With the popularity of games like Phasmophobia, it was only a matter of time before someone adapted the Ghostbusters IP into a multiplayer title. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is developed by IllFonic, known for Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds. It’s a multiplayer title that sticks close to the series’ formula in terms of look and feel. Out on October 18th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, here are 15 things you need to know before jumping in.
Premise
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed doesn’t seem to tie into any of the movie storylines (whether old or new), instead relying on a more freeform premise. You’re a Ghostbuster, part of a crew of four. There are Spirits and they have been unleashed. Go catch them. It’s easier said than done though because the Spirit or Ghost is controlled by another player with all kinds of tricks up their sleeve.
Ghostbusters
If it weren’t obvious by now, this is a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer title. Four Ghostbusters must hunt down a Ghost through any means necessary. This is done from the first-person perspective, as you locate the Ghost, bust them, and destroy any of their rifts in the process. You also need to calm down any bystanders, reducing their fear. Once a map has been fully haunted, the Ghostbusters have a limited window to capture the Ghost before it’s game over. While finding and capturing the Ghost is priority one, you also feel like a Ghostbuster that’s investigating the paranormal phenomenon while preventing any further catastrophe.
Gear and Gadgets
You’ll have all of the familiar Ghostbusting equipment to accomplish this goal. Use the PKE Meter to track the Ghost, then whip out the Particle Thrower to weaken them. Deploy a Ghost Trap for capturing…and then do that a few more times to succeed. Be careful, though – the Ghost can struggle against a Trap’s pull and eventually get loose. Equipment can be leveled up as you use it and slotted with multiple upgrades.
Ghosts
As a Ghost, your objectives involve haunting a building, inducing fear and panic into various NPCs and evading capture by the Ghostbusters. Played from a third-person perspective, the Ghost can create loud noises, possess objects (which is also good for hiding) and unleash slime. As you level up, new upgrades become available, though they’ve yet to be fully showcased.
Maps
There’s quite the array of locations for players to hunt Ghosts through, including a Prison, Hotel, Aquarium, and so on. Each has different sections, which the Ghost must haunt, and unique objects that can be possessed. The maps appear fairly complex, so knowing the best hiding places and the largest concentration of civilians will be key, both for the Ghostbusters and Ghost.
The Firehouse
When starting the game, the Firehouse serves as the main hub for the busters. You can customize your character, indulge in some target practice, choose missions, and so on. And yes, the Basement Containment Unit is present, along with the ability to slide down the firepoles. Ray’s Occult Books is also confirmed, though it plays a different role (more on that shortly).
Character Customization
A myriad of options are available for customizing your Ghostbuster’s appearance, including Physique, Face and Hairstyles. Physique allows for customizing one’s body type, voice, height, and so on. Face provides multiple different heads, skin colors, eyes, ears, and whatnot to customize, along with more nuanced options like brow height, ear width, etc. There’s a pretty decent range of hairstyles to choose from along with multiple colors, as well. You can also customize different Outfits with various tops and pants, and Accessories, including eyewear, gloves, elbow pads, knee pads, footwear and headwear.
Ghost Customization
Of course, your Ghost is also customizable by accessing Tobin’s Spirit Guide in Ray’s Occult Books. How extensive this customization will be, and whether it’s on the same level as the Ghostbusters, is unknown. With the number of nods and references to the series, expect some classic Ghost types to appear.
Co-op
If you’re not confident about your Ghostbusting skills, then you can team up with four players in co-op and take on an AI-controlled Ghost. Whether you can set the difficulty levels, or obtain the same amount of XP and rewards from the same is unknown. However, the option is there if you want a crash course in mechanics and gameplay.
Offline Play
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is a multiplayer-focused title, first and foremost, and should be purchased with that in mind. However, offline play is also supported, allowing one to play solo with AI teammates. You can even play as the Ghost against a team of Ghostbuster bots. It’s far from the ideal experience, but serves as another great way to familiarize yourself with the maps, abilities and mechanics.
Iconic Characters
What would a Ghostbusters title be without the actors from the original films showing up in their iconic roles? Along with Ernie Hudson returning to voice Winston Zeddlemore, Dan Aykroyd voices Raymond “Ray” Stantz. Of course, you won’t be able to play as them but knowing the original crew is around can be somewhat comforting. There are also some “new faces” promised and hopefully they’ll offer the same level of charm.
4K Ultra HD, 60 FPS+ and Ray Tracing
In terms of resolution and frame rate, Xbox Series X (and by extension, PS5) players have quite a bit to look forward to with 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, and 60 FPS+ support. Ray tracing is also confirmed, along with Spatial Sound support. The Xbox version supports Smart Delivery, which means you can buy the game on Xbox One and access the fully optimized version on Xbox Series X/S. On the PlayStation Store, purchasing the game provides access to the PS4 and PS5 versions.
Crossplay
Along with cross-gen multiplayer, allowing players on previous-gen consoles to matchmake with current gen, there’s full crossplay support for all platforms. Xbox players can thus team with those on PlayStation and PC. Whether there’s an option to turn off crossplay is unconfirmed, but given that Spirits Unleashed isn’t too heavy on the competitive aspect, it’s unlikely.
PC Requirements
The minimum PC requirements for Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed are pretty forgiving. According to the Epic Games Store (to which the PC version is exclusive, for now), all you need is an Intel GPU (or an equivalent AMD CPU) with at least four threads running at 2.3 GHz or higher, 8 GB of RAM, and a GTX 760 or Radeon HD 7970. The recommended requirements are also pretty manageable and include an Intel Core i7-5820K or similar AMD CPU, 16 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970. Those interested in ray tracing will at least need an RTX 2070. Fortunately, only 15 GB of installation space is required.
Pre-order Bonuses
The Standard version costs $40 – no Deluxe Edition here. However, there are incentives for pre-ordering, like advance access to the iconic ghost Slimer. Players also receive a custom Particle Thrower and Proton Pack, along with special clothing colorways (which have yet to be revealed).
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