Indie Horror: GhostControl Inc.

Posted by Rampant Coyote on October 15, 2014

If you really aren’t into the scares – or the first-person stealth – of some of the games I’m covering this month, then maybe it’s time for something a little less intense for the Halloween season. GhostControl Inc., by Bumblebee Games, is one interesting candidate, particularly if you have a fondness for strategy games. This game features a combination of turn-based tactical combat with a business simulation. You control a ghost-hunting / elimination business called GhostControl Inc. Any similarity between this and the movie GhostBusters is purely intentional, I’m sure. There’s also a little bit of similarity – in concept, at least – with the original X-Com games. Again, purely intentional, I’m sure.

Your job is to clean up the ghosts in London. You start out with a single team-member and some homemade ghost-trapping equipment. As you experience some success and get paid for your jobs, you can upgrade your headquarters, buy a better company vehicle, hire new team members, and buy better equipment.

One interesting aspect is that you can sell the ectoplasm you trap for additional money. There’s some fridge horror going on here when you consider that it’s actually the spirits of people you are incarcerating and selling off for cash, but we’ll just think of ’em as harmful monsters, ‘kay?  Another interesting twist is that you are liable for the damages done by your team and by the ghost once you arrive on the scene. This gets subtracted from your pay, and if it gets too high, the job will be canceled.

Another interesting twist is that you are not the only ghost-containment team working out of London. There are a couple of (or more?) rival companies competing for contracts, and if they beat you to a haunt site, you are out one contract.

Combat is turn-based and tactical. In order to trap a ghost, you will need to weaken it first with your ghost-gun. More powerful spooks will often require coordinated tactics on the part of the team. Each team member has their own stats, strengths, and weaknesses.

As the game progresses, your team members gain experience and competency, more equipment becomes available, and the nasties get nastier and more powerful.

The game is definitely played for laughs, although with all humor, your mileage may vary. The developer is German, and the humor may not translate all that well. Or it’s just really low and generic to suit an international marketplace. Either way, expect some groaners. But I’m okay with that.

The game is not without its quirks. Unless it has been significantly updated on Steam (and not on Desura, the version I’ve played), there are quite a number of polish & interface issues, in spite of the gameplay not really being all that deep. While I’d stop short of calling it a casual game, it’s significantly more lightweight than the original X-Com.

Still, it’s a fun game to load up for a quick round of ghost-bus… I mean, ghost-controlling action and business empire building.

Who ya gonna call?

 

Filed Under: Impressions, Indie Horror Games - Comments: 4 Comments to Read



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