Phasmophobia Review

Most horror games have one basic concept behind them, you’re either trying to avoid the threat that is hunting you down like in games such as Outlast and Five Nights at Freddy‘s, Or you’re actively trying to combat or stop the threat like in Resident Evil or The Evil Within. Phasmophobia is a co-op horror game that tasks you with investigating haunted houses and buildings to try and figure out what exactly is haunting the premises. You play as a paranormal investigator who is tasked with figuring out what type of ghost is haunting certain areas.

About the Game

Phasmophobia was released on September 18th of this year, and the game has taken the internet by storm. one of the main reasons for this game’s popularity is the multiplayer aspect; Phasmophobia tasks you and up to three of your friends with investigating a potential paranormal incident. While the main objective is to figure out what type of ghost you are dealing with you will have to search for clues, investigate the area, and even attempt to communicate with the ghost. 

The game has seven different maps to choose from, five small, one medium, and one large. All five of the small maps are differently designed houses, the medium map is a high school, with many different classrooms, and the large map is the asylum. While the game doesn’t have many maps, this is something that is bound to change in time, as this game is still in early access, and there have been talks of new maps to come to the game in the future.

Every job gives you three optional tasks to complete and while they are all technically optional your main objective is to figure out the type of ghost that you are dealing with. The game gives you a set of tools that will assist you in your search however for those who want to complete all the tasks and to earn the most money you will have to buy some of the other tools necessary yourself. The way you earn money is by completing the tasks given to you at the start, and while you might not be able to do some, one task that anyone can complete is figuring out what the ghost exactly is. 

The Ghost

The ghost is not just some passive entity, there will be times when the ghost will attack and attempt to kill you. The way to find out the type of ghost is by finding the ghost itself. The ghost interacts with your tools and the environment in certain ways, it is in these ways that the player can figure out what type of ghost it is. Every ghost has three specific incidents that help you deduce what type of ghost is present.

The most fascinating aspect of the ghost is its AI. Phasmophobia’s big mechanic that intrigues everyone is its voice recognition. Players have the ability to directly communicate with the ghost, by asking a long list of certain questions that can trigger a response. The ghost’s AI is always listening to the players, it’s able to pick up on certain questions and phrases to interact with the player. One of the main tools that players will use is the spirit box, this allows the ghost to communicate back to you when you ask it a question. While the ghost can respond to what you say to it directly, it can also respond to the things you say indirectly. Saying certain words, like run, hide, scared, or scary, can trigger the ghost and cause it to attack you.
While Phasmophobia isn’t a “jump scare” type of game, it still creates fear by using its fantastic sound design and visual cues that can make a player uneasy. The moment you walk inside, everything turns quiet, the only thing you hear is an ambient, dark tone, that stays present throughout the entire game. The actions of the ghost also can bring you fear, hearing it turn on a bathroom sink out of nowhere, seeing its shadow on the wall but not its body, listening to the gurgle that it makes if you’re close to it. Phasmophobia doesn’t have to rely on cheap jump scares to bring out fear from the players, the atmosphere that it creates, and the simple, yet frightening events that the ghost can do is more than enough to strike fear

Verdict

While Phasmophobia is a game that many can really enjoy, it’s not without its fair share of glitches and bugs. One of the most common bugs or glitches is when players gain the inability to hear one another. Another common glitch is that there are times when the game will crash on the loading screen. This game is in early access, however, having these common glitches and bugs that mess with the gameplay can be frustrating.

Phasmophobia is a great co-op horror game that can bring joy, and fear, to people’s hearts. It’s unique mechanics and great design are what make it so enjoyable. Although there are times where the game can become a little repetitive, and even frustrating due to bugs and glitches, Phasmophobia is still an absolute blast and a genuinely amazing game.