No need to call anyone. Which is definitely a relief for the Gen Y and Gen Zers. With new mobile game Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe, from augmented reality specialists Imprezario Entertainment, you’re the one busting troublesome spirits with a Proton Pack.
Movie tie-in Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe debuts this Friday, November 19, on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Its launch coincides with the release of Jason Reitman’s long-awaited big screen Ghostbusters sequel, starring Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and franchise returnees Annie Potts and Dan Aykroyd.
The film’s new generation of stars, Wolfhard, Grace, O’Connor and Kim, as well as Aykroyd, reprise their roles from Ghostbusters: Afterlife in ScARe, guiding players through the interactive paranormal thriller. An extension of the movie’s plot, in ScARe players must defend themselves and their surroundings during the oncoming Apocalypse.
For the record, this isn’t the first mobile AR game with a Ghostbusters theme. No doubt trying to capitalise on the popularity of Pokemon GO, Ghostbusters World had an almost two-year run before being shut down in August 2020. Our reviewer wasn’t won over by that title on launch, so it’s probably a good thing that Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe isn’t a straight reskinning of World’s virtual “catch all the ghosts” experience.
There’s ghostbusting, of course, in ScARe as you outmaneuver slime-spewing paranormal attacks. But there’s also puzzle-solving, notably crafted by celebrity magician, writer, and producer, David Kwong. Character interactions relay hidden clues, while overcoming assorted challenges will earn you nuclear energy cells to power your ghostbusting gear.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe makes use of your phone’s camera, vibration FX, touch screen, LED light, ASMR audio, and other features for immersion in the canon Ghostbusters universe.
The first two episodes of Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe will be free to play from launch on November 19. Additional episodes will then be available for purchase, including new parts scheduled for release in later months.