At A Glance
Released on: 10/12/21
Reviews: 41, net positive, as of 7/2023
English Reviews: 72
Localized in:
Had Publisher: No, but did an Indiegogo funding round
Majority of reviews:
English ~35%
Simp Chinese ~15%
Russian ~10%
Price: $4.99
Review report:
Negatives: Difficulty finding what to do next/where to go, lack of story
Positives: Art is excellent, jumpscares (albeit very few) are there and work
Gameplay
Set the difficulty at main menu to ‘easy’
First puzzle encountered was a box pusher, not impossible
Opening doors in sleeping quarters, most of them are locked or empty
Personally, I think leaving the entire mansion open to player exploration was a mistake, the expanse is too vast for players to search without getting bored. Needs to be more linear (Think RE5, Evil within, etc.). Large, but still contained and digestible for players.
After dying completely for the first time the experiment video plays again while waking up, the doctor speech makes more sense after hearing it a second time, useful in case players just tried to run away (like me)
In order, the game was as follows
Solve box puzzles on 4th floor
Take power cord from the theater room
Deliver power cord to the tv on first floor
Take vhs tape from tv
Deliver vhs tape to theater on 4th floor
Take key from projector
Use key in office on 1st floor
There were additional notes that provided clues on how to proceed, but were not necessary to complete the game
Music
Exploration of the mansion has no music, but there is a constant, droning noise
Mysterious music plays while watching an experimental film
Tension-building music plays after key is obtained
Sounds
Grandfather clock ticking and echoing through a room
Throughout the house creaking, groaning, and footsteps(?) can be heard at random intervals
Art
Graphically impressive, animations and model of the MC are excellent
3rd person over-the-shoulder similar to dead space or Evil Within
When in doubt, turn brightness up (Or, start the brightness out at a higher level in the event players don’t think to change brightness options like me), game started out too dark
Scare Factor
Very dark, not easy to see with the little handheld candle
Subtle droning, with very little sounds make a tense environment to explore
Jumpscared after finding a key behind a screen projector in the theater
After obtaining the key a monster starts to stalk the halls
Monster doesn't walk around, seems to be more like a landmine that the player triggers if they get too close
Makes really creepy stomping noises when player tries to run away
Extra
Hard to tell what type of game it is from the Steam images
Made with Unreal
The game attempted to receive Indiegogo funds, but fell extremely short if the numbers are correct - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/phantom-project#/
Tried to fund for 500K USD, received ~$550 USD
Had a separate indiegogo campaign for localization costs that did not receive funding
Overall
It’s a short game which is nice with a terrific photorealistic artstyle, but it’s marred by a lack of direction for the player and a massive interior where very little happens to keep the player engaged
I think the Steam page would have benefitted from one of the evil ladies on the capsule instead of the little girls face
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