Review: Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Is The Job Simulator We Needed

(Xbox Series X|S review key provided by IllFonic)

When I’d initially heard about IllFonic’s latest release, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, I was quite honestly salivating at the thought of being able to assemble my own Ghostbusters team and hunt some ghosts, living out my wildest gaming fantasies.

Having played the game for over a week now, I can say that Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is definitely a more unique game than many folks, myself included, would’ve expected from yet another asymmetrical online multiplayer title.

With great game mechanics at play, and a fantastic basis that everything spins off of, there’s is so much to love here. Though there are some hiccups that keep this game from being perfect, there’s something special here for all fans of this beloved franchise.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Review Big Takeaways

• This game is just as much a job simulation title as it is an asymmetrical online multiplayer title.
• Playing with friends or a team of players with mics is your best shot at taking down ghosts.
• Playing as a ghost is a true adrenaline rush.
• There’s a lot of creative freedom that makes it feel like a tailored experience.
• It isn’t just an online multiplayer title, it has a story that adds to the Ghostbusters lore.

Final Score: 8

Just Another Day on the Job

When it comes to Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, it isn’t just another online multiplayer game where gameplay is shallow and tedious. There’s been a lot that the developers have put into this game to make its simple premise as close to a real Ghostbusters experience that players could ever truly feel.

You have all of the iconic gadgets by your side, such as the Proton Packs, Particle Throwers, P.K.E. Meters, and even Ghost Traps. Everything serves a separate purpose, and you really get the feeling early on that team coordination is vital in actual capturing ghosts.

More often than not, going in solo and trying to catch ghosts yourself isn’t going to work in the slightest. It’s the teamwork that makes the dream work, so playing with friends or other players with mics is what’s really going to make this an enjoyable and cohesive experience overall.

Though the game’s ghost-hunting set of guidelines isn’t actually too complex, it allows you certain liberties with your gadgets or even methods of busting these ghosts that make things feel varied from one hunt to the next.

Who You Gonna Call?

The other part of what makes this game’s Ghostbusters side of things so fun is the fact that you can really make the experience what you want it to be. You have a lot of creative freedom to not only fully customize your character, but the gear they carry to each and every haunt.

On the cosmetic side, you have a full array of sliders and color options for your character’s body, as well as a bunch of great customization options for clothing that looks to possibly have more additions added in the future.

Related: How Spores, Mold, and Fungi Work in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed

On the gear and gadgets side, you can actually upgrade every piece of gear I mentioned before, which gives it alternative attributes or even a different style of use altogether. You can even get an RTV Ghost Trap just like in Ghostbusters: Afterlife!

It’s a nice level of player-driven uniqueness that I’ve always wanted to see in a Ghostbusters game, so I’m glad that IllFonic could really deliver in giving the fans an experience that, while keeping some of the original Ghostbusters in its peripheral, focuses on new, original characters that players can create in order to shape their roleplay.

And it’s the fact that this game also features a pretty neat narrative that’s carried throughout that makes playing actually feel rewarding. There are full cutscenes and quite a bit of dialogue from both returning characters voiced by the iconic actors who played them in the films and brand-new characters that flesh everything out into a believable story.

Did Someone Say Slime?

As if playing as a Ghostbuster wasn’t enough, there’s a whole other side to everything. You can also play as ghosts, which actually feels just as much fun to do as when playing as a Ghostbuster. Haunting locations, scaring citizens, and sneaking around the Ghostbusters is a pretty exhilarating experience.

With most games such as this, I typically don’t like being the evil force, as I find it tiring. But with Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, I feel the opposite. Playing as a ghost is still exhausting, though it’s because my heart is racing as the timer ticks closer to the end and I only have one life left in order to win. It’s the fun kind of tiring.

It’s times like that, which happen often and make playing as a ghost something worth talking about. It’s a fun game at just about every point, with only a few optimization and connection issues that keep it from being the best asymmetrical online multiplayer game out there.

Don’t Cross the Streams!

Though I really, for the most part, have nothing but great things to say about Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, there are a few caveats that come with playing. At least at this time. I ran into a few issues during my playthrough of this title, though luckily, none of them really impacted my gameplay all that much. Though I do knock some points off this game’s score as they shouldn’t have been evident in the full release anyway.

I’ve noticed that the game’s visuals have some kind of jagged look to them. I’m playing on an Xbox Series S but this game, even though cartoony, just isn’t as polished as it looks like it should be. Aside from that, I still cannot for the life of me get my Epic Games Account connected. It’s just a cycling screen that goes nowhere.

Additionally, I found that connecting to games, more often than not, was either hit or miss. I’d just be wandering around the Firehouse for minutes on end for nothing to happen, only for me to try again and again until it finally worked. Things like this stink, but they’re made even worse when the game you’re trying to play is 99% online-based. Luckily, I didn’t notice any connection issues though once I finally made it into a game.

Ghostbustin Makes Me Feel Good!

At the end of the day, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is a really fun and honestly fantastic game that I believe will earn a following similar to IllFonics own Friday the 13th: The Game and even Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight. It really is a game worth trying as it feels more like a Ghostbusters job sim game than just another clone of everything else we’ve played. Die-hard fans of the series are especially going to love this one.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Epic Games Store. And be sure to check out some of our helpful Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed guides to help you on your ghostbusting journey!