Strike while the iron is hot, is an age old saying that really does ring true especially in the gaming space. Time and time again, we see a game take the world by storm, becoming that month’s must-play title with YouTubers and streamers. One of those flavours of the month, Phasmophobia, is finally on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S four long years after it blew up and just in time for spooky season.
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Can developers Kinetic Games recapture that original buzz for the game this second time around, or is it destined to fade away. We’ll see.
Stone Cold Iron
Disclaimer: This review is based on my time with the Xbox Series X build of the game. This version is launching in preview and also this pre-launch time has been with a build of the game that has been changing daily during my time with it.
Although there are still some rough edges, we’ll overlook them for the most part – as the dev’s are tweaking things before the game launches into the full fat preview so we’ll hold back a review score just now, but will revisit the game once it leaves preview.
Ghostnamers
If you don’t know what Phasmophobia is, or have been living under a rock, it’s a horror investigation survival game. One where you, and up to three mates, work together to identify the type of ghost haunting the specified location.
How you work out what spook is about is by setting up lots and lots of kit; from trip wires, to black lights and electromagnetic field detector. Each piece of kit will react (or not) with the ghoul.
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By working your way through them, you’ll get enough clues to make an educated decision on what type they are and then you pack up your kit and head home.
If only it was that easy. The ghosts in question really don’t want you there and after a set time window where you are free to set your kit up, they can then hunt you and your mates down. When they find you, they’ll then ragdoll you half way across the house.
Genuine Tension, Authentic Terror
This is where the scary side comes in. You have a very small chance to run and hide once something is hunting you. And this creates a truly tense atmosphere. Additionally, there are a number of things that you can do to really mug it off. Annoy your spirit enough and it will trip the lights, throw objects, and just generally be a pain.
Your first few hunts will see you having basic kit, but make it back alive and successfully name the ghost and you’ll bank XP and cash, which will see you levelling up and unlocking new kit which you can then buy with your cash.
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Beware though, any kit you take on a hunt will be lost if you are killed in the field. There is a bit of a risk/reward element in what gear you take, but the better kit does make finding things a lot easier so it’s mostly worth the risk. However, Phasmophobia also requires you to grow as a hunter and understand the games mechanics.
You’ll start out feeling underpowered and well scared, but the more you earn and better you get…the more in control of the situation you’ll feel.
New Haunts
This is a huge element as you unlock new locations, which really ups the challenge. Initially you start with a few suburban houses, before haunted schools, farms and asylums unlock -, each with multiple floors and rooms that really require you to hunt as a team.
In a lot of ways, the game is a puzzle title just with a monster that can kill you whenever they want, adding an interesting edge to things let’s say. But it has to be said that it’s a tonne of fun with mates…even if you’re just dicking around, you’ll be laughing out loud and terrified in equal measures.
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My team and I couldn’t get the voice recognition working on our pre-launch build. Here you can talk to the ghosts, maybe it will talk back or get angry. It’s a cool mechanic on PC. I hope the devs can nail it on the console build, as I can see it creating some mad moments as you and your team hide in a wardrobe.
Creaking Early Doors
Some of the Xbox preview version’s features feel a bit rough at the moment. However, these will likely get worked out in time. Having seen the game change from one day to the next I have faith that this will be the case. Especially if the devs listen to the console players like they have with the PC community.
It’s been four years since we first saw Phasmophobia in action. Four years is a long time in general, never mind the fleeting world of gaming memehood. So, it;s hard to say if there will be a similar buzz around a console release beyond the hardcore fans. There is no question that Phasmophobia is a hell of a lot of spooky fun with your mates just now.