Definitely the worst game Rare has ever made, but still fun to play nonetheless.
Not Recommend---I would not recommend this game to people who did not enjoy past Rare games, or to the hardcore gamer. This game is identical to past Rare games, but done in the worst way possible. Also, it's way too cheesy for the hardcore gamer and would probably put it down in a second.
Rare is one of my favorite game companies, along with Midway, Epic, Rockstar, and Nintendo. All of their older games are some of my favorites, including Donkey Kong 64, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Golden Eye, and Perfect Dark (among others). Grabbed By The Ghoulies was Rare's first game for the Xbox after being bought by Microsoft, and after playing this game I realized that a lot of the reviews out there were a little harsh on this game. I really enjoyed Grabbed by the Ghoulies. It has that Rare vibe all throughout the game which I really enjoyed. Some things, however, like the grunts made by characters and the background music sound like they were recycled from Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie. Some sounds are EXACTLY the same. I didn't mind too much, though. The game basically involves you going room to room and completing the challenges set forth for you by the Butler. This can get REALLY repetitive, but the different types of challenges keeps it a bit interesting. The game is a little short (I beat in in just over 4 hours), but I don't think anybody would want to play through the game in one playthrough. It's too boring in one sitting. I stretched the game out through 5 days, until I finally beat it. There's only 1 boss fight which is disappointing, but it doesn't really matter. The graphics style is one of the best I've seen on the Xbox. The cel-shaded graphics look terrific, and the comic-book style that tells the story is also amusing. Lastly, once you beat the game there are still extras. Throughout the game there are Rare books hidden in each room. For every 5 that you find, you unlock a bonus challenge (for a total of 20 challenges in all). The bonus challenges are fun, but are kind of repetitive as well. For each bonus challenge you get a platinum ranking in, you unlock bonus pictures for the gallery. Not great, but it will tide you over.
Conclusion---Compared to other Rare games, it's terrible. But standing on its own, it's not that bad. If you're a dedicated Rare fan like I am, you will most likely enjoy it. It may not have all the goodies previous Rare games had, or others do now (Conker Live & Reloaded, Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero, Viva Pinata), but it's fun.