Ghostbusters World (AR)

Ghostbusters World (AR)
Release Date(s):	October 22, 2018
Publisher:	Sony Pictures Entertainment Ghost Corps FourThirtyThree Inc.
Developer:	NextAge
System(s):	Android iOS
Story Writer(s):	Erik Burnham

Ghostbusters World was an augmented reality (AR) mobile game for Android and iOS. It closed down on August 13, 2020.

Characters

Tutorials/Story Lines (dialog)

• Peter Venkman
• Ray Stantz
• Egon Spengler
• Winston Zeddemore
• Janine Melnitz

• Samhain
• Sandman
• Grundel
• Mirror Specter
• Boogieman

List of Ghosts

See Tobin's Spirit Guide.

Equipment/Items

• Ecto-1
• Dimensional Door/Remote Gate
• Particle Thrower
• Boson Caster
  • Boson Dart
• Meson Collider
  • Collider Pod
• Shock Blast Emitter
  • Dark Matter Pod
• Proton Glove
• Standard Trap
• Advanced Trap
• Master Trap
• Phantom Keys
• PKE Crystals
• Slime Shards
  • Rank 1
  • Rank 2
  • Rank 3
  • Rank 4

Ecto-Goggles

Places/Locations

• In The Street Near Belda'r Cafe
• The Library
• Temple of Gozer

Story Mode Chapters

• Prologue 1 to 3
• Chapter 1; Stages 1-1 to 1-9
• Chapter 2; Stages 2-1 to 2-10
• Chapter 3; Stages 3-1 to 3-6
• Chapter 4; Stages 4-1 to 4-8
• Chapter 5; Stages 5-1 to 5-10

Gozer's Tower

• Ghostbusters World (AR) Gozer's Tower; Floor 1 to 50

Gameplay

All information here has been copied from the "Help" section in the game.

Capture Battles

What are Capture Battles?

In Ghostbusters World, you can engage in Capture Battles by finding ghosts on the map and tapping on them.

How to Capture Ghosts

To capture ghosts, you need to have the particle thrower weapon equipped.

Capture Process:

• 1. Tap on a ghost that appears on your map and select 'GOY to start a battle.
• 2. Attack the ghost with your equipped weapon and reduce the ghost's HP to under 50%.
• 3. Once the ghost's HP drops below 50% you can throw out a trap that can capture it Also, your particle thrower attack changes to a capture stream that can pull a ghost around (the capture stream will wrap energy bands around the ghost.)
• 4. After you throw out a trap and pull the ghost over It, a timer will appear, If you can restrain the ghost In position above the trap until the timer expires, the ghost will be sucked Into the trap.
• 5. Captured ghosts are held In your Ghost Collection (Containment Unit), When you capture a new type of ghost for the first time, it will also be registered in Tobin's Spirit Guide.
  
  

Escaping from Traps

When pulled into a trap during a Capture Battle, ghosts have a certain chance to escape.
Better traps decrease a ghost's chance of escaping.

Destabilizing Ghosts

When using weapons such as the Boson Caster, Shock Blast Emitter, or Meson Collider, you can destabilize ghosts Instead of capturing them.
You can destabilize a ghost by reducing Its HP to a You get different resources from destabilizing a ghost than from capturing it. You can only obtain a ghost's corresponding spirit shards from destabilizing it in battle.

AR MODE

On supported devices, you can enable Basic Mode. You can select between AR options in "Settings" or during capture battles.

• Characteristics of Basic Mode- Ghosts are displayed on top of what you see on camera.
• Controls- By default, this method requires you to move your device as if taking a picture, then aiming your screen at ghosts and tapping on 'Blast'
• TIP- If you wish to see ghosts displayed over the real world and take pictures but aren't encountering an optimal experience with AR Mode on your device, play in Basic Mode.
  
  

Aiming Control Modes

Under "Settings", you can choose between two aiming control methods for Capture Battles: Tilt and Virtual Pad.

• TILT- Aim at a ghost by tilting your device so that the screen is pointed toward the ghost. This option is enabled by default.
• VIRTUAL PAD- Press and hold on the screen to rotate the camera and aim the targeting reticule at the ghost. Virtual Pad control sensitivity can be adjusted in "Settings".

Resources & Materials

• Gems- are a premium resource that can be bought through In-App Purchases. Gems can be spent in-game on various items and services.
  
  
• Coins- are a resource that can be obtained through playing the game, completing Missions, and gaining levels. Coins can be spent to level up ghosts, research weapon upgrades, enhance runes, and more.
  
  
• PKE Crystals- As psychokinetic energy (PKE) provides ghosts with a power source, you can use PKE Crystals to make ghosts stronger. By expending PKE Crystals, you can increase the level and rank of your ghosts.
  
  

To collect PKE Crystals, you need to capture or destabilize ghosts in battle.

• Spirit Shards- Each ghost has associated Spirit Shards, which can be collected to create a copy of the ghost itself or increase the attributes of their Skills.
  
  

You can obtain associated Spirit Shards of a ghost by destabilizing it in battle.

• Element shards- are a resource needed to increase the Rank of a ghost. Ghosts become more powerful as their Rank increases.
  
  

Each ghost belongs to an Element type, and Element Shards of the same type are needed to increase their Rank.

You can obtain Element Shards by playing the Daily Haunt in the Ghost Dimension.

• Slime Shards- are a resource needed to increase the Rank of a ghost. Ghosts become more powerful as their Rank increases.
  
  

Slime Shards are categorized according to Rank number, and if their Rank is the same as the ghost's current Rank that you want to increase, you can use those Slime Shards to increase the ghost's Rank.

You can only obtain slime shards by destabilizing ghosts, either in battle or from the Containment Unit. Destabilizing a ghost will yield a Slime Shard with the same Rank as the ghost.

Ghosts

Ghost Purpose

Ghosts gained from capture battles or Ecto-Spheres are used in Story Mode as well as the various ghost team battle modes available in the Ghost Dimension.

Element Type

Ghosts belong to one of five element types. Each ghost is strong against one other element (deals more damage to it) and weak against one other element (receives more damage from It). Element counters are Important to consider during Ghost Team Battles.

• Type Classification: Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Dark
• Type Counter Chart:
  • Fire: strong against Earth, weak against Water
  • Water: strong against Fire, weak against Earth
  • Earth: Strong against Water, weak against Fire
  • Light: Strong against Dark, weak against Dark
  • Dark: Strong against Light, weak against Light
    
    

Grade

Each ghost has a Grade that represents its intrinsic quality. Its possible to have multiple copies of the same ghost in your Ghost Collection with different Grade ratings. Unlike many other attributes, you cannot change a ghost's Grade.

Grades are displayed as a letter rating, and each grade corresponds to the following classification:

• D: Common
• C: Uncommon
• B: Rare
• A: Heroic
• 5: Legendary
  
  

Ghosts receive randomized additional increases to their ATK, DEF, and HP based on their Grade.

Level

Ghosts have levels, and the max level they can be upgraded to Is based on their Rank (number of stars).

Max Upgrade Level

• (1 Star): Level 10
• (2 Stars): Level 20
• (3 Stars): Level 30
• (4 Stars): Level 40
• (5 Stars): Level 50
• (6 Stars): Level 60
  
  

Rank (Star Rating) A ghost's Rank (Star Rating) affects Its overall power and determines the max level It can be upgraded to. Different ghosts have different starting Ranks, but all of them can be upgraded to 6 Stars.

• Tip- Ghosts that start at a higher Rank are often more powerful.
  
  

Skills

Each ghost has a unique set of Skills, as described below:

• Leader Skill- When a ghost is assigned as the team leader, a passive skill that activates at the beginning of the battle. Not every ghost has a Leader Skill.
• Passive Skill- A passive skill that activates at the beginning of the battle.
• Normal Skill- An active skill used In battle. A Normal Skill can be used every turn.
• Special Skill- An active skill used In battle. Once used, a Special Skill has a cooldown before It can be used again.
  
  

Rune

Using runes is an effective way of strengthening your ghosts. Runes can be attuned to designated slots on a ghost and provide various effects once attuned.

Class

In Tobin's Spirit Guide, ghosts are organized according to Tobin's classifications. Please note that these class numbers are not based strictly on the ghost's power, but on other factors, including a ghost's appearance, identity, and effect on Its surroundings.

Build Consumables

• Build- You can build ghost traps and energy clips needed for capture battles. Every item you can build has a production time before it will be completed.
• Research- The weapons used by Ghostbusters can be upgraded through research to make them more powerful.
  
  

Each research upgrade has distinct levels, and the weapon's Rank can be increased by completing all available upgrades.

Boss Battles

What are Boss Battles?

Boss battles involve combat against especially dangerous specters, demons, and other paranormal entities.

Most bosses are single-player encounters that require you to make the most of all the weapons at your disposal.

Multiplayer Bosses are even more powerful, and players will need to join together in cooperative battle to defeat them.

Bosses have a chance to drop spirit shards when defeated.

Boss Battle Tips!

• Tip 1- Unlike with regular ghosts, you can't Counter a boss's attacks. However, a boss needs time to ready each attack. If you sufficiently damage the displayed target area while a boss Is readying an attack, you can cancel it! You will take damage from a boss's attack If you don't cancel It.
• Tip 2- Battling bosses at a greater difficulty level and achieving higher rankings will Improve your chances of obtaining more Spirit Shards.
• Tip 3- Bosses can't be trapped, so make sure to bring plenty of energy clips for your best weapons to help destabilize them.
  
  

Story Mode

What is Story Mode?

Story Mode begins by teaching the player numerous game features and leads into a compelling new Ghostbusters adventure.

Please note that after the Prologue, Story Mode features multiple chapters of ghost team battles. There are a total of 3 difficulty levels, and they are unlocked in order for each chapter once the previous one has been cleared. Harder difficulty settings yield better rewards.

Daily Haunt

What is the Daily Haunt?

In the Daily Haunt, you can obtain Element Shards, which are resources used to upgrade ghosts. A different Haunt opens daily where you can obtain different types of Element Shards.

Gozer's Tower

What is Gozer's Tower?

Gozer's Tower is a tower that was built with Gozer's powers and has been summoned into the real world. Different ghosts appear on each floor, and you can obtain special rewards as you clear your way up the tower.

Gozer's Tower is available in Seasons, and your rewards depend on your ranking over the course of the Season.

Updated Features

Note, this section is not a reaction section. This section is only to state in neutral way, added content/updated content.

December, 17th 2018 (Holiday Update)

• Limited Christmas-themed costumes added to the following ghosts:
  • Dixie
  • Slimer
  • Mannegishi
  • Ghost of Christmas Present
  • Bellhop Ghost
  • Mooglie
• New ghost: Yuki
• Increased spawn-rate for rarer ghosts.
• Christmas-themed proton pack and suit (for both genders)
• Changes to the cost of entering a PVP battle.
• Change to the position of the weapon upgrade button.
• Change to the position of the shop (now through the customization section.)
  

Development

On February 23, 2018, a new AR mobile game called Ghostbusters World was announced as part of Google's ARCore announcement with a 30 second teaser video. A demo is on display at the Google Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. NextAge is the developer as part of a collaboration between publishing partner FourThirtyThree Inc. (4:33), Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Ghost Corps. Like "Pokemon Go," players use smart devices to find and catch "specters, ghosts, and apparitions" from "all dimensions of the franchise," including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games. There will also be new ghosts to capture created especially for the game. More information will be announced at the Game Developers Conference next month. Erik Burnham confirmed he had a "little bit of involvement" with the game. Ghostbusters.net posted 15 seconds of pre-alpha footage of a Slimer encounter.

On March 14, 2018, a new video clip was released.

On March 16, 2018, Ghost Corps teased the Animated Toaster.

On March 19, 2018, Eric Reich from Ghost Corps posted a 1 minute, 53 second walkthrough of the Pre-Alpha version. He demonstrated maps, using a P.K.E. Meter to look for entities, hinted different kinds of P.K.E. Meters will be available, and busting the Zombie Taxi Driver. The game, created with the Maps API technology, was featured on stage during the Google Keynote at the Game Developers Conference 2018. The new gameplay video will also be on display at the Google booth on the expo floor March 21 to March 23. It boats "hundreds" of ghosts, new and old. In terms of release date, it was only hinted to release "later this year."

On March 23, 2018, Ghost Corps teased Chef DeForrest.

On April 13, 2018, a gif clip of Bug-Eye Ghost was posted.

On May 29, 2018, Erik Burnham revealed he spent a few weeks pitching in on the game then wrote to their specifications.

On June 8, 2018, it was revealed Ghostbusters World will be previewed at San Diego Comic Con this July. The game's first public demo build and booth will be at The Experience at Comic-Con at Petco Park.

On July 12, 2018, Slimer art was posted to commemorate one week until Comic-Con with the hashtag #StayPuftSanDiego.

On July 13, 2018, an 8 second gif of Gozer was posted.

On July 16, 2018, a contest was announced directing fans to take a photo with Stay Puft at the demo booth during Comic-Con for a chance to win prizes from Sony Xperia US and Playmobil.

On July 17, 2018, posted an emoji vote and previewing Library ghost, Achira, Hungry Manitou, and a new ghost called Splat.

On July 25, 2018, a summary and video of the demo from Comic-Con was posted. The game will feature 150 ghosts. Ghosts from every Ghostbusters property will appear and new entities that have been created by the IDW comic team exclusively for Ghostbusters World. Ghosts will need to be detected before they can be trapped, and will need to be worn down in a gameplay mechanic similar to Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The game features a character health system, which can be reduced by the ghosts during attempts at capture. A multiplayer function will allow players to join up in order to take down larger bosses, such as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The game will feature a story mode, written and illustrated by the IDW comic team.

On August 2, 2018, a still of the Library ghost was posted.

On August 25, 2018, a still of the Hungry Manitou was posted.

On August 31, 2018, a still of Ellen Gold was posted.

On September 6, 2018, a voting contests with emojis was posted for Slimer, Samhain, Theatre Ghost, or Wes Pinker.

On September 7, 2018, a still of Achira was posted.

On September 10, 2018, a gif of Wes Pinker was posted.

On September 11, 2018, it was mentioned a Fall release was still planned, a pre-registration date would be announced soon, and final adjustments were being made to the game.

On September 12, 2018, a short video was posted in honor of National Video Games Day.

On September 14, 2018, a still of Splat was posted.

On September 20, 2018, a new gameplay walk through video was posted.

On September 21, 2018, another still of Wes Pinker was posted.

On September 24, 2018, Troy Benjamin recounted his chance to demo the game and played a short interview with Eric Reich of Ghost Corps and Andrew Krensky of Sony Pictures Consumer Products' Interactive Groups in Episode 347 of the Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip Podcast. A number of other AR games that came out before were an influence. Ghost Corps had been thinking of one for awhile then the licensing team came to them with a partner who wanted to invest in it. The game centers on collecting ghosts, building up equipment, and leveling up your avatar and your ghosts. The drive was to make sure there was a game facet for everyone but the player didn't have to indulge in everything. It's for casual and hardcore gamers. For instance, RPG fans would like the ghost teams. There will be a soft launch in select territories outside of the USA. The game will officially release by the end of the year for free but there will be aesthetic customization options and boosts for sale. The avatar can be customized. At launch, there will be a few flight suits and equipment from franchises like The Real Ghostbusters, the classic movies, and the Ghostbusters (2016 Movie). There will also be 'very different, generic fun packs' to customize with. There is a "super trap" like in Ghostbusters: The Video Game and a number of equipment from the 2016 movie like the Proton Glove and Proton Grenades. The idea is to add more options over time. In-game purchases are coins earned from bosses or jewels you can buy to build better equipment. Earn over time or pay and quickly build up. The first thing done is to enter info about skin type, face type, hair, and eyes to craft your avatar. There is a tutorial at the start then the story mode has a script by Erik Burnham introduces the idea of using ghost teams from your collection to battle other teams, making them stronger to win, and in a different mode, pit them against other players' teams. The story plays out like the comic book cut scenes in Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime with art from Tim Lattie. There is an explanation for why the ghosts have to be pitted against each other in these raids. Teams will be necessary to advance in story mode. For boss battles, a player can bring others into a "room" with the option of password protecting access. A team of four is formed then they take on larger bosses like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. You build your party like X-Box Live or like when you wait to go to Multi-player in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. You can see other players' avatars in the same space. There a chance for spawn creation of certain entities at certain times and places like conventions. There will be a Tobin's Spirit Guide aspect of the game that features an in-depth paragraph about each ghost and have stats like classification and abilities. In the Containment Unit aspect, you level up your chosen ghosts and see all their abilities. The player takes the ghost team into the ghost dimension. It's similar to Final Fantasy VII's RPG turn based system and requires a bit of strategy and tactics like a fire elemental vs. an ice elemental. Ecto Spheres look like crystal balls on a stand. Players can trap a ghost or when equipment is leveled up enough, disperse them then store their P.K.E. in the sphere. The player then takes a number of ghosts' P.K.E. and converts it into a rare ghost to join the ghost team. P.K.E. Crystals are "fed" to the ghosts to level them up. The crystals can be collected or bought. When the player looks at the map, they can go to a dimensional door and Mooglie appears and asks the player if he/she wants to collect. He gives them things like Traps or P.K.E. Crystals. Dimensional Doors can be set up anywhere. The map is simplified to be able to see the ghosts. Buildings are sparingly used. Streets are visible. As are areas like "Downtown LA" if you live in the area. A bust starts with the player using the P.K.E. Meter to track down ghosts. "Dark energy" ghosts can be found with the Ecto Goggles because of their rarity. There is a slam mechanic like Ghostbusters: The Video Game to "tire" out the ghost for capture.

On September 25, 2018, it was revealed a soft launch was conducted in New Zealand, Singapore, and Sweden ahead of pre-registration.

On September 27, 2018, a special announcement was hinted at for next week. A still of Slimer was included.

On October 3, 2018, it was announced pre-registration starts the next day. A gif of Lady Slimer was posted.

On October 4, 2018, pre-registration for Android and ios users began and a new 1:46 trailer was released.

On October 17, 2018, Ghoul was previewed in a gif.

On October 19, 2018, a still of Samhain was posted.

On October 22, 2018, a 1:12 launch trailer was released.

On December 14, 2018, it was revealed that a new festive update was coming December 17th. Update included holiday gear, increased spawn rates for rare ghosts, and a new apparition (Yuki).

On July 10, 2020, it was announced the game will be closing down on August 13, 2020 and a special gift will be emailed to players.

External Links

• Official Website
• Official Twitter account
• Official Facebook account
• Official YouTube account
• Apple product page
• Google Play product page

See also

• Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast
• Other Ghostbusters Video Games

Gallery

Promotional Images

Poster released during announcement

Promo image sent on 12/3/2018 via Sony's mailing list

Teaser Trailer 2/23/2018

Pre-Alpha Footage 2/23/2018

28 Second Clip 3/14/2018

Pre-Alpha Walkthrough 3/19/2018

Comic-Con Demo 7/21/18

Pre-Release Walkthrough 9/20/18

Pre-Registration Trailer 10/4/18

Launch Trailer 10/22/18