Are you awakened in the middle of the night by sounds you cannot identify? Have you ever been in a terrifying situation while you were in your home’s attic or basement? Have you or a family member ever encountered a specter, ghost, or other supernatural being? If you have determined that the answer is yes, do not waste another second before picking up the phone and calling the experts… The original cast members, including Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler), and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), as well as Annie Potts, who reprises her role as Janine Melnitz, and William Atherton, who reprises his role as Walter Peck, the team’s adversary from the first film, all lend their voices to the characters in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Additionally, it includes Elmer Bernstein’s original scores for the films’ respective soundtracks, which he composed for the first two films.
The film’s plot, which Aykroyd and Ramis scripted, begins in 1991, two years after the Ghostbusters defeated Vigo and stopped him from taking over the globe. Since then, the Ghostbusters have been overwhelmed by the growing number of spirits seen throughout the city. As a result, the team has decided to add a fifth member to its roster. Here is where the player will step in, replacing the anonymous “new cadet” of the Ghostbusters, hired to test Egon’s latest experimental equipment. In this role, the player will be responsible for collecting data.
It is up to the player and his new employers to stop a familiar threat just as all hell breaks loose in the city and the “new cadet” is being introduced into the Ghostbusters. A vast amount of spirit energy has threatened to tear New York apart. The player will take control of the Ghostbusters as they traverse recognizable environments and battle recognizable foes such as Slimer and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man utilizing legitimate equipment such as the iconic proton pack and spirit traps to capture the many ghosts that are swarming throughout the levels. To accomplish this, the player must first use the proton beam to wear down the ghost. Once the ghost is weak enough, the shaft will automatically latch onto the spirit, and the player will then need to set up a trap, direct the ghost into the web, and prevent the ghost from escaping.
New equipment may also be employed, which can be unlocked during later stages. Additionally, the player can upgrade equipped things by gaining money from catching and destroying ghosts (although cash is also subtracted from the amount of destruction the player does on each level). The player can also monitor spirits with the use of the P.K.E. meter, as well as scan a variety of artifacts, ghosts, and residue that has been left behind to complete the Tobin Spirit Guide. The slime cannon from the second movie is also included and may be used to free possessed persons. This enables the player to securely catch ghosts without causing any harm to the person who is being possessed.
The narrative is conveyed through pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes, marking a departure from the game’s previous incarnations on the Wii and PS2, which had a more cartoonish appearance and feel to the overall game experience. There are also online multiplayer modes, which enable users to team up with their friends and compete against other gamers worldwide.
