Inside the Design of Phasmophobia’s Player Character Update

Corey Dixon, Art Director for Kinetic Games

Summary

Co-op horror paranormal investigation game Phasmophobia launches its next major update on its road to 1.0.
The game’s Art Director goes into detail on the new Player Character Update, which introduces avatar customisability for the first time
The update also features many immersion enhancements, such as seeing your own body, seeing teammate equipment at a glance, and improved death animations.

This year, Phasmophobia is coming up to its sixth birthday in Early Access, and finally approaching its full 1.0 release. In that time, the game has grown and evolved in ways we couldn’t have imagined at the start. I joined early on in that journey, when things were still new and felt a little experimental. Since then, we’ve expanded and improved almost every part of the game, from new ghost types and equipment, to complete overhauls of existing maps. These improvements are all part of our final vision for the game when it releases into 1.0 this year, but some parts, such as the player character system, still remain largely unchanged.

We first started thinking about reworks, including the player character system, nearly five years ago with the intention of making the experience of playing Phasmophobia more realistic. Now, as we approach full launch, it felt like the right time to finally tackle it.

One of the biggest changes is also the simplest: you now have a body!

For the first time, players can now look down and see legs, move through environments in a way that feels more physical, and hold equipment properly. Equipment is now visible on your character when it’s not in your hands, so you can quickly see what your teammates are carrying without needing to ask. Also, the flashlights are no longer stuck in place as players have a left hand – which makes a bigger difference than you’d expect when moving through a dark place mid-investigation.

We wanted it to feel like you’re actually in the game rather than just floating through a space, as this will ultimately help players feel more immersed in the world.

We’ve also moved away from some of the ‘visual quirks’ of the old system. Loved by many, the ‘bendy backs’ and odd movements had their charm, but they could break the tension at the wrong moment. We of course want players laughing with each other, but not at what is happening on screen. The horror immersion works best when it is more realistic, and should make the scarier moments easier to digest without someone bending in half next to them.

Phasmophobia works best when you’re communicating, reacting, and figuring the investigation out together. When you can easily read what your teammates are doing and feel more present in the space, the experience clicks in a different way.

Customisation was another big focus. Before, you would often see multiple of the same character repeated in a lobby, and this system didn’t give much room for individual player identity. Players have loved expressing themselves with the existing ID cards backgrounds and badges feature, so with this rework, we wanted to open that up further, so investigations feel more personal.

There is now much more variety for customisable elements, which goes a long way in a co-op game. Hair colour and outfit options are just the start, and we’ll be expanding this over time with more choices.

Alongside this, animation has been a major area of improvement. We wanted movement to be more believable across the board whilst also giving certain moments more impact – especially death. The team have completely reworked the death animations: dying in a Phasmophobia game should feel like a whole moment in itself, and this is something we will continue to build on as we introduce new ghosts later on.

A lot of the work on this update has been behind the scenes, and it’s easily been one of the more complex tasks we’ve taken on. It’s been a big milestone for the team, and one we’ve been thinking about for years. Seeing it all come together has been incredibly rewarding, and it’s only the beginning of pushing the horror experience as we head towards 1.0 and beyond.

We’re really excited for players to jump in and experience these new moments, even if it means dying a little more and losing some of their hard-earned equipment along the way.

Phasmophobia (Game Preview)

Kinetic Games

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This game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game. INVESTIGATE Immersive Experience: Realistic graphics and sounds as well as a minimal user interface ensure a totally immersive experience that will keep you on your toes. Unique Ghosts: Identify over 20 different ghost types, each with unique traits, personalities, and abilities to make each investigation feel different from the last. Equipment: Use well-known ghost-hunting equipment such as EMF Readers, Spirit Boxes, Thermometers, and Night Vision Cameras to find clues and gather as much paranormal evidence as you can. Find Cursed Possessions that grant information or abilities in exchange for your sanity. PLAY YOUR WAY Locations: Choose from over 10 different haunted locations, each with unique twists, hiding spots, and layouts. Game Modes: With 5 default difficulties and daily and weekly challenges, there are plenty of ways to test your skills. Teamwork: Dive in head first, get your hands dirty searching for evidence while fighting for your life. If you're not feeling up to the task, play it safe and support your team from the truck by monitoring the investigation with CCTV and motion sensors. Custom Difficulty: Create your own games to tailor the difficulty to your or your group's needs, with proportional rewards and come up with crazy game modes of your own! MULTIPLAYER Co-operate: Play alongside your friends with up to 4 players in this co-op horror where teamwork is key to your success. Play together: Phasmophobia supports all players together, play with your friends with any combination of input types. Cross-play: Play alongside your friends on other platforms. Full details on the latest status of the game, how you can give feedback and report issues can be found at https://ift.tt/qWUAm1i.