Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Review

From Ghostbusters we have had many games, however, they do not achieve that success that they obtain in theaters. Now we have Ghostbusters: Spirit Unleashed, from the developer Illphonic. Being an asymmetrical multiplayer game that puts a team of new Ghostbusters raiding various locations to stop any paranormal activity from that location.

Also, Ghostbusters: Spirit Unleashed is a title linked to the next movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife, however, both productions have different stories. With the same concept of Friday the 13th: The Game, from the same development team, it can be played both online and offline.

There is something strange…

The game begins with us creating our avatar, who will be a new recruit within the organization of the same name in the game. Set inside a fire station, we can choose our physical appearance, voice, gender, and other simple options.

Once our character is created, we will be greeted by the original founder, Ray, who will give us a long introduction. Later we will meet Catt, the organization’s operations manager. We’ll also look at Winston and Eddie, finance and equipment development, respectively.

The story is mixed with the multiplayer section of the experience. As we complete assigned missions, we will be presented with a narrative-related cutscene that moves the plot forward. Your multiplayer adventures aren’t significantly related to the story, and the two remain mostly separate affairs. It may read like an interesting proposition, but it’s quite the opposite.

Who will you call? ghostbuster

After we have finished creating the character, we will go into a short tutorial that shows us the basics of how to capture ghosts. We are first introduced to the PKE meter which is a reader that emits a signal as we approach a ghostly presence. Once close enough, we perform an explosive movement with the device that causes the ghost to appear from whatever object it has been hiding in.

Also, we will get the trusty Proton Blaster, which can be fired to tie a ghost to a chain, and we need to pull it towards a previously placed ghost trap, which will eventually catch it.

However, to hunt ghosts we must take into account certain restrictions on these activities. An example is the overheating of the Proton Blaster, which overheats with repeated use. Likewise, the battery of the trap that runs out quickly once opened, although there are techniques to cool them down.

The fire station also serves as our nerve center where we can talk to NPCs, upgrade equipment, and take jobs. To upgrade our equipment must be with the experience gained in the games, in addition, such equipment can be tested in the alley, customize our Ghostbusters with new unlocked cosmetics and take on other jobs, either online or solo.

Teamwork

The concept of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed it’s simple, like asymmetric multiplayer; If we are on the Ghostbuster side, we will team up with three other players to hunt down a ghost. Teamwork is essential if we want to be victorious. The ghosts are not helpless and are very fast, as well as avoiding other dangers in the environment. One group can take care of some crevices, and the other to find and hunt the ghost. Fortunately, Ghostbusters: Spirit Unleashed It has cross-platform support, which means that we can play with friends regardless of platform restrictions.

If we are on the side of the ghosts, we will have skills that allow us to go unnoticed or attack the hunters, until a map possession bar is filled to win the game. Being a ghost we can place three astral cracks anywhere on the map, serving as Lives. If the hunters destroy them all, we will have no escape. To increase the level of enchantment, we can scare passers-by, while the hunters calm them down.

If the map reaches 100%, a short endgame begins where all rifts are automatically destroyed, and the ghost needs to survive for that last minute to win the game. But if the ghost hunters manage to catch the ghost within that short amount of time, they can score a last-minute victory.

Leveling up involves adjusting your build by adding passive effects like faster cooldowns or reduced blaster recoil. We can unlock better pieces for equipment once we level up. Aside from this and the cosmetic upgrades, there isn’t much variety within the tools we can, ultimately resulting in a very short progression cycle.

only for fans

Visually, Spirit Unleashed has a very good section, although the models are very reminiscent of Fortnite, which is not a bad thing. The visual effects are very well done as the Blaster’s beam is worth seeing. However, already in online mode some problems are seen, such as a slowdown in the movement of our avatar when walking, as if it were a status effect. Audio desynchronization in conversations, poorly translated texts, we can also find it. Although it is nothing serious that prevents you from playing, and that it is not solved with the respective updates.

On the sound side, it’s great to hear the mythical Ghostbuster song by Ray Parker and Jr. In fact, we have the appearances and voices of Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz and Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore. It comes dubbed into English with texts in Spanish.

Verdict

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is a game that can be fun at times, but is mainly focused on fans of the franchise. The pieces of history added to a game of these characteristics are appreciated, but it does not have depth like other titles in the franchise. It can be enjoyed much better with friends, although the only mode it has will eventually become repetitive and the level-up incentives won’t be enough.

Note: This review was done on the Xbox Series X version and the code was provided thanks to IllFonic.