Man, I gotta say, this was a lot of fun. Now I am aware of the fact that I might be a bit biased but, the down and dirty of it all is that this is a really, really good game. The story picks up some years after the original movies from the 1980s and adds a new, never-before-heard, or seen chapter of this classic story!
I’m not gonna lie. I “re-watched” the original movie to hype myself up to play this game. I was pleasantly reminded of how well the ol’ gal holds up. The game’s story folds very comfortably into the older movie’s story and together creates something new and wonderfully spooky!
You are a new Ghostbuster, recently recruited to take the place of the original 4 characters from the movies. Not that they’re no longer available, as you actually start the game face-to-face with one of the classic characters!
I must say that the sound immediately jumped out at me as having outstanding quality. Voice-over, music, ambiance, and pretty much everything else is really top-notch and perhaps my favorite aspect of this game. This might “sound odd” but that’s the point, it should. It’s a game about Ghost hunting! Different music in each room. The sound of ectoplasm plopping to the floor from the ceilings. Screams of terror from frightened bystanders. All of which really upped the overall experience. Well done!
The graphics are just a wee bit tooney, as the topic at hand dictates. They are fitting and just dark enough throughout with hints of neon to make the game visually haunting.
The gameplay was fluid and the boards were big, leaving me scrambling to find the tools and objects needed to win. I can’t wait to continue to search and de-haunt as I slowly creep through this eerily rendered Spook-a-Rama!
The object of the game is to take jobs and show up at various locations and make sure the infestation of incorporeal nuisances never fully manifests itself. Haunted vases’ or paintings all throughout can house the vile spirits attempting to haunt said residence. It’s your job to spook them for a change. Scare them out of their hiding places and capture them with the tools that the Ghostbusters provide you with.
EKG Meter, Plasmatic Wranglers, and of course, the ever-popular Ectotraper are included. It feels so cool to snag a spooker with your pack and drag them kicking and screaming into permanent confinement! Once the location is rid of all its ghosts and the residents return to happy status, you take your traps back to the ol’ Firehouse and drop them into the very disturbing containment unit in the basement. Hope that thing can hold all the weird ones we dump into it!?!
Did I mention that this game is multiplayer too? You and your buddies can trap baddies together! As a matter of fact, as the game progresses, you may find that you need a hand. No one can beat the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man or Demon Doggs on their own!
I had a ton of fun. I hope you do too! So…Whatcha gonna play?
This review was based on a digital review copy of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed for the Xbox Series X by Illfonic.
