So I Tried... Phasmophobia

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I’ll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time, I grabbed a flashlight and EMF Reader as I stepped into the co-op psychological horror game Phasmophobia, just in time for its upcoming Nell’s Diner update.

What I thought it was

Spooky single-player games are my jam, but I was recently convinced to step outside my comfort zone and team up against ghosts in Phasmophobia. Though I didn’t know too much before diving in, I assumed the goal was very Ghostbusters-esque: get in, identify the paranormal being, catch them, and get out. I was pretty spooked, though, since searching for supernatural activity in normal yet abandoned places, such as houses and campsites, seemed scarier than other (much stranger) places horror games have transported me to.

What it actually is

As paranormal investigators, your job is all about evidence rather than catching the ghost. So, to remedy my list above, the gameplay loop is actually: get in, collect information, correctly identify the being in your journal, and then get out. Though you have multiple ghost types to choose from, each one can be determined by just three pieces of evidence.

Whether you’re going in solo or with a group, getting the proof you need is more difficult than you’d think. Sometimes there’s very little activity, and other times there are instant Hunts, as it all depends on the ghost type you’re dealing with.

During my first 30 minutes of playing, I found myself completely lost trying to find the ghost’s favourite room, and I was mostly trying to figure out how to use the various tools, such as the Ghost Writing book or Spirit Box. Then, every time the ghost got aggravated enough to Hunt players, I always managed to run straight into their supernatural arms like we were acting out a rom-com and not Paranormal Activity.

That’s to say, Phasmophobia isn’t as beginner-friendly as it could be. The tutorial is pretty dense, explaining each different tool to you with a lot of text, which I found overwhelming. Yet, while there’s a lot of information, it doesn’t set you up for success, as the mechanics are hard to grasp, and you don’t get to do a mock level to get a feel for things. In fact, I had to watch a few YouTube videos beforehand just to feel comfortable playing with others.

Will I keep playing?

After feeling like supernatural bait, waiting for the ghost to put me out of my evidence-hunting misery for those first 30 minutes, I wanted to play again. So I did! I have 11 hours in it now, which has given me many deaths and laughs, and a couple of successful identifications.

There’s definitely something about Phasmophobia that is fun once you get past the growing pains and become familiar with the mechanics. I’m still learning, but at least the experience is more fun than torturous now.

Aside from the tough beginnings, it’s great at making me genuinely scared, especially in single-player mode. I know I’ll probably be desensitised the longer I play, but I’m savouring these moments where random thrown objects and Spirit Box answers make me want to run out of the house immediately.