Ghostbusters: Slime City
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Free
- Role Playing Games
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Ghostbusters: Slime City is a role-playing game where players are part of the Ghostbusters team in Manhattan. This app is a tie-in to the new Ghostbusters movie. There's a lot of shooting ghosts, exploding stuff, and a general air of danger around every corner. There's a strong emphasis on earning "gold" and collecting money in the game to access features, such as customizing your equipment, and players can buy more gold via in-app purchase without a parent gate. Once players reach level nine, they can create and join a "squad" with other real players and use the game's chat feature; squads can have iffy names and comments, but they can be set up through invite only, and players can be kicked off a squad. Read the app's privacy policy to find out about the information collected and how it's used.
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Stupid
What's it about?
As a new recruit to the GHOSTBUSTERS: SLIME CITY team, first you choose your ghost-busting avatar and read the on-screen instructions from your handler and teammates about the next ghost-hunting mission. A hand shows you where to find the ghosts, and the setup page delivers the mission. As the game progresses, you can also upgrade your proton pack before going into battle, check your stats, and find out more on this page. "Defeat all ghosts!" appears, and the battle begins. Tap on the ghosts you see on the screen to shoot them, and tap the green button to reload your weapon. You'll see the points you earn by shooting each ghost as it evaporates, as well as how many ghosts you killed at the end of each battle. As the game progresses, you can use those points to buy upgrades, purchase and upgrade buildings, get free rewards every few hours, and feed hot dogs to Slimer (once per day) for extra cash. There's also a timer that can lock you out of the game for abut 24 hours to "heal." Once you get to level nine, you can join or create a squad and chat with other players.
Is it any good?
Though fun for older kids and fans, the battles -- with lots of cartoon-style violence and ghoulish images -- are up-close and in-your-face, and the consumer focus is strong. As a result, for younger kids, Ghostbusters: Slime City is a non-starter. For older kids who like a little bit of scary and can distinguish violence with "proton packs" against ghosts from real gun violence, this could be a fun sim game, but in later levels, there's an open chat feature that's best for teens. With all of its layers, it'll likely keep fans interested, but parents may want to discuss the limits around purchases, squads, and chatting before downloading.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how games such as Ghostbusters: Slime City push consumerism, even if they don't necessarily push their in-app purchases strongly. How many ways does this game have for players to earn, buy, upgrade, collect, win, and spend?
Discuss the violence in the game. Does it make it less or more scary because it's violence against ghosts?
Talk about the concept of promoting movies through apps. Does it make the app more fun to connect it with a movie you've seen? If your kid has seen the Ghostbusters movie, ask if this app represents their experience of the movie.
If your kid is allowed to join a squad and chat with other players, talk about how to stay safe and what choices would work best. Should your kid and some friends start an "invite only" squad?
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Price: Free
- Pricing structure: Free (with optional in-app purchases)
- Release date: July 18, 2016
- Category: Role Playing Games
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Size: 224.00 MB
- Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
- Version: 1.2.2
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later; Android 4.0.3 and up
Themes & Topics
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For kids who love simulation and scary games
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