Ghostbusters Game Review

[Mat Linnett]

I don't trust any percentage or 10-scale review system these days. Plenty of my favourite games have scored low on such scales, and conversely, games I consider to be mediocre at best have scored highly. It has only goten worse recently, with marketing driving scores more than actual gameplay.

The only way I judge games now is through first-hand experience, or by trusting the opinions of forum members on the various forums I visit. I can even find a game I know I won't like by certain forum members loving them. Generally speaking, people who like the Halo or Gears of War series act as good examples in such cases.

Oh, and also, Rock, Paper, Shotgun is pretty damn reliable, and again, doesn't rely on a scoring system, but rather their readership's ability to read well-written criticism.

Case in point for a recent game I love but has been reviewing badly: the new Bionic Commando. Very much a gamer's game, the reviews all seem to have been expecting something the developer never promised. If they'd shut up about open-world bollocks, they may have realised that here was a completely bug-free game that looked pretty damn good, had great action and didn't compromise in the difficulty stakes. Only thing I couldn't stand about the game was the rather obtrusive in-game advertising, as highlighted by Yahtzee over on Zero Punctuation. Yahtzee's not great for basing your buying decisions on (see his Valkyria Chronicles review), but he's damn good at highlighting foibles.

Conversely, I've found the typically high-scoring inFamous and Red Faction Guerilla to be good games, but not great. Both suffer from Assassin's Creed syndrome, where they quickly become incredibly repetitive and rather a chore to play.
Red Faction Guerilla is probably more disappointing in this respect, as it comes from the same developer that brought us Saints Row 2, a game that I found incredibly fun, with an astounding amount of variety, and that pissed all over its contemporary, GTAIV. In short, I expected more from Volition, a kind of Saints Row 2 on Mars.

So in short, if Ghostbusters is reviewing badly, I wouldn't judge the game by that. Wait for some more informed response from people you trust.

[Silicone_Milk]

seeing the clip brings Luigi's Mansion to mind. And that's a bad thing.

Also, why hasn't O'dium pointed out how fucking shit the graphics are? The characters look like plastic men and the animations are jerky and unnatural.

I'd probably rent this just to give the game a chance but honestly it looks terrible.

[Captain]

I think that right there means you have to shut the fuck up about anything on the subject, to be honest...

Oh the irony.

[o'dium]

Sorry chump, not many peopel gve two shits about me here but the fact your a grown man who dresses like a pirate has male models on his walls and hasn't even played one of the best video games in history, all the while loving movies than even a 5 year old child thinks are stupid, shows me that you really dont matter, lol.

[obsidian]

*grabs popcorn for Mazda vs. o'dium fight*

Ding ding ding... round 2!

[plained]

i have 2 shits or all here!

ok thats sorted!

[Fender]

@o'dium: you're

[Jackal]

Gotta say. I'm with Odium on this one. Mazda you're being an ignorant cunt.

[o'dium]

BTW played this over the weekend, and I have to say... If you loved the films you will just scream at this, in a good way. Its so funny to play, to cool to watch, and the number of fanboy service gags are just amazing.

[Captain]

*grabs popcorn for Mazda vs. o'dium fight*

Ding ding ding... round 2!

No thanks OJ, the mind-bogglingly amount of stupid in his nerd rage retorts make my head spin. It's more fun to watch him kick up a shitstorm over nothing.

[o'dium]

What if I pit on a pirate hat and dance around in my pants?

On second thoughts, forget the pants baby.

[MKJ]

[Fender]

i lol'd @ an o'dium post!

[Fender]

i lol'd @ an o'dium post!

[Transient]

Twice!

[Mat Linnett]

I just checked, and my double-post happened at about the same time. Weird. I checked because I don't recall having problems posting, and fender doesn't usually make double posts either...

[Ryoki]

I had that too yesterday

[Yeando]

Did anyone else from the UK preorder it from the US Gamestop site? Mine arrived this morning after ordering it last Friday, well shocked how quick it was considering the release was only yesterday.
But as a typical knob I forgot about the extra Customs VAT charge. Thought the days of £60 video games were well gone

[MKJ]

why the fuck is explained in the article.
pay attention

[MKJ]

oh
well fuck you all the same

[Mat Linnett]

It's a bit stinky to see Threewave neglecting the platform that probably got them the job in the first place.

[Ryoki]

I'm totally never gonna play this game probably.

Just saying.

[brisk]

Anyone playing this on the PC? The game is fun but performance is SHITE. Seriously, dropping into 5fps territory in some places. Controls are also rubbish.

Looks like another crappy console port. I might pick it up on the 360.

[phantasmagoria]

I've played a bit on the PC (killed stay puft) and I think it's crap, it looks like ass, the characters are wooden, the comedy intersections don't work and are extremely badly timed, the game is extremely linear, all in all it's just a bit shit. Maybe it's something that should be played on a console

On the other hand I've started playing Diablo II for the first time, which is quite the opposite experience.

[GONNAFISTYA]

It appears Yahtzee didn't care for the game:

Zero Punctuation: Ghostbusters: The Video Game