Phantasmal: City of Darkness

Phantasmal: City of Darkness for XONE and PC is a first-person perspective survival horror which uses procedurally generated levels. The title was developed by Eyemobi Ltd. and the setting was designed in cooperation with Brian Bell, the man responsible for light in such movie hits like Riddick and The Ring 2.

The game is an independent production which was created thanks to the successful crowdfunding campaign organized in 2014 on Kickstarter.

Gameplay

The game takes place in the Chinese city Kowloon Walled just before it was completely destroyed in nineties of the recent century due to the great increase of criminal activity. During the game player must face the terrifying creatures that lurk in the darkness and the procedurally generated environment which makes each playthrough different. The setting was created in cooperation with Brian Bell, the man responsible for light in such Hollywood movie hits like Riddick, The Ring 2 and Life of Pi.

The game has dark, depressing and heavy tune. Similarly as in other titles in the genre, combat is the last resort. The key to effective play is to sneak past the terrifying opponents. However, when combat does starts, then the player can use anything that is nearby. In some places one can find gunfire which is the blessing and the curse at the same time – too much noise lures new dangers to the player. Overusing the light source can be dangerous as well.

In comparison to the opponents, the protagonist is weak – not only physically, but most of all mentally. Enemies are using that, trying to get the protagonist mad. In addition to sneaking past the creatures, looking for hidden resources and other items that allow surviving is an important part of the gameplay.

Last updated on 17 June 2015