Illfonic has released a new update for their asymmetrical game about ghosts and ghosbusting, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. This one is sort of low? key, but it does contain some new? cosmetic items.

The first of the two big cosmetic additions is the ability to skin the Slimer type ghost to look like either the original Ghostbusters puppet or the familiar rascal from The Real Ghostbusters. This is a n?ice addition, though I’m surprised it took this long. There’s a Slimer skin already that kind of looks like a cross between movie a??nd cartoon Slimer, but there’s enough of a difference that I’m sure some will prefer a more accurate representation.

The second is the “Cracked�gear shells, which supposedly make your gear look like a configuration from Ghostbusters: Frozen Kingdom. I don’t know, I haven’t watched it. I’m trying to not be so snobbish when it comes to avoidi??ng movies, but I still didn’t really find the desire to go see it.

With these content drops, there’s often a new level, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. I’m not entirely surprised. I would imagine that, at this point, the playerbase isn’t active as it was. The last time I dropped in, I didn’t really have a problem finding people to play with, but we’re now a year-and-a-half out from its 2022 release. Most internet people would ??have migrated back to their favorite live?? service offering.

I still like it. L??ast time I played, however, I got some bad stuttering that I wasn’t able to solve. Maybe that got fixed, but the patch notes don’t suggest that. Here they are:

New Cosmetics

Suit Tints

• Ragged 
• Halftone 
• Orange Checker 

Changes and Improvements

General

• Addressed an issue which was causing infinite loading screens
• Fixed an issue where the emote wheel could get stuck on screen after visiting Ghost Realm
• Fixed an issue where players could crash if the they joined a host who was replaying a cutscene from the Firehouse TV
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to find a joinable match

Busters

• Fixed an issue where players could not tuck in their boots in the Customization Menu
• Fixed an issue where a Buster’s game could crash if they were clearing slime during final Ghost capture
• Fixed an issue with the Side Hustle: â€?em>The Classic: Help Reinforce tethers for 120 seconds totalâ€?not tracking progress when reinforcing a Bot’s tether
• Fixed an issue where Busters could not rotate their RTV camera after being hit by Dark Lance/Ice Spear

Ghosts

• Fixed an issue where Ghosts were not able to detonate a rift immediately after haunting an object
• Fixed an issue where Brainy could get soft-locked while charging Glob Throw and sabotaging a pack or detonating a rift
• Fixed issue where the Ghost’s camera would sometimes continue to shake after using Brainy’s Glob Throw
• Fixed an issue where Winky’s Sludge Puddle was not applying slime properly to Busters jumping through the puddle

Maps

• Addressed several exploitable areas in Funzone map
• Addressed several exploitable areas Station map

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Illfonic has launched the latest update for Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, which brings a nice set of goodies, but beyond that, they’ve also released Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed - Ecto Edition on Steam and Switch.

The most exciting feature of the update is the new Overlord Ghost. What’s exciting about that (besides the obvious)? Well, one of the skins you can unlock for it is none other than Samhain. If you aren’t hip to my jive, Samhain is one of the most beloved villains of The Real Ghostbusters cartoon. He was featured in one of the best episodes of the first season and then appeared multiple times throughout the rest of the show’s run. Despite being shown in the intro of Extreme Ghostbusters, he never actually appeared in the show proper, unfort??unately.

Aside from that bit of news, there are two new maps as part of the update. The first is Petey’s Pirate Cove, which is a pretty awesome-looking amusement center. The other map is Galway Station. A subway station is such an appropriate addition. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one traumatized by the whole Ghost Train scene in Ghostbusters 2.

Finally, there’s the new pack of cosmetics. This time, you can have your buster pack a DIY proton pack made of cardboardium alloy. That is to say, crafting supplies. I was sort of afraid that the game would get a deluge of weird cosmetics and that you’d eventually have trouble getting into the feeling of the movies. However, now that I think about it, I saw a tonne of pink-haired creations when I reviewed Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, so I guess there?’s no winning agains??t the internet.

It's pronounced sah-win, but don't tell the actors that

The other bit of news is that Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed - Ecto Edition has launched on Switch and Steam. It might be weird to mention Steam here, but it’s because the game was previously an Epic Game Store exclusive. It is literally the only reason I have Epic Game Store installed, so, uh, not f?or long?

The Switch version is pretty neat for any??one who�only owns a Switch. Not for me, but here’s I?llfonic’s write-up of the port.

“The team has been hard at work adapting the game for Switch. Performing at a dynamic resolution from a range of 720 (handheld mode) to 1080p at the maximum, 30fps (industry standard for Switch). IllFonic is constantly tuning the game to push its limits.�/p>

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is available on PC and co?n?soles. The latest update drops today.

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Illfonic has dropped the third free DLC pack for Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed today. It comes with a new type of ghost based on a Real Ghostbusters figure, a?? new level, ??and some new customization options from the 2016 reboot.

The new map takes place in a concert venue, the New Motion Club. It lets you bust ghosts backstage before, I assume, you the?n dance the night away with some of the lovely ladies who witnessed the disturbance. I’m sort of surprised it took this long to get a concert hall location, but I suppose it fits well with the DLC pack’s theme.

//youtu.be/QhADe_Ynsiw

The DLC pack's theme

That theme is the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot. You’ll get to deck out your ‘buster with some of the equipment used by the all-lady team from that movie. I can honestly say that I haven’t watched the whole film, but from the large pieces I have seen, I did not like it. However, as a longtime fan of the property, I never wanted another live-action movie. I haven’t seen Afterlife either, and I don’t want to. It might not be bad, but there is absolutely zero chance it captures the same majesty of the original film. I’d be more interested if they made a big-screen adaptation of The Real Ghostbusters.

Speaking of which, as is standard for these DLC packs, we’re getting an additional ghost. This one is “The Watcher,�and it’s based on the old favorite Real Ghostbusters toy, Bug-Eye. I’ve said it before, but I’m still waiting for them to add Fearsome Flush.

On top of this absolutely free DLC, Illfonic has announced they’re dropping the price of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed to $19.99. This is down from $39.99, so if my math is right �and it usually isn’t �that’s about 50% off. Permanently! Let me tell you, chum; it’s well worth it.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is currently available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via the Epic Games Store. This third DLC drop is available for free ?starting today.

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Do! Re! Egon!

Is your Proton Pack not strong enough anymore? Maybe it’s time to get a bit more extreme. Illfonic has revealed the contents of its second free expansion DLC for Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and fans of Extreme Ghostbusters will likely be pleased on April 20, 2023.

For some, the most exciting component of this expansion will be the added courthouse level. With this, you can relive one of the best scenes of Ghostbusters 2, where the criminal trial of the busters is interrupted by the eruption of two ghosts from a bucket of psychomagnotheric slime. This was also a great level from the unfinished Doom 2 total conversion mod, so hopefully, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed can do it justice.

[caption id="attachment_374203" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Illfonic[/caption]

However, the portion of content that really itches my undercarriage here is the addition of some Extreme Ghostbusters gear. This comes in shells for the PKE meter, trap, and proton pack, but also hair and outfits. Considering that Extreme Ghostbusters was the most out there with its costume design, it?’s extremely welco??me. It’ll take more than that to get me out of my classic tan flight suit, but a little more personality never hurt.

[caption id="attachment_374195" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Illfonic[/caption]

Finally, the possessor ghost is added into the mix. These bad dudes seem primarily based on ?the terror dogs of Vinz Clortho and Zuul, but there are additional skins for them if you’re not feeling like a minion of Gozer.

If you haven’t tried Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed yet, hopefully, this will get you interested. Asymmetrical multiplayer might not be everyone’s bag, but it’s the most fun I’ve had with a Ghostbusters game since New Ghostbusters 2 on NES.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is currently available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via the Epic Games Store. This sec??ond DLC drop is available for free starting A??pril 20, 2023.

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Some bustin' will make you feel better

IllFonic is getting prepped to drop the first free expansion to Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the asymmetri?cal multi-player ghost-trapping game. Today's update fattens the game’s meat up with an extra stage, customization options, and a few quality-of-life improvements.

The biggest addition here is the new map, “The Facility.�Whenever I hear anything? with that moniker, I always think of the classic Goldeneye map. There are no chemical tanks here, however, as the facility seemed to be set up for medical reasons, featuring all manner of sinister apparatus. Its haunted nature has proven to be something of a bugbear for the construction workers you’ll need to keep calm. The ghosts are keeping their renovations behind schedule, and when that happens, w?ho ya gonna call?

In terms of customization, the great news here is that a feature is getting checked off my personal wishlist: options from the cartoon series, The Real Ghostbusters, are being added. This includes the classic blue proton pack and the boxy PKE meter. They’ve been given a battle-damage makeover to help them fit into the game’s aesthetic, but there’s no mistaking where they’re from. There are some smaller customization additions, but having gear from the other Ghostbusters series is a fun win for fans.

[caption id="attachment_360414" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via IllFonic[/caption]

Have you or your family ever seen a spook, specter, or ghost?

Finally, there’s a new spirit class being unleashed: the Muncher. This cuddly Class 5 first appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and, according to IllFonic, is “the most requested Ghost IllFonic has received.�You know what ghost I think should be added? Fearsome Flush. On top of these additions, there have b?een improvements to matchmaking and bot behavior.

I still fire up Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed occasionally and have been ready to see what IllFonic adds to it. I still have a ?laundr??y list of items I want to see added and am happy to start checking those off.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is currently available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via the Epic Games Store. This first DLC drop is ava?ilable for free starting today.

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I feel so funky

I’ve been a massive fan of Ghostbusters for almost as long as I can remember. That means I’m insufferably picky. I haven’t even watched the 2016 reboot or Ghostbusters: Afterlife. It’s already been proven you can’t top the majesty of the original film. Video games are similar. Most games made off the license are okay at best and abysmal at worst.

When Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed was announced, I was skeptical. I’m not typically drawn to multi-player-focused games, and anyone who touches my beloved had better have immaculate hands. This time, it’s Illfonic, makers of the Friday the 13th game. They’ve proven themselves before, even if it was sort of overshadowed by Dead by Daylight. So,? as I fastened up my positron collider, I kept a stance of cautiously optimistic mixed with immovably scrutinous.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: IllFonic
Publisher: IllFonic
Released: October 18, 2022
MSRP: $39.99

The background to Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has Ray and Winston (and maybe Peter, but he doesn’t appear) re-opening the Ghostbusters back in the old firehouse. Since the business only seemed profitable during major, apocalyptic disruptions and real estate in Manhattan is probably even more expensive than it was in the ??1980s, this seems like a bad move. Even worse, they’ve hired a bunch of new 'busters to sit around and eat Twinkies.

Okay, so apparently, there are still a lot of ghosts running around New York, which means we’re more in cartoon territory here. While there’s a storyline that runs as you level up, it’s not terribly interesting. It makes the same mistake that a lot of new Ghostbusters narratives do a??nd brings in previously mentioned subjects and puts the spotlight on them. Of course, that’s hardly the draw here.

We’re really here to kick in the doors and be “totally discrete.�You and three other 'busters are dropped into one of the game's five environments with the goal of catching the ghost runn??ing rampant. The ghost has three opportunities to respawn through rifts hidden in the environment. Ghostbusters can close these rifts either by catching the ghost and forcing it to respawn or by locating a haunted object in the environme??nt and using their proton stream to shut it. If all the rifts are closed, and the ghost finds itself in a trap, the 'busters win.

[embed]//youtu.be/SvU0NnTCxXM[/embed]

No human being would stack books this way

The asymmetrical part of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has one player take the role of the ghost. Their goal is to creep up the place by scaring civilians and haunting objects. It’s largely a matter of survival, as rifts can be protected, moved, and re-concealed. If youâ€??™re feeling really sassy, you can sabotage or outright attack the 'busters. You can’t fully eliminate the Ghostbusters, but you can delay them and frustrate their attempt?s to undo your work.

Haunting is actually a lot of fun, but unfortunately, I didn’t have much chance to try it in the lead-up to this review. Often, I was playing with the same groups of streamers and press in the pre-release period, which you’d think would mean I’d frequently be rotated into the role. But it rarely happened, even if I joined from the spirit realm. It’s likely that with more players running, there wi??ll be more opportunities, but I didn’t get all that much time to experiment.

The franchise rights alone will make us rich

The first time I played Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, it didn’t click. It was chaotic and confusing, and everyone else seemed to be having the same troub?le. When I went back to it, I quickly found myself getting invested. Fr?om the moment when the team splits up to seek out the rifts to the final minutes where they group together to wrangle the ghost, there’s a lot of dynamic fun to be had. Many of the game’s mechanics have smaller nuances, to the point where strategies take form over repeated plays.

Busting along can be difficult, which is something that has often been stressed across multiple versions of the universe. In Extreme Ghostbusters, Egon even remarks that going alone is breaking the first rule of ghostbusting. You can’t maintain a tether and throw a trap out at the same time, and a ghost that slips your stream can d??isappear quite quickly. It’s better if someone supports the person with the primary tether. Throw out a trap, open it, then help guide the ghost in. Better yet, if y??ou can bullseye the trap under the ghost.

The whole experience feels rather polished and balanced. It may need some fine-tuning, but I had plenty of battles against talented ghosts who were one miscalculation away from seeing the inside of a trap. Spirits Unleashes feels like it has a lot of passion behind it. More than just a licensed multi-player game, the development team put some visible thought into how to adapt the subject matter into a compelling multiplaye?r experience.

Are you a god?

There’s a decent amount of customization available, which I’ll admit is very important to me. There are multiple skins for each ghost type and the equipment can be tuned with some very universe-appropriate upgrades that gradually get unlocked, but more key is the ability to deck out your 'buster. You’re mostly forced into the uniform, but there’s a wide selection of ways to wear i?t, as well as colors to choose from. This means that while you can go wild with your creations, no one look??s fully out of place.

Between jobs, you can also wander around the firehouse, check out your various collections and side tasks, and even interact with some of the equipment. While the narrative is a bit bust, it takes the time to actually be a Ghostbusters game. Ern?ie Hud??son and Dan Aykroyd are both here to voice their characters, with both Winston and Ray being lovingly animated.

Light is green; trap is clean

As a Ghostbusters fan, I’m left wanting more. I wish the humor were more in line with the original movies, but instead, it sounds more like it’s ripped from Extreme Ghostbusters. Being able to ?do something with Ecto-1 would have been nice, but something tells me Illfonic probably did some thinking on how to include it, but it fell out of scope. Frankly, while I wish for more levels and more customization, the price they’re asking for what’s there seems more than fair.

When the multiplayer was dropped from the remaster of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, I was rather disappointed. It was somewhat tacked on to tick a box that the publisher probably wanted, but it was kind of fun all the same. I’m not big on multiplayer, but busting makes me feel good. There’s been a drill-sized hole in my heart waiting to be filled, I just wasn’t expecting Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed to fill it so well.

And, as I sit here writing this, I can’t wait to zip up my flight suit and step back into my combat boots to bust some more. A lot of love was poured into Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and it speaks to me. I can only hope that? Illfonic is able to support it ?for months or even years to come because I can definitely see myself returning to it again and again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an unlicensed nuclear accelerator to strap to my back.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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It's never too early to map out your month-long Halloween media schedule

We haven't heard a ton about Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed lately, but the new ??slime-shooting, trap-laying multiplayer game will be released on Octo?ber 18, 2022.

Pre-orders are opening up at retailers like Amazon �how much is it? $40 for the standard edition on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, and $70 for the collector's. The game will launch on the Epic Games Store for PC, and it will also be playable on PS4 and Xbox On??e.

In case you missed it, this is the latest asymmetric multiplayer title from IllFonic, the folks behind Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds (which is back in the spotlight, if only for a bit, thanks to the new curiosity-grabbing movie Prey).

Expect more info shortly

The developers will have more to share during a live play session on August 18 at 11:15 a.m. Pacific on the IllFonic Twitch channel. For now, here's an older video showcasing the Ectoplast ghost type, including the Pokey, Winky, Brainy, and Slimer variants.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Idu-39hR070

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is a solo or team-oriented game depending on if you're a ghost or a Ghostbuster, and like any of these sorts of games, it will be best played with a group of friends rather than leaving your fate to chance. That's just the way. Of course, it's not always easy to rally everyone, and all but the best asymmetric games tend to have a short shelf life. We'll see how far the Ghostbusters name can go in gaming in 2022.

I will say, this one's got a far more family-friendly vibe than, say, Dead by Daylight or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which could be enough of an opening to succeed.

Other games in this genre can be so high-stakes. Something about possessing objects and haunting NPCs as a ghost seems less... stressful. Although it's unlikely to be the ideal way to play, it's good to know that IllFonic will offer an offline "solo experience." In the future, when the Spirits Unleashed population inevitably dwindles, that'?ll come in handy.

Players have been burned before, so I get any skepticism that might come up. Until we see more, it's safe to be guarded. October's the right month for the laun??ch, at any rate.

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Because calling it Haunting Grounds would have been too obvious

There are a lot of IPs out there originating in comics, television, and films that have a surprisingly difficult time translating over to video games. I think we’ve all played a game or two based on a movie or TV show that we love only to be disappointed by the end result, left wondering how it all went wrong. And there is perhaps no better example of this than Ghostbusters. Despite being a pretty good candidate for ??the interactive medium, the franchise has struggled to really ?cement itself as a gaming experience. In recent years, it’s only managed to hit middling highs with Ghostbusters: The Video Game while sinking to new lows in 2016’s Ghostbusters. Nobody has managed to crack the code just yet, but that may change soon enough with Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed.

From developer IllFonic, the team behind Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is a new 4v1 asymmetrical online experience that??, unlike the two a??forementioned titles, is designed to be fun for the whole family.

The game is a continuation of the original Ghostbusters universe, taking place after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. With the original firehouse restored, you create your own buster–complete with a variety of character races, genders, and body types to choose from–and join up with Winston Zeddemore’s new crew, go??ing on missions to bust some ghosts. Ernie Hudson is reprising his role as Winston and he is not alone. Dan Aykroyd is back as Ray Stantz, running Ray’s Occult Books. His bookstore is how one player will take up the role of a ghost for each mission??????????????????????????.

Last week, I was given a glimpse of the game in action with its museum stage, showing off how Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed works from the point of view of the Ghostbusters and the target ghost. As a Ghostb??uster, your job is simply to bust that ghost. Using your PKE Meter, ??you can track down and stun the ghost before trying to rope it with your Proton Pack into the Ghost Trap. All of your core gear can be upgraded and customized as you unlock new ranks. And don’t worry about avoiding crossing streams. Doing so will only make your beam more powerful.

When playing as the ghost, your main goal is to totally haunt the stage, which is to say, scare all the NPCs into fleeing the building. For the demonstration?, I got a look at a gnarly little purple ghost, which will be one of the ghosts available when the game ships. As a ghost, you’re able to possess various items in each stage, using them both as a means of hiding from the Ghostbu??sters and as a way to terrify the people populating each stage. Unlike the Ghostbusters, which is played in the first-person, playing as the ghost is done in the third-person, giving you a greater look at your surroundings. 

Ghosts have an ectoplasm meter they need to keep track of and the different objects you possess will act in different ways. For example, possessing a large item may be very loud, possibly giving the Ghostbusters a clue to?? your location. While the ghost can see through walls with Ec??????????????????????????tovision, its greatest tool is its Ghost Rift.

Because catching a ghost just one time would be too easy and quick for an asy??mmetrical game, IllFonic has devised Ghost Rifts as a way to extend each round to its target seven-to-ten-minute duration. Ghost Rifts act as a get-out-of-jail-free card for the ghost. When it’s captured, it will automatically spawn at one of these rifts. Ghost Rifts can be moved and hidden by the ghost, bu?t just know they can also be destroyed by the Ghostbusters. There are three rifts available in the museum stage, but the developers said the total number of rifts will depend on the stage.

Seeing it in action, I can’t help but think how perfect the Ghostbusters formula is for an asymmetrical experience. It just fits, and without the death and blood found in some of IllFonic’s other games, it’s one that has ??the potential to reach a lot more players, especially those younger ones.

It’s also a game that has the potential to reach players who don’t really care about going online to play with strangers and friends. The developer said its AI programming has improved since Predator: Hunting Grounds and i??t’s working to make sure people who want to play this game by themselves will be able to do so offline with the A?I/CPU.

Of course, the fun of a game like this is playing with your friends. Voice Over IP is coming back to Spirits Unleashed and players will rotate into the ghost position so everyone gets a chance to be on both sides of the battle. While there will be some canon ghosts in the game, the developers stated that most of the playable ghosts will be original characters and you shouldn’t expect humanoid ghosts, like the Grey Lady, to show up in the game. I have no idea what the purple ghost was supposed to be befo??re it died, much like Slimer, but I’ve been told IllFonic is working with Ghost Corps in the creation of this game and storyline.

I’m pretty excited to see more of what this game will have to offer when it releases later this year. I’m not a big Ghostbusters fan. I’m also not a big asymmetrical multiplayer fan. But somehow, putting those two things togethe??r has got ?me very interested in seeing where this thing goes.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is scheduled for Q4 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, ??Xbox Series X|S, and PC as an Epic Games Store ??exclusive.

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