Project Unknown beckons with the allure of a terrifying shared experience. Up to four players can band together online, braving the horrors that dwell within its depths. This review delves into the chilling depths of Project Unknown to unearth its secrets, but is this cooperative descent into the darkness worth taking, or will it leave you lost and frustrated?
A Symphony of Dread
Project Unknown sees you don the role of what I can only call a paranormal estate agent. The overarching story is that your clients wish to sell their properties through your estate agency. The only problem is that said properties are haunted and require exorcising before going on the market. That’s where you come in.
The narrative unfolds through environmental storytelling and the use of specialist tools to discover possessed items. Players assume the roles of four unique characters from a first-person perspective, each possessing specialised abilities that prove crucial for survival. The objective is to exorcise malevolent spirits from numerous locations (at present the only location is a large house, but more locations are to follow), using a variety of tools at their disposal, including the Ghost Magnifier, Ritual Bell, Curse Sensor and Flashlight Unit.
The gameplay loop revolves around exploration, using your detection skills, and strategic ghost hunting. Players must work cohesively to navigate treacherous environments, decipher haunting clues, and banish the restless spirits that lurk within. Success hinges on communication, resource management, and a healthy dose of courage. Failure to do any of those things may well result in you joining your undead foes sooner than you expected!
Unveiling the Mysteries
Project Unknown boasts a solid blend of complex mechanics that cater beautifully to cooperative play. Players can utilise a variety of tools, including a magnifying glass that can scan items and detect whether or not they are possessed, and a ritual bell that rids a location of ghostly, red miasma. Each character possesses unique abilities that synergise with one another, such as being able to detect entities through walls or chanting powerful prayers that allow you to go unnoticed by ghosts for a short time.
The game thrives on a risk-reward system. Players must strategically utilise their abilities while conserving resources. Failure to do so can lead to dire consequences, plunging the team deeper into despair. For example, before stepping into the house, there is a generator outside, which you must switch on in order to provide power to the house. Otherwise, you will be operating in utter darkness, which isn’t a good idea because spending too long in the dark will decrease your sanity, which in turn makes it easier for the ghost to find and capture you. It turns out that darkness also attracts the ghost, so standing around in it is an inherently bad idea!
Once the generator is on, you have the option of switching the lights on in each room that you enter. Each light switch is indicated by a red light, which is a nice touch as it would otherwise be impossible to detect in the darkness. It is natural to instinctively turn every light in the house on, but that is a very bad idea. If you do that, you will overload the generator and only have a few moments to turn some lights off before the power in the house trips (which means it shuts down), which is preceded by all of the activated lights pulsating briefly before plunging you into darkness.
From here, the only option is to head down to the dark, incredibly deep and cluttered cellar in order to flip the switch back on again to restore power to the house. (And yes, that is indeed blood staining the stairs and doorframe to the cellar…)
There are several types of ghosts (including “mini-ghosts”) in Project Unknown, each of which has unique methods of attack. One particularly unnerving type of ghost is mannequins that sneak up on you…but only when you’re not looking. They will follow you unless you are walking backwards and have them in your line of sight. The moment you look at them, they freeze in place, looking just like…well, like mannequins!
Each tool that you have performs a specific task, and each is as vital as the other to have in your arsenal. For example, the magnifying glass allows you to scan items to see whether they are possessed (purple means yes). The ritual bell allows you to cleanse a space of any red miasma (ghostly mist, in the context of this game) because not doing so will decrease your character’s sanity to the point where they become easy prey for the ghosts!
The main aim of Project Unknown is to exorcise any possessed items via the use of a ritual circle (which just happens to be in the far reaches of what is possibly the creepiest basement in video game history).
To exorcise said items, you are to take them down to the ritual circle, toss them in and bask in the purple glow that erupts all around the item, disintegrating it and the associated spirit(s) forever! The implementation of a ritual circle and the method in which it works feels good and is exciting each time you use it.
A Shared Nightmare
Project Unknown is designed from the ground up for cooperative play and is best enjoyed with others. While the game can indeed be played solo, the experience is vastly more rewarding with a team of friends by your side. Communication and coordination are paramount for overcoming the game’s challenges. Not only does it improve your chances of succeeding with the exorcisms, but witnessing the terror unfold alongside others elevates the sense of dread and camaraderie and makes you feel like less of a baby better.
A Feast for the Senses
It is immediately apparent that Project Unknown looks utterly stunning. The entire world around you is dripping with expertly-constructed atmosphere. Every aspect of the world and the items within it have been crafted to incredible detail in order to maximise the effect of death and despair being all around you. Even the small photographs in the house are terrifying!
Every ghost type looks incredible and has clearly had a lot of thought gone into it. Some ghosts crawl along the walls and others sneak up on you when you’re not looking, and they all enhance the feeling of hopelessness!
The sound design in Project Unknown is equally impressive. Every footstep is slightly too loud in the creepy-as-hell environment, but that’s deliberate and works perfectly. The environment itself creaks and groans, adding further still to the overall feeling of dread. The sound of ghostly footsteps and strange noises in the otherwise quiet surroundings are kneaded into the game perfectly! Also, the sound of the generator running outside the house acts as a reminder that your survival relies heavily on that single piece of machinery!
Overall, Project Unknown masterfully crafts an immersive audio-visual experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll!
A Glimpse Into the Future
As an Early Access title, Project Unknown’s content is currently limited as mentioned above. However, the developers have outlined an ambitious roadmap for the future. This includes the addition of new playable characters, maps, ghosts, items, and interactions. While the current experience offers a decent amount of replayability, especially when tackling the challenges with different groups of friends, those seeking a sprawling narrative or extensive content library may want to wait for the game’s full release but there’s no harm in jumping in early and riding the wave, either!
Conclusion
Project Unknown is a promising cooperative horror experience that delivers a potent blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and ghost-hunting. The unique character abilities, strategic mechanics, and chilling audio-visual atmosphere create a truly terrifying experience. While the Early Access nature of the game limits the content currently available, the developer’s roadmap hints at a bright future. If you’re looking for a thrilling adventure to share with friends, or if you think you’re tough enough to brave it alone, Project Unknown is definitely worth a visit!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Unique characters with specialised abilities.
- Strategic ghost-hunting mechanics.
- Authentic ghost-hunting tools.
- Stunning and immersive environments.
- Great sound design.
- Wonderfully creepy and varied ghost types.
Cons
- Limited content due to Early Access status.
- Narrative unfolds primarily through environmental storytelling.
- Several aspects aren’t explained by the game.
