Ghostbusters World Review

The original Ghostbusters movie was launched in the same year I was born in. As a result, I didn’t go to the premiere and the movie franchise itself didn’t really have the same effect on me as it did on others that were a bit older and were able to see the movie when it first launched.

But even though I am not the biggest Ghostbusters fan out there, I have watched the original movies several times already and I find them enjoyable to say the least. I’ll even go as far as upsetting the core of the fans and admit that I really enjoyed the Ghostbusters remake as well.

Why am I saying this first when we should be talking about Ghostbusters World, the latest AR game released on mobile? Well, because it proves that I didn’t get into the game as a fan with huge expectations. And this might matter in the end because I am sure that hardcore fans of the franchise might have a different opinion about the game.

But I personally started playing for the entertainment and out of curiosity. I was sure that a Pokemon Go type of game where you have to roam the streets, searching for ghosts and destroying would fit my mobile perfectly. I was actually surprised to see some comments online regarding the fact that Ghostbusters and this type of gameplay don’t make a good pair. On the contrary, they work flawlessly!

The main concept has been there since Pokemon Go took the world by storm a few years ago: you can roam the streets of the city you’re currently in, seeing a map of the area on your mobile device, filled with various ghosts that pop at random or not so random locations. Your goal is to clean up the infected city and either capture the ghosts or destroy them to bits.

The battles themselves are a bit more interactive than those in Pokemon Go, but unfortunately not fun enough to still keep you entertained after the 10th ghost encounter. Most of the time, you will have to aim your proton gun at the ghost you’re facing, taking its health to a low enough level that you can capture it.

The rather lengthy fights are made a bit more entertaining by the repositioning of the ghost you’re facing and some attacks from its side – which you have to parry or fail miserably in your quest to capture the ghost. But all in all, even though more interactive and entertaining than the Pokemon Go battles, Ghostbusters World’s become repetitive very fast.

But what I really liked about this new AR game is the introduction of the traditional RPG element – basically a brand new game where you put all your captured ghosts to work and have them battle other teams of ghosts in either the story mode, various other modes available in something called the Ghost Dimension or even in PvP battles.

This element is pretty complex, bringing into play various types of ghosts, each with its own weaknesses and special powers, with various attributes and skills, all of which can be upgraded during the game. Nice for diversity and the most fun part of the game, in my opinion.

Of course, I am not as familiar with the game’s lore as the hardcore fans of the franchise are and the ghosts you can capture in World don’t mean much to me. Yes, I do recognize some faces and I believe that most if not all are from the various movies… but apart from that, I only see random ghosts popping up on my screen and that’s about it. For somebody who loves the franchise more than I do, fighting the Slimer or the iconic Marshmallow Man probably means a lot more.

Being a free game, microtransactions are present from the beginning but I haven’t reached that point where I can say that I’ve hit a wall and I must spend some real money in order to progress. Sure, spending money does help you a lot, but you can play the game free of charge and enjoy it – even though progress will eventually be slowed down. But I’ve seen much worse games in terms of microtransactions, so there’s really no reason to complain.

All in all, Ghostbusters World is better than what I was expecting and a major part of that is the existence of the traditional, story based RPG part. I absolutely love that and the fact that I’m actually getting to use in battle ghosts that I have captured – as opposed to units randomly rewarded by Gatcha-type of chests – makes things even more fun.

Additional reading: check out our Ghostbusters World tips and tricks and enjoy your head start in the game!

When playing Ghostbusters World, I don’t really feel like a ghost hunter, but a Ghost Master. I get to capture those poor roaming spirits, train them into the arts of fighting for my own pleasure and send them to battle against their own. (*insert evil laugh here*)

For true fans of the franchise, this game is definitely a dream come true. You get to actually hunt down ghosts that you know from the movies and sometimes right in your living room, or bathroom or in your favorite restaurant. It can’t get any better than that!