Besides weapons, you’re also equipped with a PKE Meter. This is used to find hidden ghosts and measure paranormal activity in an area, but it can also be used as a compass of sorts. Switch to PKE goggle view with the B button, and you will see what your eyes cannot, such as hidden passages, objects, walk ways, and the trail of the ghosts you’re chasing down. If you don’t want the assist, don’t use the goggles, but much like the guide line in Dead Space, it’s there if you want it.
You’re the new Ghostbuster in town, and your job is to play around with all of the experimental equipment that Egon concocts. While this is a dangerous gig, it means that you get to play with a slime beam, fire a proton pack shotgun, and wreak more havoc and destruction against both ghosts and the environments than the veterans. Because of this, you’re better equipped to handle the more extreme baddies, and will need to help your colleagues out throughout the adventure. These weapons are not only utilized in combat, but are oftentimes used to clear rooms or puzzles in your way, keeping the gameplay fresh.
Outside of the main story, there are also plenty of things for you to do or collect. You can play the entire game in co-op form right from the beginning; even better, there isn’t any slowdown when you have two Busters on screen, though as with all split-screen games, there is a little loss of vision involved. If you start out solo but want to add a buddy, you can do so whenever you want just by turning on a second Wii Remote/Nunchuk, though you will be sent back to your previous checkpoint. The levels in between checkpoints are relatively short compared to the job as a whole though, so that’s not a big deal, as you can either wait 5-10 minutes or just restart the section with your buddy. Drop in/drop out would have been nicer, but this is a working alternative.
Co-op is also an excellent place for the game to show off its wonderful destructive side. Mostly everything you point your proton beam at can be blown up or horriffically scarred, and you will earn the wrath of that downer of a city employee, Walter Peck, for each item you “accidentally” smash. This is because NYC has an insurance policy out on the Ghostbusters, and they have to cover the damages you cause. The more you knock and destroy, the more the city owes; doing this earns you titles like Conservationist, Loose Cannon, or my personal favorite, Walking Lawsuit. Playing in co-op gives this a bit of a competitive nature, as you race around to blow up more stuff than your pal in order to get the better title.
Another good thing about blowing stuff up is that you can find the hidden art pages inside of objects. These art pages, along with the scans of the ghosts, objects and people (think Metroid Prime, but with a PKE Meter rather than a visor) make up the pages of the Tobin Spirit Guide, which is a good place to read up on Ghostbusters history as well as the creatures and people within the game. I love collecting these sorts of things so I can read about them, and it’s fun to blow things up to find the art pages; if you’re a big fan of Ghostbusters, you’ll enjoy it too. It also helps that collecting these objects and scans unlocks new abilities for you, like faster scanning and increased health regeneration. You’ll thank yourself for acquiring those abilities when you hit the end of the game.
Blast Factor: Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a lot of fun to play. The gameplay is tight, wrangling ghosts is satisfying, and listening to Bill Murray and company play their beloved characters once again–and so effectively–made me smile more often than not. Red Fly Studios did the game a favor by recognizing the Wii’s strengths and playing to them, and for that, you should thank them. Grab a friend, plug in two Nunchuks, and get to work saving New York City once again.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is available on the Nintendo Wii for $49.99
Leave a Reply