Phasmophobia review: I have no pockets and I must scream

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As a seasoned gamer who’s seen his fair share of ghostly shenanigans, I must say that Phasmophobia has left me with a peculiar mix of admiration and frustration. The game’s intricate mechanics, immersive horror elements, and adaptability to different playstyles are nothing short of impressive.

Phasmophobia offers a unique gaming experience based on the situation you’re playing in. If you’re venturing solo for the first time, it delivers a genuinely heart-pounding horror adventure, making even simple actions like opening a door feel nerve-wracking and reminiscent of the term “edge-of-your-seat.” In multiplayer mode, whether with friends or strangers, there’s an unexpected factor that injects its own tension and complications into the experience beyond the game’s official rules. Over time and with increased expertise on either side, Phasmophobia starts to resemble an escape room as the eerie ambiance gradually fades away to uncover a rush of optimization and high-score hunting. This diverse dynamism arises from an intricate structure that demonstrates there’s more to this game than just being an easy target for streamers.

But this time, the ghosts are real!

In this scenario, you and your companions assume the roles of ghost hunters, similar to those who star in YouTube shows or lesser-known cable channels. These places are often creepy and haunted, and you aim to persuade viewers that spirits truly exist. This usually involves a plethora of unusual gadgets, including night vision cameras capturing close-ups of people’s nostrils as you ask questions to long-dead Confederate ghosts about their feelings. Here, it’s assumed that the ghosts are genuine entities haunting homes, and your task is to identify which type of paranormal entity is causing trouble using the tools at your disposal. If you fail to make a quick determination, dire consequences may ensue. Incorrect guesses result in lost opportunities for substantial rewards, but surviving might still earn you some pocket change.

The unique appeal of Phasmophobia lies in its complex game mechanics. There’s a variety of ghostly entities, with only one appearing during each investigation. Each ghost has distinct characteristics, actions, and hint sets to help identify them. Your goal is to collect enough evidence before you’re targeted for a “hunt,” which allows you to identify the ghost, escape, and earn money. The main challenge lies in managing your inventory, as you can only carry three tools at once, forcing you to leave other items behind in the truck. A flashlight is crucial for both your mental well-being and vision, reducing your tool slots to two. Consequently, you’ll need to balance inventory management, deductive reasoning, and sometimes, luck.

And they’re pretty scary!

The central part of the game involves searching for tools and trying to elicit a response from the spirits, all while looking for the ‘Ghost Room’ where most of the action takes place. Even if the tools you pick don’t seem useful, a sudden drop in temperature or unexpected ghostly event could indicate that you’re on the right track. Once you’ve found yourself in the correct location, the challenge is to discover the appropriate tools for the task at hand – items like a notebook for recording messages, a UV light to reveal prints, or an EMF reader to detect activity. Each tool has a specific level it needs to reach before it counts as solid proof. The thrill lies in finding these tools quickly, all while being aware that the spirits won’t tolerate your interference for long, making each step potentially scary.

Sometimes, Phasmophobia seems to have its own set of guidelines which aren’t always consistent. It might be glitches, progression quirks, or something else that can be confusing. For instance, the EMF reader requires a reading of five or more for it to count as evidence. In one game, I was led to believe that an EMF reading during a bonus objective would definitely provide a clue. However, despite discovering the Ghost Room, the EMF reader didn’t respond at all, leading me to question the objective. As a result, I chose a different ghost based on unclear information and ended up guessing incorrectly. Of course, the EMF was indeed a clue, and I even earned the bonus for observing an EMF reaction. But in reality, I never saw that reaction myself.

Not scary: fumbling with gadgets

Sometimes, making certain tools, such as the thermometer, conform to the criteria demonstrated in the tutorial can feel like an agonizing test of patience, where you’re constantly waiting for the tool to almost reach its goal but never quite getting there. When time is limited and you’re stuck with two clues and a third depending on uncooperative tools, the initial thrill of the horror gameplay turns into frustration. Watching skilled players online who have been playing for years effortlessly manipulating objects can make you realize that mastery might come at the expense of maintaining the immersive horror gaming experience. Multiplayer games somewhat alleviate this issue by naturally allowing players to share tools, making them more readily available. However, as I mentioned before, there’s a lot of ‘Vibe Math’ happening in the background that affects the kind of experience you’re having, taking into account factors like group play.

In terms of improving the features and performance of such games, there’s always a struggle to create superior versions. These types of games often rely on repeated gameplay for progression, which led me to recall The Outlast Trials that I played recently this year. The goal is to spend a significant amount of time playing these games in order to collect all the items, and when you start, you’ll be significantly underprepared, with many hours needed to rectify the situation. If you aren’t already hooked on the gameplay loop to enjoy the fundamental aspects, the prospect of enjoying yourself after countless hours isn’t particularly appealing. It’s good to know that there are no microtransactions, so if you’re having fun, you won’t be bombarded with offers for season passes or advanced tools to participate in special events or higher-tier gear.

This game isn’t really my style due to the need for grinding tools and lack of a consistent group for multiplayer. However, Phasmophobia’s versatility, offering both single-player and multiplayer experiences, is truly impressive. I appreciate that it allows me to switch between a solo horror survival game and a cooperative one with friends, all within the same framework. And theoretically, it could transform into yet another type of game as I become more proficient. It’s remarkable in its ambition and complexity, even if not every aspect is perfectly polished. Despite being in early access, Phasmophobia shows potential for continuous refinement as developers continue to refine their innovative systems. With a bit more clarity and maintenance, I can see Phasmophobia becoming the horror game I revisit annually.

On October 29, 2024, Phasmophobia will be released for the PlayStation 5 (and PSVR 2) and Xbox Series X|S in early access. The game is already available on PC as well. In this review, I was given a PS5 code by the publisher.

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2024-10-28 15:27