The Ghostbusters game has created quite a lot of controversy in the gaming world, more specifically that the XBox 360 and PC version were held back due to Sony but thankfully this embargo has been lifted and now PC users can enjoy the "official" game which is considered the third movie in the franchise. For the player and fan of the movies, this means that gamers can now play the official follow-up of the second movie which begins in 1991 and reunites the original actors to voice these colourful and sometimes neurotic characters.

To add more weight to the game and more specifically the story, it's written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, ensuring some great film continuity and needless to say, the game has successfully made the jump from the movies to the wonderful world of gaming entertainment, blurring the boundaries of this medium.

Although gamers cannot play any of the main characters, they play a nameless recruit who is being tutored by the original three Ghostbusters which is actually quite entertaining, especially some of the situations they force you to get involved in. As the game looks and feels like Ghostbusters should, the highlight for us was all the cool ghost hunting equipment and needless to say, it's a fun experience when you zap and trap, just like the movies.

Features

• Unique gameplay: Experience unique ghost hunting, wrangling and trapping with upgradeable weapons in widely destructible environments and large scale boss fights

• All New Storyline, det two years after Ghostbusters II, the game will feature an all new storyline as the player battles and captures well-loved and brand new ghosts throughout New York

• Ghostbusters 25th Anniversary, 2009 celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the original theatrical release of Ghostbusters. To mark the occasion, Ghostbusters: The Video Game will be released, and Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II will be released on Blu-ray disc

Although set two years after Ghostbusters 2, not much as changed in New York. The Ghostbusters are still busting ghosts for the Mayor and unfortunately for them, the villain from the original movie, Gozer is once again about to cause all sorts of grief for not only the denizens of New York but our hapless heroes. In relation to the story, the game uses pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes to progress the story which gives you that authentic Ghostbusters experience. Just check out old stay puff below!

The gameplay of Ghostbusters is reminiscent of those third person shooter games, however unlike traditional guns, your player has access to a plethora of Ghostbusters gadgetry which means you have to shoot ghosts with your proton packs and attempt to drag them into your ghost traps. The object of the game is simple, explore areas, shoot ghosts to weaken them but don't cross your proton beams and catch them.

Interestingly enough even though the gameplay is quite simplistic, it's actually quite entertaining and more so if you're a fan. In terms of crossing proton beams, not much actually happened to me. The fun bit begins when you've caught the cost and like a slippery fish, you need to coax it into the trap... frustrating but true to the movie and kind of fun. You also need to use special Ghostbusters goggles that allows you to track ghosts and this part was probably the biggest let down of the game as the graphics were horrendous.

Although we've played the PS3 version, the PC version handles a little different than its console competitor but interestingly enough the keyboard and mouse work better than the a console controller and gives you quite a bit more accuracy in your gaming. With a variety of different Ghostbusters equipment available to you, interacting with this world is pure bliss and is extremely reminiscent of the movies.

Of course, Ghostbusters are a team and some levels of the game require you to assist your Ghostbusters buddies, however there are other levels which requires a solo experience. Interestingly enough, the AI actually works quite well in the game. The squad based mechanics come into play when a Ghostbuster is fallen in battle and another member will need to revive them. This aspect does become a little frustrating on harder difficulty levels in the game and when you are fighting boss battles like our friend, the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. Even so, it works quite well.

The stars of the game are the actors who carefully lend their voices to the characters they played over 20-years ago with Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Raymond Stantz), Harold Ramis (Dr. Egon Spengler), Bill Murray (Dr. Peter Venkman) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore) all reprising their roles, including a few other surprises. Thankfully the graphic department have successfully managed to capture the likeness of these actors so when you see Aykroyd as Raymond, you actually see the actor.

The worst aspect of the voice acting is Bill Murray who seems like he was dragged to the studio to record his voice, he is funny but doesn't seem to get into his character like the other guys which is a shame. Even so, the game is oozing with Ghostbusters goodness, whether it's the soundtrack from the original films, the Ghostbusters song by Ray Parker Jnr. or the great sound effects, it's easily one of the best sounding games out there and yes it does support surround sound. The dialogue in the game is quite witty and there are some great comedic moments but best of all, the banter is throughout the game and is not forced or clichéd but rather suits this story perfectly.

Graphically, the title looks visually quite impressive on the PC, although you do need a fairly high-end PC to experience the graphics on full detail without too many slowdowns. But on a full HD LCD, the game looks quite sharp, although some environments look a little Spartan, such as the  indoors of buildings. The characters look brilliant and are quite reminiscent of their real-world counterparts with some great attention to detail. Even the villains and ghosts from the movie have been successfully recreated and yes Slimer does show his ugly green head. It's great how the developers have allowed the gamers to revisit certain parts of the original movies in the game which only adds to the entertainment and graphical experience of Ghostbusters!

Final words? Ghostbusters the video game definitely recreates the franchise perfectly and everything from the story to music and characters makes you feel like you are part of this supernatural world. Although the gameplay is a little basic and does not challenge the gaming world, it's still fun as you explore the gaming environment, trapping nasties and finally fighting the big bad at the end of the game. Hopefully we'll see some add-ons as the game is a little too short but when it comes to breaking the movie curse, Ghostbusters have won.