Thank you Mad Dog Games for sending us a review code!

I enjoyed reviewing Ghostbusters The Video Game in 2010. The game was originally released on Steam and consoles in 2009. I was lucky enough to pick it up for $4; it’s no longer available on Steam. The remastered edition can be purchased through the Epic Game Store for $19.99. Is it worth that much? Read on to find out!

One of the first changes to the remastered version is a tribute to Harold Ramis who passed away in 2014. His voice along with the other actors from the popular movie series are all present and sound great in the game. The visuals are noticeably dated though. Especially during the movie cutscenes.

The graphics were cutting edge when the game first released more than ten years ago. Though they still look decent, they definitely aged. It’s hard to notice many visual improvements other than some antialiasing and a few tweaks here and there. The movies are blurry and do not look good at 4K.

The gameplay remains the same and doesn’t offer multiplayer (yet). There is talk of a free patch for adding it in the (near?) future. Unlike the original release, the console versions seem to be stuck with single-player only as well.

You start your journey as the newest member of the Ghostbusters team. Your uniform says “Rookie” on it and they only refer to you by nicknames so they don’t get too attached to you. Between fighting ghosts and testing out the latest equipment tweaks, it’s a toss-up as to which is more dangerous. Needless to say, you’re on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to seniority.

The game begins in the museum where there is a new Gozer exhibit which is haunted, and opens a portal for the undead to invade our world. The Ghostbusters must stop this chaos and close all of the entrance points from the spirit world into our own. Many of the same allies and enemies are back. Mr. Peck still hates the Ghostbusters with a passion and will try his best to shut them down. The mayor is still on your side but doesn’t want the city destroyed.

When it comes to catching ghosts you’ll earn and cost the team money. The money you earn can be spent on many useful upgrades. I don’t think there is any penalty to destroying anything; the game just makes you aware of it. The upgrades include more powerful weapons, faster ghost traps, and personal damage reducing abilities.

Most of the game is in the third person perspective. When you use the PKE meter to scan your surroundings it switches to first person. You can scan ghosts into the database to identify their weaknesses and you get money for doing so. Another way to make money is to collect haunted artifacts. You can only find them by using the PKE meter. The PKE meter gives you night vision, which comes in handy since many ghosts like dark areas.

When you’re not scanning for ghosts, you’re catching them. It’s a three step process. First, you have to weaken the foul being. Then you have to deploy your trap near them. Lastly, you have to capture the apparition with your proton beam and hold them by the trap for a few seconds. If the ghosts are feisty you can slam them around a bit to weaken them some more. Later you can buy an upgrade that instantly catches them if you slam them into the trap.

Most of the time you’ll have backup, but some missions you have to do by yourself. When you’re fighting with your team, you can revive each other if you get knocked out. If everyone is defeated, the mission fails and you have to load from the last checkpoint. Unfortunately, there are no quick saves. I learned that the more teammates that are with you, the more challenging of an enemy awaits you. The whole gang is there to help with bosses. The AI is pretty good and they definitely carry their weight.

Nothing has changed morally since the game was first released. There are still some instances of minor language (d*mn, pissed off). Just like the movies, you’ll be chasing after and catching ghosts. There are many references to the occult, but no recognizable symbols.

If you enjoyed the movies and haven’t played this game on the previous console generations, it’s definitely worth checking out. Due to the short amount of gameplay and lack of multiplayer, I wouldn’t recommend paying full price. Not much has changed since the initial release and it's not worth buying again.