The afterlife is one of the biggest mysteries that linger over the world to this very day… Developed by Kinetic Games, Phasmophobia, takes a peek into what goes bump in the night. Rally with three other players or brave it and go solo as you scour through houses, abandoned asylums, even prisons and campsites to uncover the cause of what's been haunting the site. Grab your flashlight and steady your nerves as we go through this award-winning 2020 title.
Contracts & Environment
Within Phasmophobia, the main concept of progression of any sort is its ranking system. In order to unlock maps and equipment, players must accept or create their own contracts via the planning board. The game has 12 different maps in which to play from. They range from large to small, affecting the payout and xp gained from a successful contract. Each ghost gives subtle clues using the environment. Temperature, orbs only visible through the lens of a night vision camera, and even more activity that are unique to very specific ghosts.
Luckily, the game offers custom contracts to make things easier for new players or to push the limits of the most experienced ghost hunters. With custom contracts, players control the entire aspect of how their ghost hunting experience will go. From ghost and player speeds to even making the ghost friendly with the inability to harm players, or force parameters that would otherwise seem rare such as ghost events and activity.
Gameplay
When ghost hunting, players must deduce the ghost type down to evidence, the ghost’s hunting behaviour, and using whatever clues are present during the investigation. Beware, for when the ghost hunts, the players are most vulnerable as the ghost will begin their search in a deadly game of hide and seek. The only defence the players have are hiding places outside of the ghost’s line of sight, using sage and crucifixes to prevent the ghost from hunting, or running by utilising couches or tables to “loop” the ghost. In all senses, the associated behaviours and evidence of the ghost is always reliable to which ghost is being investigated.
For more experienced players, they may even limit the amount of evidence from three, two, one, or even granting zero evidence. This forces them to rely only on the ghost’s hunting behaviour and the chances of unique traits or events the ghost may reveal during the investigation. That being said, Phasmophobia brings almost a new experience every investigation as each ghost has different ways they reveal themselves, whether it’s the ghost’s speed, mannerisms, or even if they react to your electronics or voice, there are a plethora of experiences. It is even playable in VR!
Visuals & Graphics
Running off of the renowned Unity Engine, Phasmophobia runs smoothly, even with 4 players and max equipment. The graphics bring clarity and comfort at its current state, allowing the eerie environments of a haunted house or abandoned asylum to flourish and bring a deeper sense of immersion to the investigation experience even for an indie game. With the dark atmosphere, a flashlight or at least some form of illumination is almost essential for navigating spacious areas within the dozen maps of Phasmophobia.
Summary
Phasmophobia is truly an edge-of-your-seat indie horror game. It truly captures the essence of what a horror game should be. Sitting as a “ghost hunting simulator,” Phasmophobia is an amazing experience to play with friends or even an eerie thrill to play alone. It should be noted that Phasmophobia is VR compatible, meaning players can choose whether or not to enhance their gameplay through a far more immersive setting. With that in mind, for a ghost hunting experience, Phasmophobia is truly a noteworthy title.
Pros
VR compatible
Single-player and Coop compatible
Limitless replayability
Reactive controls and reliable ghost generator
Cons
VR comes with few handicaps such as harder door controls and survivability rates
When playing in random lobbies, there are chances of running into a cheater who may ruin the ghost hunting experience
The Mimic (The Most Universally hated ghost type)