2.5/5 ★ – Zimtiki's review of Grabbed by the Ghoulies.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies is the first game the infamous studio Rare Ware came out with after being purchased by Microsoft, robbing Nintendo of one of their greatest studios (should’ve bought em first, cheap-asses!). Unfortunately, Rare quickly showed that they may have already ran out of steam. This game, unlike Rare’s past games, is a 3D Beat-Em-Up that oddly uses the right stick to attack with your fists, feet, or weapons by holding the stick in the direction of the enemies you want to attack. This attack method becomes very old VERY fast, and your lack of direct input makes the game kind of feel like it’s playing itself. And controlling the camera with the triggers? Disgusting. The object of the game is to go from room to room fighting enemies the game throws at you in waves. In many cases, there are rules to each room such as “don’t kill the same type of enemy twice in a row” or “defeat all enemies without using any weapons.” If you fail these conditions or run out of time, the Grim Reaper will appear and attempt to kill you with a single touch. These sections were actually terrifying and had my heart racing as I attempted to complete a room with the Grim Reaper breathing down my neck. The biggest sin of this game though is that it isn’t finished. The map is a mansion full of collectibles but the game only allows you to go the way it wants you to. There’s no exploration, no breaking away from the set path, just a bunch of levels back to back without any true exploration. The ending, the cuscenes, and the map layout feel rushed, like Microsoft pulled the plug at the last minute and said “alright, ship the game. It’s good enough.” While there is some fun to be had in this spooky Halloweeny game, it’s definitely not one of Rare’s best. Luckily, the visuals, music, and some of the challenges are still entertaining. Basically, you have a half-baked game here that may still give you some entertainment around spooky season.