After playing your go-to game for months, leaving your comfort zone can be difficult. Still, Kinetic Games’ “Phasmophobia” is the multiplayer horror game we have been waiting for. Available for $14, “Phasmophobia” is both incredibly innovative and suspenseful. The player can work with up to three others to unveil the ghost out for blood.

The best part of the game is how smart each ghost “AI” is. The game is constantly using the player’s microphone, so they can hear the player say key phrases like the ghost’s name, profanities, or “I’m scared.” This way, the experience feels much more real and personal, while simultaneously amping up the fright. It also makes sure no game is ever the same, even if you are playing the same map with the same people for the fifth time. 

The voice chat feature realizes the experience and makes it feel as though you actually are ghost hunting with your friends. It includes well-implemented echos and muffling of each player’s voice, so if the player is in the room next to another, it really sounds like there is a wall between you. The player’s voice echoes, making the whole setting eerier. Above all, the inclusion of the walkie talkies for when players are too far away also helps, especially when you get a chill down your spine because your partner’s voice went out and they are not responding.  

Though the game is very exciting, it is not without its faults. The voice chat, a necessary part of the gameplay, has a tendency to cut-out, leaving players unable to communicate. With a game so communication-heavy, this is a problem that must be fixed. 

The animation is also a little rough, but for the most part, it seems to fit the aesthetic of the game. Not every video game has to have beautiful high-quality graphics, after all, and its well-executed concept more than makes up for it. 

If you have $14 and at least two friends who are also willing to buy the game, check it out.