Launched in October 2020 by one-man studio, Kinetic Games, Phasmophobia quickly rose to the top of the Steam charts and became one of the biggest titles of last year that offers a unique and horrifying multiplayer experience. For the unfamiliar, Phasmophobia is an indie early access title that’s basically about ghost hunting.
A group of four players is tasked to explore a variety of haunted locations, and they’re supposed to discover what kind of ghost or spirit is residing there by utilizing different commands and ideas in order to lure it. Kinetic Games is constantly updating and improving the horror game, and now it appears that the developer has decided to spice things up with the latest update.
Apparently, players now have to worry about how much they’re talking and how loud they’re being when a spirit is lurking around the area. According to the most recent patch notes, ghosts will allegedly be able to find a player by following their voice. Kinetic Games notes that “the Ghost will now listen for player voices when hunting and will search those locations.”
The voice update is based on how loud your mic is. So you will be able to whisper during a hunt.
— Phasmophobia (@KineticGame) January 11, 2021
The developer adds that this feature is currently still experimental and that it would be highly appreciated if the players report any issues with it so that Kinetic Games can release a fix in a later update. Without a doubt, this new feature definitely adds even more depth to Phasmophobia’s horror experience, given that spirits can now effectively locate and prey on a player, especially when they call out for help.
This kind of feature reminds us of the mic detection feature on Alien Isolation, where the player has to be extra careful when exploring Anesidora because one small noise and the Alien will be quick to investigate.
That being said, we imagine that Phasmophobia’s version of this will be harder in theory, especially since communicating with the rest of one’s team is a crucial part of its gameplay. On the bright side, Kinetic Games clarifies that this noise detecting feature will depend on how loud a player’s microphone is.
In other words, players can whisper to one another and this won’t alert the ghost of their whereabouts. It’s somewhat amusing because Phasmophobia players thought that this feature was already a part of the game since its launch. One player even replied to Kinetic Games’ tweet saying, “I thought the ghost was already listening for my voice. Now I feel stupid.” A lot of other players seem to share the same thoughts, with some being left disappointed that the ghosts weren’t listening to them this entire time.
In other news, the game itself still continues to thrive and exceed expectations. As a matter of fact, Phasmophobia was one of the top five best-selling games on Valve’s digital storefront, Steam, only last week.
The December 2020 update also introduced a brand-new prison level, where players can roam the halls of a vast and empty prison with barely any light. Fans still continue to request Kinetic Games for more content and maps—a few years down the road and Phasmophobia will most likely become an expansive horror experience.
