Ghost hunting is a craze that really took off in the mid 2000s. TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures were talked about quite often, and still to this day many paranormal investigation shows can be seen. From investigations, to stories about personal encounters; there is still quite the demand for such content out there, and those watching these shows come from all walks of life. There are people who believe in ghosts, those who think they cannot possibly exist, and then you have the many groups out there that have their own thoughts on what ghosts are. Whatever the case may be, the PIT: Paranormal Investigation is one such group that continues to investigate the unknown.
Ghost Frequency is a collaboration between PIT, their real world ghost hunting app, and Serafini Productions; the developer behind the episodic horror series BrokenLore. The game is a short horror experience that was developed as a side project to their main series, and prior to its release they reached out to us to get an early look.
So first of all, I'd like to thank Serafini Productions for providing us with a free early review copy! As a fan of horror games, I really appreciate getting the chance to check this one out! But also as someone who actually gets freaked out by ghosts, rather than monsters, zombies, etc... Well, I'll admit this one actually scared me going in! But with that being said, I'm not going to lie when I say this game will not be for everyone, and it is also important to understand that this is in fact a short experience. There is an achievement for completing the game in under 20 minutes, and now that I know what to do, that is very much doable. It isn't a game to come back to over and over again, and a few playthroughs to get all of the achievements might be more than enough. Of course there is always the option of showing it off to friends, but for more complete experiences in general, there are many other options out there.
The Story & Gameplay:
The setup for Ghost Frequency is quite simple. You are a part of a paranormal investigation team, and two of your team members vanished once they entered this house. You, a man named Mark, go into the house itself to figure out what happened, and search for any ghosts that might be in the area. This is of course just the setup for what is to come, but the story itself is told by your actions rather than cutscenes and non-stop dialogue. Sure the main character and his partner chat with each other as things get setup, but the overall story comes from what you see.
Once inside the house the game takes place from a body camera's point of view, and you are able to walk around, run, open doors, and zoom into things to get a better look. It then takes you through the steps of pulling out your ghost hunting app, and searching for points with higher EMP readings. Once this is taken care of, you go through the steps of setting up cameras, and searching for any other suspicious parts of the building. It does a great job of taking you through the steps of what a real world ghost hunter would do, but sometimes advancing isn't always as obvious. You need to visit specific locations of the house to trigger the next step, and the dark initially confusing room layout takes some getting used to. (I'm also not sure why the house has countless drawers and cabinets, but they are there for you to open up as well.)
This, in a nutshell, is the entire game. Yes there are jump scares, and there is also a battery on your flashlight that will eventually die if you take too long. This will then force you to make your way back to your bag to change them out, and be guided by nothing but the flame of a lighter until you do so. It made the game extra dark and creepy while exploring, and made some of the possible jump scares get to me even more! But overall the game didn't scare me too much.
I obviously cannot ruin the last section of the game, nor can I tell where the story goes. It does have an interesting twist however, which makes me wonder if it will be used again in the BrokenLore main series. (Or if this was just a one off thing.) Again, this is a short experience so there is no saving or checkpoints, but that forces you to stay within the horror and keep pushing through to the conclusion. Unfortunately I had to restart the game a few times due to personal time constraints, but once I dedicated a few hours just to the game I was able to knock it out no problem. My first completion run was close to the two hour mark, but that is mainly because of me getting lost trying to trigger an event to start.
Should you play it?
Ghost Frequency is a mini horror experience that has some pretty good ideas at its core. I would love to see this be developed into a full title, as it feels more like a prologue to something bigger, but I can recommend it to any horror fan who has a little extra cash to spend on a few hours of entertainment. If you are looking for something more substantial, then there are a lot more options out there, but I personally liked what I played… It just left me wanting more.
VERDICT: Recommended (but I want more!)
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