Ghostbusters PSP

We're not angry...we're just disappointed.

Near to everyone during their childhood years would have heard such a sentiment echoed by disapproving parents, and it always had the potential to make a wee one feel worse than an actual telling off. Which is why this phrase fits perfectly when describing Ghostbusters – The Game on the Sony PlayStation Portable. With so many things going for it, it's amazing how much of a foul-up has occurred between a semi-credible console version and this dog's dinner of a PSP port.

For a start, this game was brought to life by respectable developers Red Fly Studios and published by Sony themselves. There is still the script (a high point in a mire of low points) created from scratch by the original writers, Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd. Full voice acting from the original cast of the smash film is also evident. If this all sounds like a dream come true, be prepared for a big disappointment. So, where should we start?

A major let-down amongst major let-downs is the godawful control layout implemented into the PSP port. Seemingly too lazy to re-work things, Ghostbusters PSP sees aiming mapped to the Triangle, Square, Circle and Cross buttons! There is no excuse for this almost literal interpretation of control dynamics considering the action buttons are neither linked nor sensitive enough to provide a useful aiming mechanism. Often you will find yourself throwing rays of molten energy from your bustin' equipment way off target purely because it's a sodding unresponsive system! Turning and firing is a slow and cumbersome affair, and the general feel of controlling a stone golem with a plasma gun permeates throughout rather than a plucky and, above all, human recruit to the Ghostbusters team.

So the basics of the game are wrecked, how about the graphics? Bad, bad and bad! Flickering textures are matched equally by appalling camera positioning which means that often you can see THROUGH the characters talking. When walking through a corridor filled with paintings and objects that randomly blip in and out of the game, it is very hard to feel immersed in the experience.

Now, onto the gameplay! Unlike the previous topics mentioned this is only a mixed bag rather than an all-out depression fest, but it's still a bag mostly filled with poop. Nostalgia plays a big factor here, and if you've seen either of the Ghostbusters films there is some small joy to find in finally being part of one of the most famous foursomes in recent history. This is quickly tempered by an appalling “Cash for Smash” system, which will see you spending a lot of time blowing up random objects in order to build up a sizeable monetary stash. This does remove the player from the action somewhat, but at least it distracts from the frankly appalling friendly AI. Far too many times did we see Venkmen and co stuck on walls and corners, and if there was any way to shatter an illusion of realism, this is it.

Playing through the PSP version of Ghostbusters quickly becomes a chore, and it's a real shame given the potential of the title for success. It seems that porting console game to current generation portable systems takes a lot more time and effort than most developers and publishers realise, and given the fact the PSP has a drought of killer apps this was a massive wasted opportunity. Not angry, just disappointed. Maybe for a sequel Red Fly Studios and Sony will do justice to the writer/actor pedigree and put the hours in, but for now Ghostbusters PSP is a must avoid, lest a great dream be ruined.