Horror fans have it pretty good these days, especially if you love both movies and video games! Sure, yeah, alright, I know this isn’t anything necessarily new, and I can already see the incoming comments being pre-typed out. “But Manic,” you may say, “has an asteroid fallen on your cranium thus resulting in permanent brain damage? Hasn’t there always been horror movies adapted to video games and did they not suck mule bollocks?”Why yes, and yes, dear reader. We’ve indeed suffered through a slew of mighty titles of some of our most beloved spooky franchises only to be fooled into playing a joke of a game and duped big time.
And we did our damnedest to act like we were having fun. We sat before the flickering glow of our mega-ton square TV, and we suffered through Friday the 13th, Ghostbusters, and/or A Nightmare on Elm Street. Bless our sloppy hearts, we even acted like Jaws was fun ffs! We either rented these titles on Friday, and this was our entire weekend, or some of us were unfortunate enough to get these as a gift. In either case, we couldn’t help but feel maybe and just possibly a teensy bit fucked over. Horror franchise games on early consoles are now legendary for how rat-dick terrible they were thanks to the cancerous spitting of angry video game YouTube personalities. For too long, horror games were the butt of jokes and memes.
It would seem those days are thankfully long gone, as time has allowed many of these beloved IPs a chance at redemption, and today we’re covering one of the biggest redemption stories out there.
It’s time to answer the greatest question ever posed to our generation: who ya gonna call?
Years prior, back when we were all loving up on our newly acquired PS3 or Xbox 360, a seriously ambitious game came around and gave fans a serious jolt of very, very good nostalgia. That game was, of course, Ghostbusters!
Scepticism was already working its way against this one thanks to how godawful the NES experience was. It’s one I still have never beaten only because I don’t have the patience to deal with it. The NES title was (sighs) an attempt. It was something, sure. Not a good something, but it was something.
It lacked all the stuff that made Ghostbusters a pop icon. With the NES port, gone was all the character charisma, charm, and outright fun that made the movie a stellar hit. It’s also said that glimpsing mere screenshots from that old game can cause unexpected childhood PTSD in many nostalgia enthusiasts, so view with caution, dear reader.
All of the complaints (rightly) lobbied at the original game are entirely obsolete with this one, though. For the first time in forever, it felt like the gamer finally got to be a Ghostbuster. You wore the pack, and you joined our beloved goofballs on a massive adventure into the paranormal and fun world of Ghostbusters!
We came. We saw. We kicked its ass!
One of the biggest advantages of this project is that the original writing team, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, returned to create a new story that continues the narrative from the original films. That’s right—the creative minds behind the films, which became a global phenomenon, were back with a brand new installment in the Ghostbusters legacy.
But we’re just getting started.
1) Firstly, the original cast returned to reprise the roles we all loved. Remarkably, they even convinced Bill Murray to put on the proton pack again and lend his voice along with the rest of the cast.
This may be an emotional moment for fans, especially since this is the last time Harold Ramis portrays Egon. I was particularly touched during missions where you and him investigate some spooky corners of New York together.
2)Thanks to the return of the original cast, this game is arguably the Ghostbusters 3 we all hoped to get one day. In my opinion, it serves as a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, as there are many references throughout the game that pay homage to both films. Players will have the opportunity to revisit the Sedgewick Hotel, battle a really pissy Stay Puft in the streets of New York City, and uncover the origins of the slime from Ghostbusters 2. Additionally, we can explore the Firehouse and even interact with the painting of Vigo the dickhead! Oh, and what would Ghostbusters be without everyone’s favorite slob of a specter? Yup, Slimer is back too
3) Tying up loose ends. The villains in the story are probably who you’d come to expect, with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man returning early on as a boss fight. Additionally, Gozer the Gozerian is heavily talked about, which might make some people roll their eyes—after all, haven’t we seen enough of that paranormal edgelord? However, I don’t consider Gozer the main antagonist of the game.
That title belongs to Ivo Shandor, who is revealed to be the source of everything that has gone wrong in the Ghostbusters’ careers of busting ghosts. Although he is dead, his malevolence transcends the void and threatens to pull the astral dimension into New York, which would ruin the city’s pizza style forever—and we can’t allow that! Near the end of the game, we learn that Shandor has a secret island buried beneath the river, and of course, we need to go there to put an end to his nonsense. Oh, and I should mention that Walter Peck makes a return, still has no dick.
4) Nostalgia flows like milk and honey… or perhaps more like slime, as this game is filled with it. It’s clearly designed to evoke nostalgia, featuring moments where we interact with a dancing toaster or explore the New York Public Library while hunting down an evil spirit that’s captured the librarian ghost. The game aims to tug at our heartstrings, with its music, setting, and humor all reminiscent of the happier times we grew up with.
That said, don’t assume this is all fluff with no substance. The game is ambitious and presents a brand-new story as mentioned earlier. You’ll have your reliable proton pack and ghost trap ready, but the pack also features three additional capabilities that you can unlock as you progress. Egon has been tinkering with the pack, allowing you to test out these new (highly dangerous) enhancements. You lucky punk! It’s not every day you get to play with interdimensional science thingies.
5) You become a Ghostbuster! I really appreciate that we don’t just play as our favorite Ghostbuster, but instead take on the role of a new recruit learning the ropes as we join the team on a mission to save the world once again. Your missions will vary, involving the entire group at times, while at other moments, you’ll team up with just one other member to explore and uncover some ancient occult mysteries. This lets you feel like part of the team as they all, well, are themselves, and we love them for that.
6) This game was made for older consoles, and I get that modern gamers might feel frustrated because it doesn’t offer an open world to explore. I won’t pretend that having an open world wouldn’t have been incredible! However, what we do get is a tightly woven storyline and a game that doesn’t require weeks of commitment. I consider it the third story in the trilogy, and it functions like a movie. The difficulty can be adjusted to your preference, making it easy to breeze through and enjoy those heartfelt moments. I do have to admit, though, that the section in the cemetery (specifically at the gate) with the flying cherubs was a real PAIN IN THE ASS! That part gave me the most trouble, but aside from that, the game is a blast.
I always like to choose a game that fits the Halloween spirit to enhance the spooky vibes. This is the one I picked this year—so far! Since it’s a quick game, I actually have time to play a couple more. Conveniently, a brand new Castlevania game is coming out soon. I also see there’s an actual Hellraiser game releasing soon! Horror fans have it good.
I should also mention that Ghostbusters was later remastered for the PS4 and is available for both the PS4 and PS5, the current Xbox, and Switch. So, if you missed it when it first came out, you still have a chance to team up with the professionals and bust some ghosts in time for Halloween.
Manic out!
