Paul Feig, director of the divisive new Ghostbusters film, has admitted that the maelstrom of negativity that preceded its launch may well have done it a favour in the long run, drawing attention it might not otherwise have received. There's no such thing as bad publicity, as they say - at least where multi-million-dollar movie franchises are concerned.
The film's tie-in game would be so lucky to provoke any kind of strong feelings. This twin-stick shooter, developed by relatively unknown studio Fireforge and hastily published by Activision, is just competent enough to avoid being completely unplayable, but it lacks any kind of substance or originality that might make it worth recommending to absolutely anyone. As the complete lack of promotion might have indicated, it's the worst kind of shovelware: inoffensive, soulless, ultimately forgettable filler that has no respect for either its players or its source material.
But then you probably could have guessed that before you clicked on this review. Film tie-in games rarely receive the due diligence their respective big-budget franchises demand. They're just another marketing exercise for studio executives to tick off, in between the branded yogurts, Happy Meal toys and Primark pyjamas. At their very worst, we're at least granted a laugh or two at the game's expense - at how cheaply they're produced, or how woefully ineffective they are at capturing the magic of their source. Ghostbusters is certainly cheap, but by and large it's just too bland to muster any kind of feeling towards, lukewarm, tepid, or otherwise. A small part of me wishes I hated it more, just to have something more spicy to write about.
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