The gameplay is strictly linear – there’s no exploration or anything of that nature. The game is divided into chapters and you go exactly where the game wants you to go and each chapter culminates in a boss fight against one of the game’s nasty (and pretty darn creative) foes.

So you’re going to be doing a lot of, well, ghost busting, and this is what saves it from being a middling action adventure. If you ever wanted to play a game that gives you the sensation of ‘carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on you back’ then this is your ticket. Blasting ghosts with your proton stream is an admitted thrill. And really, all of the other stuff sort of melts away because this is the very heart and soul of what a Ghostbusters action game should concern itself with – using the tools and showing off the talent, as it were. And in that regard, the game works.

The controls take some getting used to – the RT fires the primary weapon, the RB attempts to ensnare the ghost once it’s weakened, the LT “slams” the ghost into submission and the X button throws your trap. You then use the sticks to coax the ghost into the trap, but they can be slippery little devils so it takes some practice. Best of all, you can demolish your surroundings (to a degree) and you actually can earn an Achievement for causing a lot of property damage. (The museum people were none too thrilled with us..) In fact, your pack is actually four weapons in one, including a slime shooter/tether, which can be used to trap ghosts or used to pull objects. This opens up the combat even more by allowing you to choose which weapon is best for each enemy – and your PKE Meter serves as a way to discover each ghost’s weakness. All you need to do is get a reading on it…

Ghostbusters is about teamwork; rarely will you be on your own – although this does happen in a few cases. Still, usually at least one teammate is with you and, best of all, they actually help. Make no mistake, you are required to do the heavy lifting but Egon will finish off a ghost if given the chance. In addition, teammates are vital because if you go down you can be revived by teammates. A mission fails only if every team member is knocked out simultaneously. So you need to play medic during a fight as well as ghost hunter.

On the whole the campaign isn’t too tough and will only take about 6-8 hours to finish mainly due to its strict linearity. The difficulty curve is a bit odd as I found early level bosses tougher than the later ones, and it does get a tad frustrating when you get stuck because reloading a mission takes a good 25-30 seconds and there are a few missions which took me several tries to accomplish. (Stone baby angel statues!)

Playing via Xbox Live works pretty well and co-op is supported via Instant Action or through a mini campaign. Multiplayer earns its stripes as you get to see some new ghosts as well as some new weapons and playing as part of a team of Ghostbusters is really what it’s all about. I defy a fan of the films to play this game in co-op mode and not start spouting off one liners.

“I looked at the trap, Ray.”