Saber interactive have been on a roll as of late. Back in April they released “World War Z”, a team based survival horror shooter set in the “World War Z” movie’s universe. It was a fantastic game and sold extremely well (read my review). So when it was announced that they were behind this Ghostbusters: The Video Game remaster, I knew the game was in good hands.
However, I did have one major concern. This is a remaster of a 2009 game based on a beloved 1980’s movie franchise. The 2016 reboot steered into a completely different direction and had no storyline connection to the original franchise which generated unfavorable reviews. The youth of today may not have seen the original films and in turn may pass on this title. But Hey! If you are reading this than there is a pretty good chance you’ve seen the films and a better chance that you’ve played the original so let’s get into this review.
Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis (creators and screenwriters of the original films) co-wrote the story for “Ghostbusters: The Video Game”. Fans had always wanted a third movie, however Dan Aykroyd had openly said that this is the closest we will get to one. Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson along with Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis provided voice over work for their respected characters. This would also be the last time Harold Ramis will reprise his role as Dr. Egon Spengler due to his passing in 2014. This fact alone made the game a must have for any Ghostbusters aficionado.
The Story takes place 2 years after the second movie. You play a new unnamed and unvoiced recruit. During your first day on the job, Slimer escapes and creates chaos at the same Hotel from the first Ghostbusters movie. During his recapture, other ghosts start to appear. The story starts to take shape around a Gozer exhibit at the museum of natural history. The team will visit a few recognizable locations and reintroduce notable characters from Ghostbusters 1 & 2.
Those who played the original will quickly notice the upgrade in resolution. The Ghostbusters fire house is filled with various items and all of it shines with a modern feel. In the back there are a couple of arcade machines, one of which is a very detailed Q-bert. Yes it still prompts you to “interact” and yes you still can’t play it. Everything looks polished and I spent a good amount of time exploring every part of the fire house.
The Ghostbusters themselves have also received a visual upgrade. The facial tones and design have been smoothed out. I loaded up my copy of the original on PC and could notice the improvements. However, as you are marveling at the iconic characters you are also noticing the audio sync is a bit off in some scenes. This was an issue in the original and a solid reminder that this is a remaster not a remake. All the video cut scenes have been upgraded to 4k (excluding switch version). It also sounds like they made some audio enhancements to them as well.
For me the most noticeable improvements’ were made in the locations. Every location looks to have received upgraded lighting, textures, sounds and visual depth. This is all evident in the Times Square level, as you navigate your way through the streets filled with destroyed vehicles and can see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man causing havoc a few blocks ahead. This iconic imagery is priceless and makes you feel like you are in a Ghostbusters movie.
The gameplay and menu layouts remain the same. The big improves here can be seen & heard when using your proton pack. In a dark room the beam of light shines bright as the blast sounds echoes off the walls. I also didn’t encounter any slow down when all four Ghostbusters were simultaneously shooting proton beams at multiple ghosts. I recall having this issue in the original on console version.
Now it’s not all sunshine and rainbows with this remaster. The multiplayer mode is currently not included. Saber interactive said this mode will return with some additional elements but no date has been provided. Other than the missing multiplayer, Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered provides exactly what you would want and expect from a remaster. Upgraded resolution, improved textures, enhanced audio and overall performance boost at a fair price of $29.99 across all platforms.
This review was written based on a digital review copy of Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered for the PlayStation 4 provided by Saber Interactive and Mad Dog Games LLC.
