In 2009 I was enamored with Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The long awaited video game follow-up to Ghostbusters 2 provided the ultimate power fantasy by letting players suit up in the iconic beige jumpsuit and hit New York City’s ever growing ghost population with the original Ghostbusters right by your side. Now in 2022 I’m getting that same sensation with Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed… though with a few caveats.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the new 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer game from Illfonic (the Friday the 13th: The Game team). In it players are able to create custom ghostbusters and team up with 3 others to take down a ghost player whose goal is to completely haunt one of the maps inspired by certain settings from the films. Where Spirits Unleashed differs from the quickly oversaturated 4v1 market is that it can be played entirely offline and solo, which is how I spent a bulk of my time with the game. The game also features a brand new story that picks up some time after the end of Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s post credits scene.
With the Ghostbusters’ firehouse back to full operation, players are asked to create a custom character and take on jobs. When on a job, players have to explore one of the self-contained maps in first-person view using the recognizable PKE meter. Using this, they’re able to flush the ghost or “ghost rifts” out of hiding. Ghost rifts allow the ghost to respawn when captured but there are only 3 allowed to a level so spectral players are encouraged to protect and hide them from the Ghostbusters. In addition to exploration, it’s up to the Ghostbusters to calm down civilians in the area using a skill check system, not unlike Dead By Daylight’s, to keep the building’s haunt meter down.
Ghost players are dropped into the level in third-person view to cause as much mayhem as possible using one of the multiple ghost classes. From haunting various objects, to scaring civilians, and even outright possessing objects to recharge their spectral meter to cause more frights. Ghosts come with 3 skills to defend themselves from Ghostbusters that I would compare to abilities from a typical hero shooter. For example: one ability allows the ghost to summon a slime tornado when surrounded to make a quick getaway.
Ghostbusters are able to customize their gear in the game’s hub area: the iconic firehouse and the adjacent Ray’s Occult Books, all recreated right down to meticulous details (keep an eye out for an appearance from an appliance from Ghostbusters 2). In this area players are free to upgrade their gear from XP they earn over use, test out said gear in the alley way, customize their Ghostbuster with new unlocked cosmetics, and take on other jobs be it online or solo. I grew fond of revisiting the firehouse after a job to wind down, and tinker with my setup by adding things such as faster cooldowns or less recoil from the aggressive proton pack. Firing up a piece of iconic Ghostbuster gear always feels instantly gratifying in ways that previous games were unable to capture. From the start up stream of the proton pack to throwing out the ghost trap and opening it up at the right moment and picking it up after a successful capture.
The firehouse and Ray’s Occult Books are also where story cutscenes play out. The game tells a new story post-Afterlife that has you play as a new recruit Ghostbuster under the guidance of Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz (voiced here lovingly by Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd); soon enough, of course, spectral hijinks ensue. The story gets a new update every 5 or levels so players are encouraged to go out and complete jobs to progress the story which I found to be a worthwhile goal not seen in other 4v1 games that for the most part feature no story aspect at all. The problem starts to appear when jobs soon become repetitive and I found the story, while charmingly written and voice acted, to ultimately be lacking in substance. Though it does hint at where the Ghostbusters story could possibly be heading in a world post-Afterlife. It’s enjoyable, but expect to complete all the story elements in five hours or so.
At the end of the day Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed provides a satisfying experience of bustin’ ghosts either solo or with a group of friends while at the same time giving the player a chance to experience the other side as a spectral tormentor. It’s not a game marred down by a mediocre shooter experience such as 2009’s Ghostbusters: The Video Game, but doesn’t tell a story nearly as gratifying as the one from that game. Overall with the lower barrier to entry, I can confidently recommend Spirits Unleashed for die-hards, fans, and people looking for a good multiplayer time. Hopefully the experience can be improved overtime with some much needed content updates but ultimately “bustin’ makes me feel good”.
Disclosure: Review code provided by Illfonic.