The spooky season is officially upon us so one of the games you should be playing right now is Phasmophobia from developers Kinetic Games. This is a 4 player online co-op with multiple objectives and a lot of tension. This game is perfect for the season if you haven’t been isolated enough, or if you’re dying to check out a haunted house but aren’t so sure about it at this time.
Phasmophobia in its basic definition is the fear of ghosts. For people that like to watch ghost hunting shows then this is going to be right up your ally. Bonus if you already go ghost hunting. As a group of four your objective is to buy supplies you will need, capture specific evidence and determine what type of entity is haunting the area you are in.
Each level begins with the group in their own home base with an objective board that gives a small run down on what type of spirit you will be looking for. This gives a little information on what you need to do in order to get the spirit’s attention. For example, some spirits only react to you if you are alone. A sanity meter is also present in home base which acts a lot like a life meter. As you progress to larger buildings, you will need to buy sanity pills. Buying other equipment will be crucial as well in order to do your job.
The overall goal is get in, investigate, and get out. Also, it’s probably a good idea if you try not to die. You can play alone if you want and if you are brave enough. Personally, I don’t want to deal with that type of panic attack. As the team progresses into a professional level, more buildings become available like an insane asylum and who wouldn’t want to go there?
Phasmophobia plays really well but still needs a few touch ups. The characters clip through things somewhat often and are very stiff. For example, they glide across the floor, not really walk. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t that important, it’s just that the aesthetic could be upped a little. Some shadows of players don’t show up or you will see floating equipment and this can throw off results. The other spooks and scares are great though and really turn things into a living horror movie.
Overall, Phasmophobia is a game you have to experience. The concept seems easy on the surface but gets a lot deeper as you start your hunt. This game is great for the season and can be replayed often with different friends and for different maps. The game is currently $13.99 through the Steam website and works in VR too!
9/10
Available on PC