The horror game Phasmophobia uses unusual speech recognition mechanics, forcing the player to communicate with ghosts through a microphone to discover which species they are. While this is not the first game to listen to a player’s voice, in the context of a horror experience it’s definitely something that sets it apart from the rest of the games. And after the latest update, Phasmophobia advances this ‘eavesdropping’ mechanics.
The ghosts in the game will now hear the player and will appear in rooms where there is a player who is actively speaking. As communication among the players in this game is crucial, it will be interesting to see to what extent this will increase the dose of intimidation and confrontation with ghosts.
The developers of the game explained that the ghosts listen to the player’s communication on the principle of microphone volume, meaning it is possible to avoid the ghosts by whispering and quiet communication.
Interestingly, this news was released when the players thought they were being eavesdropped on by the ghost, but they were not entirely sure if it was true. Now it is known, but whether this mechanic will stay in the game – time will tell. For now, this is experimental testing. If this beta test goes well, Phasmophobia players can look forward to whispering during tense ghost chases and checking their mic volume or getting grabbed by a ghost and brutally murdered. Either strategy could work!
During a January 8th update, Kinetic Games also added new features that make ghosts move to your last known position, meaning you’ll probably have to be a little craftier than hiding around the corner. Phasmophobia’s professional difficulty mode will also no longer tell you if a ghost responds to groups of players or isolated individuals. Kinetic Games has also recently teased its new prison level, which promises to be one of its biggest ghost hunting grounds.
