Writing this review has been very difficult for me to do. Not because the game is hard to talk about or because there are negative things to say about the game. It is quite the opposite of that. Ever since I got my hands on this game, I have been almost completely addicted to this game! As many of you may know from my previous articles, I both love and hate the Asymmetrical Horror genre as I have reported on and reviewed Dead by Daylight, Video Horror Society, and Propnight.

While it is sad to see that the overall genre is struggling to maintain players, it is always a joy when I see new games on the horizon such as Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed. While this game is addictive, it is not purely so from one side, but rather from both sides that you are able to this game. Allow me to explain.

Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed is an asymmetrical horror game where you get to play as either one of four rookie Ghostbusters or as the Ghost that is haunting the location currently under investigation. The goal of the Ghostbusters is to destroy three rifts on the map and capture the ghost before the location is completely haunted. The goal of the Ghost is to haunt the location by scaring civilians and haunting furniture.

If the location is completely haunted, then a timer begins for up to ninety seconds. If the Ghostbusters fail to capture the Ghost within that time period, then the Ghost wins the match. This simplicity in goals for both sides makes the game not feel overwhelming and allows for multiple different strategies.

One thing that separates Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed from any other asymmetrical horror game is that this one has a story that acts as both a way to introduce you to various gameplay aspects and to add that extra bit of Ghostbusters charm to your experience. While I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t played the game yet, the cast of characters that you will interact with is absolutely wonderful!

Two that I can easily talk about here since they are in the promotional material for this game are Winston Zeddemore, played by Ernie Hudson, and Raymond Stantz played by Dan Ackroyd. These two act as your initial guides to both the Ghostbusters and the Ghosts themselves before handing you off to primarily communicate with a few brand new characters that have been added to the dynamic team.

One thing that is often a major talking point for asymmetrical horror games is the queue times for matches. Every single game in the genre that I can think of has suffered from immense problems with players due to the fact that matches often take too long to find. Dead by Daylight took about five years before they could get queue times down to a reasonable amount, Video Horror Society has had its player base partially decimated by this issue, and Propnight is in the midst of figuring that stuff out after their recent Reborn update.

Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed suffers from none of the problems by having one key thing: bots. If you and your friend load into a match, you might initially find yourself with a player as the Ghost and the two of you as Ghostbusters along with two AI Ghostbusters. While initially, things might be a bit unfair since the bots are typically rather stupid, the match will constantly search for other players to join. This way, most matches that you play should have all real players even if at first that is not the case.

Now the big thing that makes this game for me personally is the amount of customization that you can have with all of your gear and outfit. Over the course of leveling up both your Ghostbuster, Ghosts, and equipment, you will be able to unlock a bunch of cosmetics to upgrade the look of your characters and add-ons to give you a tactical edge. However, leveling up isn’t the only way to get new things as, over the course of playing, new contracts will be unlocked which will allow you to get even more cosmetics and add-ons.

The one thing that I did notice while playing was that the Ghostbusters have a lot more customization options than the Ghosts. Yet there are still enough varieties of looks and abilities for the Ghosts so that the experience doesn’t ever grow stale.

Overall, Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed is a game that is meant for both veterans of the Asymmetrical Horror genre and those who are just looking to have a fun time with friends. This is the second IllFonic game that I have ever played, and this game has proven to me that they are a studio that can be counted on in order to provide a fun and unique experience. The only thing that is sad is that this game, like Arcadegeddon, is exclusive on PC to the Epic Games store.

There are a few bugs that the developer has to work on, but they are relatively minor and should be fixed in the next patch. In the meantime, I highly recommend Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed for anyone who is looking for a game to play with friends, as well as those who need a Ghostbusters fix before the next movie comes out.

A PC review copy of Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed was provided by IllFonic for this review.

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Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed

$39.99

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Lots of Customization
• Quick Queue TImes
• Ghostbusters-esque Story
• Fun Gameplay on Both Sides

Cons

• Gameplay and Achievement Bugs
• Only on Epic