Ghost Rider
No ghosts are actually ridden during the course of this game.
Tags: Ghost Rider Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Mark "MadMup" Zwolanek on Mar 21st, 2007
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Rider (title page) | 1 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Action | No | ||
 |
Superhero videogames have great potential to be awesome. Getting the chance to step into the shoes of someone who can throw a car a mile or has a healing power should be the very basis of a great time. Sadly, for every game that gets it right (Spider-Man 2), there’s 100 that don’t (no need to list them – you’ve played them). Most superhero game outings fall squarely in the “beat-‘em-up-with-character-specific-abilities” category. Sadly, that last category is where Ghost Rider can be found.
The game isn’t really tied into the recent movie. Aside from the fact that they both deal with the origin of this incarnation of the Ghost Rider, the only thing they really share is narration by Sam Elliott (which, it should be noted, instantly ups the coolness of just about anything).
 |
Johnny Blaze made a deal with the shadowy figure known as Mephisto, which is clearly Marvel Comics’ version of the devil. Mephisto promises to heal Johnny’s father in exchange for Johnny’s servitude. Johnny makes the deal and his father is cured, only to be killed in a motorcycle accident almost immediately thereafter. It’s too late for Johnny, and he’s cursed to become Mephisto’s slave, cleaning up any trouble Mephisto might have. Ridiculous plot contrivances aside (why does Mephisto need a human to do stuff for him?), the main point of Ghost Rider has always been that there’s a guy with a flaming skull for a head riding a motorcycle around a beating up bad guys. How a slave of Mephisto got around to being the “good guy” has always been a little shaky – Johnny just decided to use his powers for good, and that was that.
The game is all about Ghost Rider beating up bad guy after bad guy. Each bad guy killed releases “souls” that Ghost Rider collects and then uses to upgrade his abilities – melee attacks, fiery chain attacks, and shotgun attacks. Defeating bosses throughout the game also allows him specific abilities to get through specific obstacles. Building up levels allows Ghost Rider to perform super-powerful attacks and even extract more souls than normal by using his famous Penance Stare.
 |
 |
The on-foot levels are broken up with some on-motorcycle levels. The paths are fairly straightforward, but there are obstacles to be jumped over or ducked under, and there are still enemies to be dealt with. The bike shoots projectiles and Ghost Rider can also use his chain attacks on nearby enemies. The bike’s abilities are also upgradeable in the pause menu, and later levels require the use of these abilities.
Frankly, there isn’t much more to say about the game. It looks great and really gets across the look and feel of the Ghost Rider comic books and universe. Other than that, the game is unremarkable… except for one thing.
 |
What is absolutely remarkable about the game is its combo system, and that is not meant as any sort of compliment. The combo meter can be built up through six levels by performing varied attacks, but the combo meter gets reset if Ghost Rider takes any damage at all. This might not be such a big deal except for the fact that some enemies have an unbreakable shield around them that can only be broken by reaching certain combo levels and then breaking the shield. This makes for one of the most frustrating gameplay mechanics ever devised, and those responsible should be forced to undergo a Penance Stare, the only thing likely to get across to them just how evil this idea was.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Sam Elliott narration is always cool + Graphics really give the feel of the Ghost Rider universe + Blade shows up + Several really neat unlockables, including pages of Ghost Rider comics |
5.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Shield-breaking combo system is so frustrating you'll need to glue your controller to your hand in order to not throw it through your TV screen - Another mediocre superhero beat-'em-up |
|
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| A short and forgettable game. | |
[ Post the first comment | View related posts ]
Tags: Ghost Rider
Posted by Mark "MadMup" Zwolanek on Mar 21st, 2007 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
