Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the latest asymmetrical experience to grace your game library. Designed like a sequel to the latest movie, the game features fan-favourite references. It also features the typical PvP elements this genre is known for. The player controlling the ghost will need to haunt a certain location while avoiding opponents carrying the proton pack. On the other hand, the four Ghostbusters will need to work together to trap the ghost player.
Whether you want to scare NPCs or hunt ghosts with your friends, victory never comes easy. Ghosts have different special abilities. The same goes for Ghostbusters and their upgradeable gear. Players who learn to use these items/abilities at the right time will usually rank at the top. Below are a few tips to help you get through the initial stages of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed.
Ghostbusters (Tips for Hunters)
Attack the ghost in a coordinated manner
Like other games in this genre, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed encourages teamwork against ghosts. Based on its four-player mechanics, it's clear that every ghost hunter must do their part to help trap the ghost. What is not so obvious is how to work in the group.
There are multiple factors that must be taken into account during a given match. One thing you should remember early on is the PKE Meter and the proton pack. Therefore, it can be difficult to attach a ghost to your beam once you've located them if you don't get help.
PKE meters are used to hunt ghosts and rifts. (Slits: Portals that allow ghosts to respawn after being captured.) It can also be used to stun a ghost, knocking it out from a possessed person/object, essentially making them vulnerable for a few seconds. It takes a long time to manually switch to your proton pack because the stun effect wears off before you start tethering. Throwing your trap first speeds up the process because this action automatically passes the item you're holding into the package. But no option is faster than letting someone else throw the trap or start blasting it with their pack; If everyone is properly prepared to do their part, it is possible to trap a ghost in seconds that stun them. Basically, you'll want to coordinate your attacks whenever possible.
What you need to know after tying ghosts
In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, there are some aspects of the tethering system that were not revealed during the tutorial. The most important of these is that whoever first hooks a ghost is responsible for their actions.
To bind a ghost, you'll need to shoot them down with enough proton beams to catch them. This is where you can start guiding them into a trap where they will be caught. The first person to hook the ghost is the one who moves them. Others are there to offer support by increasing the amount of time the ghost is attached to; basically they make it harder for them to escape. Knowing this is important for two reasons. The first is about your team composition. It's easier to direct the ghost into a particular trap if you know who is controlling them. If teammate A is the first to hook the ghost, I know I should throw my trap towards them, not my teammate B.
The other reason has to do with the overheating of the proton packets. You can shoot the ghost alone for a while, but after a while you will have to vent your weapon. If you're the only one there, this will release the ghost. However, if you are the first to tie them and another player joins, you can hand over the reins to that teammate while you raise your weapon. Bindings are forwarded to the next player(s) in the order they started shooting, giving you time to "reload".
Don't forget equipment cars (Gear Cart)
It is important to remember the equipment cart. This is where you'll find extra items such as the equipment cart, spare traps, and powerful secondary vehicles near the starting location of a particular map.
The main reason you want to remember the equipment cart is your traps. If a ghost destroys one during the game, the only way to get another one is to get back in the car. This can be a bit of a pain on some of the larger maps, especially when you're first starting out. Remembering where the equipment cart is on the map is an important key early on.
Another reason why you should prioritize the equipment car is the secondary devices of the game. These items can significantly increase your chances of catching the ghost. For example, the VAD is a grapple that can quickly pull you to higher ground, while Ionizer Pods can slow down ghosts caught in particle clouds.
Calm the NPCs
In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, haunting a place is a ghost's job. This is done in several different ways. One of them is that the ghost scares the NPCs enough to make them escape from the building. To counter this, the ghost hunters will need to reassure these people that everything will be alright.
This is done quickly by walking to a frightened NPC and talking to them. All you have to do is talk to them the entire time. If you set the duration of left-click to activate the bar on the green areas of the wheel, you will give that NPC some protection. This temporary layer of protection will make it harder for them to fear in the future.
The great thing about this feature is that you don't have to wait for a particular NPC to lose their cool. You can talk to them when they are completely calm and provide a shield for them in the first place.
Complete Side Quests
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed features an account progression system. Many items (and ghost variants) remain locked until you level up. While most of your XP will come from how well you perform in matches, there is a way to speed up this process, one of which is activating quests known as Side Hustles. Apart from daily quests, only one can be activated at a time (These side ventures usually require you to complete multiple steps before they can be completed. However, they are known to offer a lot of XP. Some even offer cosmetic rewards.)
Another way to speed up the leveling process is to collect spores, molds and fungi scattered throughout the game's maps. Collecting these easy-to-find but often overlooked items will earn you bonus points at the end of a match. The more you collect, the more you earn. But what makes it valuable are the collection-based thresholds. For example, when you reach 25%, you will receive a one-time bonus of 10.000 XP.
Ghosts (Tips for ghosts)
Playing as a ghost, it's your job to haunt a place completely. This is reflected in the two haunt meters located at the top of the screen; one for the entire building and the other for the room you are currently in. The goal is to make the building 100% haunted and escape before the ghost hunters catch you.
There are several different ways to achieve this goal. Scaring NPCs and haunting furniture (moving them on their own) will definitely work. But the thing to keep in mind is that the overall building percentage depends on their rooms. You can scare random people all over the map and slowly move the momentum. Or by scaring everyone from a certain area, you can significantly speed up the haunting process.
break the line of sight
It can be difficult to hide from them because of the Ghostbusters' equipment. They can follow you all over the map. Good news for ghost players though, these gears have some limitations and don't show your 100% exact location.
PKE Meter will take ghost hunters to your location. If you manage to get away from them, the best thing to do is to break their line of sight and then relocate; either go up to the second floor or go down to the basement. The PKE Meter notes the direction you entered, but not which floor you are on. This will give you much needed time to fool the hunters. By haunting a few items before leaving the area, once you reach the right floor you will send ghost hunters after random objects instead of you.
don't panic
It's important not to panic when you're trapped. Be sure to pay attention to the prompts on the screen. The last thing you want to do is frantically crush everything while being hacked.
Another thing you can do after you are freed is to steal a ghost hunter's trap. Once you get away from the hunters, you can destroy the trap and force that player to return to the equipment cart for another trap.
Protect crevices
If the Ghostbusters manage to catch you, all hope is not lost. As a ghost, you are given three slits per match to use as spawn points. So you have to be caught four times before it disappears forever. Unless the ghost hunters find and destroy your slits before you use them.
Each rift is hidden in a different object located somewhere on the map. It is possible to move them to another object even after exposure to predators. Obviously, it is important that you protect them as they are your only lifeline. If you're caught after all your slits have been destroyed/used, it's game over.
That's not the only reason you'd want to protect your cleft, though. The other reason is that they shorten your escape time. Once you've completely haunted a place, the ghost hunters will have one last chance to catch you. All you have to do is stay away from them for a certain period of time. All remaining slits will cut this time and drop significantly if all three are present. Basically, having as many slits as possible at the end will make it easier for you to escape.
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