The guys at Radio GTN just posted their latest podcast with the topic of the week being… Ghostbusters the video game! And because that’s the topic, the guys invited me on to talk about it with them.
I’m normally mush-mouthed and Skype decided I should be 8bit sound, so if I’m tough to hear at times, don’t blame Grim and co., blame the internets. Or me. Whatever.
As it turns out, I’m a giant apologist for game devs. Which, you know, makes sense. Thanks for having me on, gents!
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Chris…did I hear right? You showed or were shown deleted scenes from GB2? If so. please do tell…:-)
I what who now? I don’t remember that part. Give me a minute mark so I can listen to it again.
That’s what I thought you said. The audio was terrible in a few spots. You were saying you had watched GB2 in a theater with a group, not to long ago, and that you then watched deleted scnenes and noticed that things/scenes/lines that werent in GB1 were used in 2. Or just the same and redone for GB2. it was kinda hard to hear. I did hear you mention something “Red Hairing” (sp?) about the game. What does that mean, and what part(s) were you talking about?
Also…the Wii part that was mentioned- StayPuft grabbing a helicopter and throwing it at you. I have a magazine from last year that states that was also in the next-gen build that they watched. Why it’s not in there now is beyond me. Also, alot of things are missing from the game…like the Soleri Brothers and the Thanksgiving Day parade level where people get picked up by those flaming gargoyles and the balloons become possessed. In the final game…they just see it in a TV news report. Also…I believe seeing people walking infront of the firehouse at the start screen in earlier videos. But now…there are no people just cars, what the helk happened?!? RRRRRrrrrr!!!!! So frustrating. I believe some good chunks were cut…hence the game being so short. I’m gonna pick up the PS2 version this weekend for the different dialouge.
Agreed Ryan, I was mystified by that myself.. why was SO much cut?…
I’m still confused about what happened to the Thanksgiving Day Parade part of the storyline. Terminal Reality used that scenario in almost all of its interviews, it was shown in the trailers, and was especially sited when talking about the Infernal Engine handling large crowds. As it turns out, the game doesn’t really have a single part where there is a crowd, unless the people in the distance outside of the library count. It’s weird how all that content got cut but some of it is still left in the game’s main storyline. When the mayor brought up how the Ghostbusters ruined the parade I thought to myself “What is he talking about? What parade? Did I skip a chapter?” Heck, they even show the clip of that possessed ballon later on during an in-game news report! I’m disappointed that part didn’t make it in. I wonder how much voicework ended up on the cutting room floor for that portion of the story, because it looked like it might have been removed late in development…
Oh yeah, Your right Bannen, I remember seeing cutscene clip early on as well. Even playing thru the Wii version you can see how many little were cut also. Almost wish they would come out with a director cut of the game.. or at least DLC adding the missing element back into the game.
Hey, I’m glad you all are talking about the missing parade because my friends and I’ve been trying to find the missing video in the Extras menu. Some of us were thinking it’s the slot that the parade video would have been in but now for some reason it’s just empty and unlockable. Does anyone know for certain what this video is and how to unlock it? I tried beating the game on professional but that didn’t work either.
Also note: I didn’t know that Mulligan mentions the GB’s ruining the Macy’s Day Parade. When does that take place? Also, Ryan William LeClair, Staypuft still throws the helicopter at you in the Next-Gen systems. I know because I went back and beat him on both Experienced and Professional modes.
Whhhatt? Stuff cut out of the game? Why? I’m late to this whole party because I am still saving a little here and there for my XBox! I own the game on PC & XBox but my PC copy didn’t work! Soon…. soon I shall play it! I’m bummed out that the crowd sequences were cut however.
I thought the parade scene was cut..glad to see I wasn’t crazy haha…maybe due to time constraints or some technological issues it was cut…but it sucks cause I was looking foward to that level…fingers crossed for something in DLC
Boyer… What the !?! Your right! I’ve only played the Stay-Puft/Times Square level on Casual. So I decided to try it on Experienced. And sure enough…when you have your final confrontation with “The Puft”, while hanging off the side of the building, he grabs the helicopter that’s been buzzing around since you exited on the roof. Smashes it and throws it in your direction. Why that doesn’t happen on the Casual setting is beyond me. Perhaps it does more damage to the player than is aloud on the Casual setting? But not by much. You do notice some slight dialouge and action/situation tweaks while playing on the higher difficulty settings. Hhhmmmmm…..
Ray Stanz-(While evading Stay-Puft in Times Square)…*Venkman is getting coffee!!!* Ha ha ha! HILARIOUS!
Few other things that I discovered tonight, that I thought were neat.
*-When you hit The Sedgewick for the first time, walk over to the couple sitting on the sofa near the check-in desk. They mention going to see “Stay-Puft on Ice”.
*-During the Times Square (Scare) level, mid-way through, right before you walk out into the street to do battle in front of the Opera house…turn left to find the “orange street cone” hidden artifact. It’s below a neon bar sign, down the steps towards the bar entrance. But what’s neat is…while you can’t go inside, you can hear the muffeled music pounding inside, and people talking. While rats scurry at your feet. Nice detail!
In my opinion Ghostbusters The Videogame was completely spoiled by its one hit knock downs and its revival system which for me completely spoiled the gameplay. I did not enjoy playing Ghostbusters the videogame because of this. I just found it frustrating. I found the experience to be far more of a chor than a pleasure.
I think that the characters should have had far more resistence to attacks because they get knocked down far far too easily. Far too much emphasis is put on being revived and having to revive your team mates rather than than catching ghosts. The developers should have made changes to remedy this. I think that if the characters had more energy and more resistence then the revival system may have worked okay because you wouldn’t have to be reviving your team mates as much as you have to. Perhaps the ability to collect energy would have helped or the addition of a quick-dodge system where by you can dodge ghost attacks (dodge left, right or duck) would have also helped because attacks from ghosts are largely unavoidable which I found extremely frustrating.
The game is also in desperate need of a quick turn function which is unforgivable given how necessary it is and how easy it would have been for the developers to put it in there.
The levels are also linear to the extreme. The levels couldn’t be more linear because there is of course only one way of getting through them.
From what I’ve read most people give this game an 8 or an 8.5 out of 10. I’ve even seen some nines! For me such scores are extremely generous. I think that it is only because the game is a ghostbusters game that it is being rated so highly. In my opinion it has been overrated by bias and nostalgia. The truth is that this game has alot of major gameplay faults. I’d give it no more than a 6 out of 10.
Matt, I actually liked the game play, but I understand. It’s a personal opinion or taste that doesn’t meet up to your particular gaming preference. I played both Wii and PC versions. The Wii has no dodge system but the 360, PS3, and PC version does. It also allows you to turn around without rotating the camera. Just press B with the direction you want to dodge in, or hold it while pressing backwards to take off in the opposite direction (behind you). Which version are you playing?
I played the PS3 version. I understand what you’re referring to. I know about the side jump function. It’s useful in some situations but I found that in most it isn’t. I am talking about the kind of left/right/duck dodge system that is quick and responsive, like in Punch out. The quick turn that you speak of isn’t really a quick turn either. You can do a 180 degree turn by pressing the run button and positioning the analogue stick in the opposite dirsection but it is no good for situations where you have to instantly turn in order to face enemies which are behind you. What it needed was a fast and instantly responsive quick turn, like you get in Resident Evil 4/5.
Yeah, I didn’t say they were great, but just that they existed.