We got one!

I’ve half-joked on many occasions that all my favorite multiplayer games are doomed, but looking back it’s alarmingly accurate. This is likely due in large part to my enjoyment of experimental asymmetric titles. Whether it’s a failure to launch like Kane & Lynch’s Fragile Alliance mode, or dying ignobly due to corporate mismanagement like my beloved Evolve, or just kind of fumbling the bag like Video Horror Society, I tend to enjoy games that aren’t long for this world. As a result I’m always looking for new asymmetric multiplayer game, and sometimes that means checking in unexpected places. Places that were once dead, but now live again. OooOOOOooooo.

What if I told you there’s a new-ish game in town, freshly made available on Steam and Switch after languishing in a year of Epic store exclusivity? And that it’s made by a smaller indie team that’s worked on prior beloved asymms including Friday the 13th and Evolve? And that it has full crossplay across all platforms? And that you can get it on sale with all its DLC for a whole $20, or less if you catch a sale? And that it…has the Ghostbusters license? I’m sorry, what?

Getting into Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has been one of my most surprising experiences this year. What began as our friend group buying in for cheap as a fun Halloween activity and enjoying the surprisingly deep character creator has led to us continuing to play regularly, both in co-op and multiplayer, fully in-house or with randos. As long as we’re playing G:SU it’s a good time. This is one of the most compelling asymms I’ve played in years, full stop. Be ready to believe me.

On a fundamental level the game is pretty easy to understand. It’s a relatively standard asymmetric 4v1 setup: 4 busters VS 1 ghost. The busters are playing an FPS with family-friendly proton packs instead of guns while the ghost is in 3rd person, allowing them a better grasp on their surroundings that they’ll very much need. The ghost’s win condition is to fully haunt the map by messing up rooms, scaring civilians, and outlasting the busters. The busters do the opposite, which is accomplished by trapping the ghost multiple times with the traditional Ghostbuster method and/or destroying the ghost’s hidden rifts to get rid of their respawns, then trapping them one last time.

If you’re aware of what Ghostbusters is you already have the gist of what a round looks like. Early game tends to consist of busters looking for any signs of un-life with their tracking tools while the ghost haunts things and sets traps. Mid game is where chasing happens, with the ghost trying to cause trouble and defend/relocate their rifts while the busters try to build momentum and prevent the ghost from doing objectives by sapping ’em, capping ’em, and trapping ’em, costing the ghost a rift to respawn. Finally, assuming the ghost doesn’t get bodied before filling the haunt meter, there’s an endgame collapse where a 90 second timer ticks down to ghost victory. That timer is shortened considerably for each remaining rift, but these rifts also explode, meaning the ghost is always one mistake away from being permanently vacuum-sealed during this finale. The tension isn’t just high here, it’s pressurized, and all of that happens in a match that typically wraps in 5-10 minutes. There are no boring games of G:SU, only matches with skill issues.

This is a strong mechanical foundation on which to build and Illfonic has constructed an entire scarescraper on it. Busters always have a proton thrower (the beam gun if you aren’t a huge nerd), a PKE meter to track and stun ghosts, a trap to tag-and-bag with, and a utility accessory, but all of these are wildly customizable. Want a loadout to go rift hunting? Build a short range gun that shreds them, along with a PKE configured to point them out, and a trap with shitty battery efficiency but wide range and high suction to wrangle ghosts that try to defend. Alternatively you could play like I do and max out move speed with lightweight gear and a zipline, never letting the ghost so much as breathe thanks to a fast tether and a trap that instantly deploys when it hits the ground. For the freaks in the audience, don’t worry, there are a ton of “probably more fun than good” options that a clever team can utilize well. Ever wanted to strap a trap to an RC car and make the floating dead guy suffer a second lethal traffic accident? No? What if I told you it can jump?

It may sound like the busters got the lion’s share of the options here, and…yeah, kinda! There are 4 of them, and buster teams need build variety to ensure they can cover their bases. But ghosts also have plenty of choices thanks to a frankly massive cast of specters: 9 ghost classes with 3 different choices per class for a total of 27 playable ghosts. The playstyles vary immensely too. You want to force the busters to play the most miserable game of Prop Hunt imaginable? Poltergeist. How about punch them directly in the face then break their trap in front of them? Basher. Want to be kind of overpowered because the class literally just came out and will probably see a tweak in an upcoming balance patch? Overlord, specifically Darklock for his stupid shield. Look – I’m not going to attempt to argue that all the ghosts are made equal, they super aren’t, but uneven character balance is an inevitability of asymmetric games and arguably part of the charm. Add in that you can change ghosts on respawn to keep busters on their toes if they’re countering your current ghost’s schtick a little too hard, and you’ve got a 2-sided game with no bad side.

I mentioned prior that this game’s been out for a bit and only just made it to Steam and Switch, receiving several updates and DLCs on those other platforms. As of this wider release the game was upgraded to the “Ecto Edition”, meaning everyone gets all of that content for free as level-gated unlocks. This also includes all the cosmetics, added levels, an entire Halloween themed mini-campaign, the works. I don’t think I can overstate how wild this is coming from other asymms like Dead by Daylight or Evolve Stage 2 that are/were more than happy to nickel and dime players for every playable piece. G:SU just says “nah, play a bit to earn them and have fun slimin’”. There is a bit of a small-team price you pay in terms of a handful of jank with in-game milestones not triggering and a couple map spots that feel a bit abusable, but they’re largely circumventable and none of them impact progression or play in any way that matters. It’s a bit sad that that’s so refreshing, but I’ll take what I can get in a gaming market that’s increasingly more interested in recurring revenue than selling an actual good game.

If you told me a licensed Ghostbusters game was going to be one of the best multiplayer experiences I’ve had this year, a year in which Exoprimal, Payday 3, Deceive Inc, Friends VS Friends, and several other notables have all released to varying degrees of success, I’d have asked you to take your meds. Instead I find myself hooked on the best competitive asymmetric multiplayer game I’ve played in ages, constantly trying new builds and ghost tactics, enjoying every single match I join. It’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to replacing the Evolve-shaped hole in my heart, and in many ways it’s arguably better, hard proof that Illfonic knows what they’re doing in this space. If you like this sort of thing or even the idea of it you owe it to yourself to give this a shot regardless of what platform you find yourself on or how attached you are to Ghostbusters as a property. G:SU Ecto Edition is the epitome of what a game’s second coming can achieve, and it is pure unfiltered ectoplasmic glory.

9/10