In an update about new additions to the beta version of the game, Phasmophobia developer Kinetic Games revealed that “the ghost will now listen for player voices when hunting.” The biggest news for most Phasmophobia players, however, was that the game didn’t already include this feature.
In a subsequent reply, Kinetic confirmed that it was added to the game because “lots of people thought it was a feature” already. With the game already allowing for audio input for communicating both with other players and with the ghost, as well as antagonizing ghosts by calling out their name, it’s no surprise players believed that mic input would also lead a ghost to their location. The bad news is, if the ghosts weren’t using those clues before, they’re about to get even more deadly on a hunt.
Kinetic have elaborated that the update will be “based on how loud your mic is,” meaning players will still be able to safely whisper while being hunted. Another recent update also improved ghosts’ hunting behaviors, allowing ghosts to remember a player’s last known location and to search that area first.
Just to clear up any confusion.
Talking/taunting the ghost before a hunt makes it appear/interact in the game.
What’s different now is the ghost can now locate you via your own microphone sounds. #Phasmophobia
— Phasmophobia (@KineticGame) January 11, 2021
The voice update is currently in the beta version of the game for testing, and will come to the live version of Phasmophobia some time in the future. Players can opt into the beta through their Steam client if they want to try out the new iteration of ghost hunts for themselves.
Phasmophobia was a surprise success of 2020, taking out the Best Debut Game at the 2020 Game Awards. It’s still going strong in 2021, showing up as one of the top five earning Steam games in the first full week of the year.
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