Overview:
Phasmophobia is a four player online co- op psychological horror game , where you enter haunted locations filled with paranormal activities. Your job along with your team members of paranormal investigators is to find and or gather up as much evidence as possible of the paranormal activities in the set location you have chosen to investigate and identify what type of paranormal entity you are dealing with before the clean up “ghostbusters like” crew come in and deal with it.
You are solely there to work out what type of paranormal entity you are dealing with , which sound super easy… WRONG! And here is why.
One of the great thing about the game besides the really rational fear it brings about in the game, is the fact that I don’t care who you are but everyone will at one put experience a full blown jump scare in the game. Sometimes you can predict what’s about to happen and at that time just as you think you have it all under control some paranormal event happens either a hunt by the paranormal entity or just some form of paranormal activity that honestly has you screaming and leaving your heart racing. With all these moments you can only imagine how funny it can be hearing even grown ups frantically screaming and shouting in game due to the fear, or jump scares.
I myself and my friends have had countless laughs and still do when playing the game and that’s what I think is one of the fantastic aspects to the game. The pharmacological aspect of both fear and laughter in the game, and with your friends is what really sets it apart.
The Jump Scares Are Real In This Game!!
Phasmophobia brings about a rational fear regardless if its your first time playing or your hundredth time playing. The Game gets into your head, when you’re playing the real outside world sort of ceases to exist, you become so engulfed in the game trying to listen out for every little sound there is which could either give you an idea to a clue or have you screaming and running in panic of unknown footsteps behind you.We believe that’s why Phasmophobia was and will continue to be such a hit.
The game leaves you and your friends with your heart racing , stunned or a burst of adrenaline and memories that last. Whether its you actually competing the level or your team failing, whereby you all get hunted down one by one and dying to the paranormal entity that resides within that location/ level.
When Investigating the haunted locations you have many items that you need to use to gather up as much information to determine what type of paranormal entity you are dealing with. Your equipment is all stored in your van which acts as you head quarters or command centre. You will find equipment to name a few an EMF reader , thermometers , video cameras UV flash lights , spirit boxes, smudge sticks and the list goes on. Your character is only able to hold Three items at a time which allows for you to really need to work as a team and assigning certain jobs .Unless you’re a mad man and play this solo then you have all the responsibility and will need to run back and forth to the van.
There are a number of maps / locations that you can choose from ranging from small to large. Smaller maps mainly are houses such as street houses or farmhouse. The medium to large maps get even more scary as you move to abandon run down schools, prisons and the scariest of them all in my personal opinion the ASYLUMS. Along side the map sizes you get different difficulties levels ranging from beginner to professional.
GHOSTS CAN HEAR YOU!!!
All this might make the game sound super simple and very basic , but play it for the first time and good luck to you and your friends. Detecting the ghost will always happen but that’s when the real psychological game starts to creep in ,this is where the beauty and genius of this game lies.
The sound design in Phasmophobia is key, you have to run voice chat through the game itself. There is also a local chat and radio chat option. This all matters funny enough as the Ghosts/ Paranormal entity CAN HEAR YOU. They can respond to you on the item called a spirit box or by simply asking questions like “ Can you give us a sign” and sometime the entity will do something for example, ring the phone , switch lights on and off or my personal favourite throw an item somewhere.
When the ghost hunts it too can hear you and some ghosts are drawn to the sound of that frantic panic. So sometimes running and screaming isn’t always the option. Whereas sometime hiding too isn’t an option so it’s a balance of hide and seek or run and panic.
The ghost/ paranormal entity plays on your fears they don’t all do the same thing some like to really spook you , some are patient and wait for the right moment.
For example some might try kill on the very first hunt where some wait right until the end when you think you have out smarted it. Myself, I generally try to provoke the ghost acting all tough and brave trying to get a reaction from it, but like mentioned above at times the paranormal entity will purposely target me thereafter or sometimes it will skip me and prey on the weaker team member that, say or do hasty things or they can hear in your voice there is no confidence and say things over radio for example “this is to scary I’m getting out of here” next moment the ghost is next to them waiting to attack and leave them screaming.
You will never know the relief until you experience it , once you have survived a hunt. The hunts get your party members into either a massive panic with frantic screaming or at times everyone goes quite and just hopes its not their turn to join the entity in the paranormal realm.
VR Mode ( Only for the very brave)!!
Oh did we mention you can also play the game in VR mode ( if you are brave enough) VR mode take immersion to a whole kind of next level. Of course not to take anything away from not playing in VR mode. The game is still highly engaging and scary without a VR headset.
In Conclusion
Phasmophobia is an amazing game , that is truly terrifying but also so enjoyable with many moments of laughter. The atmosphere it builds up in game is one that can only really be experienced by playing the game. It is definitely a game that is best experienced with a party as it just adds so much more to it. The paranormal entities will mess with you and your party, turning bravery into frantic screaming and hiding, or turning the nice guy into the one that leaves everyone behind to get killed. Regardless if you are a noob at the game or a veteran, Phasmophobia will always find a way to make you jump out of your skin and turn you pale white and for this we give Phasmophobia a massive GOLDEN THUMBS UP.