Phantasma is not necessarily a game we would have checked out if it wasn’t recommended to us by a few friends. This game for the HTC Vive costs $9.99 and is a lot more fun than we had originally assumed.From an atmospheric point of view, the game raises the bar on every level. Combine this with a decent background story, a few puzzles, and good audio, and you will have one hell of a game for a small amount of money.
Phantasma is a Great Psychological Horror Game
It is always good to see more good games come to the VR industry. In most cases, game titles get lost in the sea of mediocrity, regardless of how good they might be. This is why Phantasma was not necessarily on our list at first, but after a few recommendations, we decided to check it out regardless. That was a pretty smart decision, considering there is a lot to like about the game. At first, we weren’t taken aback by the story of uncovering the story about Flappy Bunny. It turns out there is a lot more to this TV show than meets the eye. This becomes quite apparent through the different puzzles you have to solve.
Throughout Phantasma, you are mainly solving puzzles which gradually become more challenging. Most of the puzzles will make you question your own skills, even though the solution is not always that hard to find. There are subtle cues to take into account, as those help you come up with the proper solution in time. Most of the time in this game is spent figuring out what possible answer there is to a specific puzzle.
To some people, this may sound pretty frustrating. Rest assured you will get frustrated quite a few times, but in a good way. Once you get the hand of the puzzle and decide to replay the game for the story, you won’t spend over an hour. Sadly, most of the puzzles revolve around the same concept over and over again. It is not the best solution whatsoever, as you will get tired of moving blocks around after the first two hours. All of this is made up for with a great atmospheric experience. The game design is of a different level compared to what we have grown used to in VR games. While a horror game of sorts, there are no jump scares. Instead, you always feel this tangible sense of dread. A job well done by the developers, to say the least.
For players who enjoy suspense, great graphics, and a narrative that is seemingly from another world altogether, Phantasma is an excellent purchase. It’s not the most expensive game either, which makes it all the more appealing. However, the puzzles can get frustrating at times, and players need to be aware of this fact first and foremost. It is well worth picking up in our opinion, as there is a lot of great content to enjoy. Especially for this price, you can’t go wrong.
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