The first look is here for Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, an asymmetrical 4v1 multiplayer video game from IllFonic, the developer behind Friday the 13th and Predator: Hunting Ground.
What’s more, Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore and Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz will return in the game. The game focuses on a new generation of Ghostbusters, with Winston and Ray guiding the new characters as they learn to bust some ghosts in the game that is slated for release later this year.
According to the synopsis, the game will provide players the chance to “put on a Proton Pack, grab a Ghost Trap, and monitor the trusty PKE Meter as a Ghostbuster in a team of four brave souls pursuing ghastly ghosts terrorizing public location.”
The trailer makes it clear that gamers will also be able to play as ghosts, including the iconic Slimer.
The initial rumors about a new video game in the Ghostbusters franchise came out back in October 2021, when IllFonic owner and R&B artist Raphael Saadiq mentioned it on the Questlove Supreme podcast.
We later learned of Hudson’s involvement in the game when the Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor revealed he was getting ready to do voice recordings — alongside his pal Aykroyd — for the game at a CelebFanFest Film Festival Q&A in San Antonio, Texas back in December 2021.
Well, now the first look is finally here, and the footage we’ve seen actually looks fairly promising. The reputable developer and some original returning cast members may make the forthcoming title the best installment in the game franchise since 2009’s Ghostbusters: The Video Game, considered by many to be the high water mark of the series.
In a statement, IllFonic CEO Charles Brungardt said he believes Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed will hit the right notes with the fanbase (via IGN).
“Ghostbusters is one of the most beloved IPs in the world, so we are pulling out all the stops to make something special and accessible to this diverse fanbase…If you’re someone who loves the movies or asymmetrical multiplayer games, this was made for you.”
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed comes to PC, PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One in the fourth quarter of this year.