Russ nailed something fundamental about modern game design back in June. He enjoyed playing “Red Faction: Guerilla," but only by playing it on the easiest difficulty setting. I had the same experience this summer. I had a blast playing through “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” on “Casual”, because busting ghosts was the point of the game, not the challenge. Do I really need to die a hundred times to feel like I’m getting the most of bustin’ when it’s the bustin’ that makes me feel good?
But switching to easy isn't always something that's encouraged by a game. In fact, there have been a few games that have blatantly chastised you for taking the simple path. Here's a few that spring to mind:
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The slow summer months are officially in full swing, and the list of games coming out this week could definitely use a bit more oomph. That being said, we do have a few interesting titles to pique our interest...
Pick of the Week: Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Yep, it's good! We took a look at the final version of the game and despite being a movie franchise tie-in, it's actually rather fun and (even more incredible) actually pretty funny.
Let's Tap
This SEGA-published minigame collection is rather unique. Place your Wii remote on a hard, hollow surface and once the game kicks up, tap that surface with your finger to compete in rhythm games, side-scrolling shooters and visually enthralling fireworks shows. Definitely the party game of the week and a perfect fit for folks that don't want to throw down for plastic drums.
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits
If you've stayed away from "Guitar Hero" for this long, now might be a good time to come back to the fold. This collection includes some of the best tracks from the series, and adds drum and vocal support to some of the earlier tracks.
With launch of "Ghostbusters: The Video Game" next week we think we should see a renaissance of '80s screwball comedies getting video game treatments. Here are five that we think would rock:
"National Lampoon's Vacation"
Reason For Inclusion: Honestly the first thing that jumped to mind was that trip-planner/"Pac-Man" mash-up that kicks off the movie (great loading screen, by the way), but the thought of driving around Phoenix with a dead grandmother on the roof seems to just beg for a digital redux.
Style of Game: Open-world Adventure
Must-have Level: Wally World Hostage Mission
Possible Achievement: "This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy" – Jump into the pool without your wife seeing.
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By Adam Rosenberg
It’s true, I ain’t afraid of no ghosts. Not anymore. For a long time,Terminal Reality’s “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” had me -- and many other franchise super-fans – worried. First there was the promising early footage from Zootfly, a developer which ultimately lost the rights to the film. Then there was the brief preview level sent out to press by subsequently confirmed Sierra developer Terminal Reality; as great as it was to hear the film’s original actors contribute their voices, the gameplay was extremely raw. And unpolished The apparent final nail in the coffin seemed to come when Activision merged with Vivendi, and “Ghostbusters” was among the casualties.
Just when all seemed lost, that’s when things started to turn around. Atari swooped in and snatched the free-floating in-development title up. Terminal Reality started to push the game’s Infernal Engine as middleware, a viable competitor to the likes of the ubiquitous Unreal Engine. And finally, after almost two decades of speculation, O.G. ‘Busters Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd starting hinting at a third movie. Now the stars have aligned and “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” is upon us. And it is good.
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