which I did find quite surprising. The controls also seem to be cleaned up, and tighter then I remember from the first time around.

There are some things that slip through the cracks which feel like they were left from the older version of the game. The knockdown animation, in which your character is just rag-dolled up a few feet and then just drops to the ground, is particularly frustrating.  Another complaint I have is that there are some areas of the game that just seem to be very dark and not well lit. With this being a remastered version I would have thought these areas would have been more polished for gameplay navigation, instead of getting stuck on objects I could not see. 

Waxing Nostalgic

I do wish the game was a little bit longer and had a few more levels to explore. You could rush through the game and finish the story in less than 8 hours. You could extend your time and find as many of the collectables as possible, or scan all of the different ghosts types for the index in the game if you’re like me. Now that I have played through the game from start to finish, I feel that there was a little bit of a missed opportunity to branch further into the Ghostbusters universe. I would have loved a level that would have allowed me to drive Ecto-1, for example. Overall though, the game was still a solid, enjoyable experience despite some drawbacks.

The remaster of Ghostbusters: The Video Game does a very good job on cleaning up the animation and bugs from the last generation. From what I was able to play from the first iteration of this game I was happy, but not overly impressed with the cutscenes, movement of the characters, and overall flow of the game. This remaster has definitely renewed my hope of the series having more entries in the gaming universe.

If you are a fan of the Ghostbusters franchise like I am, then this is a welcome addition to its universe. Even if you aren’t a big fan and just would like a fun little 10-12 hour romp in a game,  I would still recommend you give this game a try. If you are completely new to the franchise, I would recommend seeing the movies first if you want to understand the jokes references. So strap on a Proton Pack, get out there, and have some fun!

This review is based on an Xbox One copy of Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered provided by Sandbox Strategies for coverage purposes. It’s also available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.