Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PS3, Xbox 360) Preview

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 05.08.2008

First Look: We feast our eyes on an early build of Ghostbusters: The Video Game.



Though it was announced a few months ago, it wasn't until recently that we finally got to see Ghostbusters with our very own eyes. At Sierra's press event we got our first look at Ghostbusters for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

We were told from the get go that what we were looking at was a very early build and served more as a tech demo that anything. One of the first things we noticed was that there was absolutely no HUD on the screen. The producer informed us that the Proton Pack would actually work as the in-game HUD with various lights and meters representing health, power etc. The tech demo that was shown took us to the New York City Library where books and chairs as well as tables were being thrown around the room with the beam from the Proton Pack. Everything was rendered exceptionally well and we were shown how breaking down chairs and tables resulted in random destruction – meaning that if you destroy three tables, they will all break apart differently so it becomes very life-like. At one point, extra cars, books and other items were dropped in from the ceiling to show us that the Infernal Engine could handle everything without hiccups. There were no dips in frame rate and the action remained smooth. A slime tether was used to fling cars and bodies around the room while also demonstrating how you could tether various items at once. I must say that this portion of the demo was pretty impressive and graphically, it looked very good.

Towards the end of the tech demo, a monster was created using hundreds of books in the library's basement and you have to use the Proton Pack to break him down piece by piece. After defeating the monster, we were taken outside of the library to the New York City streets. The game showed over 1500 people all at once on the screen, each with their own individual A.I. As people walked down the street, they all had different movements, never bumping into each other but reacting to everyone around them. The producer simulated some action on the screen that caused the crowd to panic. Some of the people ran away while others moved away, giving you room to do your dirty work.

After the tech demo, we were finally shown some real gameplay from various portions of the game. The Stay-Puft Marshmallow was shown roaming the streets while the Ghostbusters blasted away at his arms and chest. Just like a marshmallow, Stay-Puft burned and roasted wherever he was being attacked – cool stuff. We were then shown a demonstration for catching ghosts. The PK emitter will detect ghosts which is when you Proton Pack gets put to good use which includes features like the Dark Energy, Freeze Beam, Shot Blast, Neutron Generator and the Slime Tether. Of course before you can capture ghosts, you have to beat them down and wear them out while making sure they don't take over certain objects which give them powers. In the PS3 version, you can get a hold of a ghost and shake the Sixxaxis controller to shake them about and slam them against the ground or walls.

You can play with three other A.I. members or you can get some multiplayer going with online co-op which includes specific missions as well as mini-games. Whether with A.I. teammates or real life friends, the other Ghostbusters can help you out by throwing down ghost packs or adding their beams to yours – sometimes necessary to catch certain ghosts.

The game will also feature all of the voices from the original cast though I'm sorry to say that ECTO 1 will not be drivable in the game.

Though the demo was brief, what we got to see from such an early build looked very good and appears to be headed in the right direction. The producers tell us that they're aiming for a Halloween 08 release. We'll have further impressions of the game when we get some hands-on time with it.

Screenshots
All 6 Ghostbusters (Xbox 360) Screenshots