Having discovered this game during an evening organized by Illfonic during gamescom 2022, I was immediately hooked on the concept. That's why today I offer you an overview of this game filled with nostalgia for one of the licenses of my childhood. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
Graphics & atmosphere
First thing to say when we launch the game, the original soundtrack is part of the part that we enter directly into the atmosphere of the ghost hunters, during the presentation with the castings of the characters of the films played by Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore) and Dan Arkoyd (Ray Stanz). Whether it's particle beams, traps or ghosts... everything is done to be as faithful as possible.
As for the graphics... the game is quite far from being a top graphics, but is clearly not ugly, far from it. We find all the codes of the license for the visual effects whether in ghost or in hunter. Too bad only that Jeannine is not in the game, but her replacement "Catt" is of a caustic freshness, and the role suits her perfectly. Replacing Egon Spengler, we have "Eddy" who is just as brilliant a scientist, but a tad more insufferable.
It seems to me that we have something here that is intended to be faithful enough for old players who have loved the films, as well as for new players who only know the name.
History
We start as a new recruit in the agency of the famous Ghostbusters, when it has just reopened its doors, after the barracks have been transformed into a trendy and ultra expensive café. We thus find as chief the veteran Winston Zeddemore who will explain the job to us, with the other veteran of the agency in the person of Ray Stantz, but I will come back to this later.
We basically start with classic ghost hunting missions, and later, realize that we can interact with Tobin's supernatural encyclopedia (which we use to go to the spectral world to play as a ghost ). But after returning from a hunt, we realize that Dr. Peter Venkman has sent us an old ghost trap lying around...typically his style.
When emptying the trap, an error occurs and a powerful entity emerges and takes Winston's body... and the new adventure begins on that, and on the quest to free our leader and potentially save New York. ...even the world.
Gameplay
The game is divided into three phases: the barracks phase, in other words the preparation, the hunting phase and the ghost phase. If the first is common, the other two are totally different and offer an experience in their own right. After the tutorial which will show you the basic principles of each role, you will be in freewheel. After each game, you will have a number of points which will increase your level according to your success. You will also have levels for your equipment according to their use: the more you use your beam, for example, the more its level will increase, and the more you will improve!
The preparation
Preparing as Ghostbusters is relatively simple, you will just have to customize your character according to your tastes and your unlocked elements to make your character what you want. Then, you will have to customize your equipment according to your level, in order to have one that will give you more advantage during the hunt. Whether it's a more stable, longer, less fragile spoke etc... you'll have plenty to do.
On the ghost side, you will be able to have several variants of your ghost with the levels... including food, the iconic ghost of the franchise for the basic one. Then little by little you will unlock ghosts with other very practical abilities and statistics, with very different shapes.
Hunting
You are a ghost hunter with vital equipment: the proton pack with its beam launcher, your EPK detector, your ghost trap, and equipment which can be a grappling hook or a bomb which will hinder the ghost. Your goal is to capture the ghost, reassure the civilians and do as little damage as possible by collecting as many things as possible on the spot (mushroom, press cutting, etc...). To do this, with your detector, you will have to follow leads to find and destroy breaches that are used by the ghost to reincarnate once captured.
A gauge is at the top of the screen which shows the current infestation and which corresponds to the time you have left to stop the spectral entity terrorizing the civilians, which you will have to calm down with a small QTE. You lose if the bar ever runs out, and you fail to capture your target in time. To capture a ghost, you will have to do it with your trap to lure it there with your beam and that of your teammates, but the ghost can escape and continue to haunt the place.
haunt a place
The ghost is singular, because flight will not be its only means of defence. You can stick the hunters, use your skills to destabilize them, for example with minions who will annoy them, or by throwing a large dose of ectoplasm at them so that they find themselves unable to move for a while because they will be so sticky . But beware, everything will cost you energy, which you will use to sprint, or simply to haunt objects.
You will have many advantages, such as being able to move freely, pass through certain walls recognizable by a kind of circular crack, or even sabotage the proton packs. All in order to fulfill your objectives: protect your breaches, scare civilians, escape hunters. All this will contribute to your victory, or to your defeat!
If you accidentally get caught in a beam, you can escape by spamming F, and if you can't, you might be able to get out of the trap... but it's even harder. You have three breaches, the first two will break during your reincarnations... and the last will be a little more robust. The best solution: don't get caught, run away and counterattack when you can!
Summary
Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed offers us a version of good quality with an atmosphere with small onions which should delight a large number of players and other fans of the license. The style of play is quite proven by others before it (4v1 style), and it works quite well with the atmosphere and the story that goes with it. Do we hold the future of video games? I don't think so, but here we have a game that offers clean and really interesting gameplay.
Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed sur l'EGS
