Most of you may remember when Ghost Squad was in the arcades, trying to destroy the terrorists that are plaguing the world whilst someone’s dancing like a mad thing on DDR behind you, happily putting you off. For others, this on-rails first-person shooter will be a first. Either way, Ghost Squad on the Wii is equally as good as it’s arcade brethren.
Ghost Squad clutches to the premise of a US platoon of soldiers with a “leave no trace” mentality. This would be a great idea for a ninja game; however, the destroyed furniture, windows and mutilated human corpses everywhere really are a big trace. Yet, it doesn’t stop this elite team having to destroy the Terrorist group known as the Indigo Wolves.
With a magical weapon that never seems to run out of ammo, completing each level doesn’t feel like a chore but an accomplishment, simply owing to the sheer number of terrorists trying to attack you from every angle. On the first play through, weaponry is restricted, yet there are actually 25 different types of weapons to unlock. As each level is around 10-15 minutes long, it’s not time-consuming to unlock them.
It’s not just about shooting people in the face with guns, though: towards the end of the game you get a chance to stab people with knifes as well. It’s not too much strain to attack the terrorists in the right sequence as the game will move into slow-motion mode and will allow for ample time to aim for the appropriate place; which is conveniently pointed out for you.
With all the different weaponry to unlock, there’s also the option of changing the course of the game. Within each level there are branching paths (such as saving the hostages, disarming the bomb) and this will eventually unlock more paths with subsequent replays. The game is very enjoyable, but it has 16 different modes of difficulty to gain, and that’s a lot by any standard. But for a ten-minute arcade game, it could be argued to be a little excessive.
A great feature is the multiplayer mode with up to 4 different Wii Zapper’ going at the same time; the game becomes even more fun – if not somewhat confusing. While the ability to then upload your top scores to the online database through the Wi-Fi connection, which is a nice way of seeing how great you are. It brings back the arcade feel pretty well. It’s a shame that there’s not an online multiplayer mode.
The accuracy that Sega has ported the game has to be applauded. Playing the game without the Wii Zapper attached made Ghost Squad a touch harder but the play through was much more enjoyable. The Wii Controller feels much lighter and entertaining without the plastic attached to the Wii Remote. It’s good with the correct peripherals as well; however, for me it felt much more natural without it.
Naturally, Ghost Squad looks dated. Yet, it’s dated in the sort of kitsch way those new 1950’s style radios look dated but still great. The characters themselves aren’t preened to perfection, but considering it originally came out at the turn of the century it’s not looking bad at all. The standard awful voice acting is there to cringe to as well.
The only major question is hanging over the price of the game. Although it’s still a touch cheaper than a usual Wii game, it’s still more expensive than Link’s Crossbow Training. Although the game is certainly good, it’s debatable whether it’s worth the full RRP.
Final Verdict - 7/10
A solid on-rails shooter, although somewhat archaic, it’s still very enjoyable. Mindlessly shooting terrorists without having to think it always a great option, with
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