Killer Frequency, developed by Team17, is a horror comedy adventure that takes players back to the year 1987 in the small town of Gallows Creek, USA. As former big city radio DJ Forrest Nash, you find yourself thrust into a terrifying situation on the graveyard shift of a lifetime. With a unique first-person narrative and real-time decision-making, Killer Frequency delivers a blend of puzzles, suspense, and humor as you try to save callers from a mysterious killer. We checked it out on a PlayStation 5 as well as through a Quest 2 headset.
One of the standout aspects of Killer Frequency is its premise and narrative. The game wastes no time in setting up the stakes, introducing the main character Forrest Nash, a fallen-from-grace radio host, and his producer Peggy. The relationship between Forrest and Peggy adds depth to the game’s tonal and narrative success, providing a balance between tense moments and lighter, more relaxed interactions. As you receive calls from various eccentric small-town personalities, the game keeps you engaged with clever puzzles that require you to explore your surroundings and gather clues. The puzzles often involve using contextual information about the town’s history and geography to help callers survive the night, but the game does a good enough job of getting you up to speed on these things.
The gameplay mechanics in Killer Frequency are well-executed, offering a satisfying blend of puzzle solving and real-time decision-making. Most of the game takes place in a single room, the radio station, which serves as the main hub. The player is tasked with managing the radio show while also handling emergency calls. The tactile nature of the radio station adds to the immersion, allowing you to interact with records, make announcements, and take calls. The game cleverly incorporates environmental clues and items that you need to find to aid the callers, ensuring that the puzzles feel varied and engaging.
Visually, Killer Frequency stands out with its retro slasher setting and vibe. The game captures the essence of the 1980s with its authentic and detailed radio station environment, complete with physics-based objects reminiscent of that era – which work especially well in VR. The visuals feature a slightly cell-shaded style that blends soft brush views with sharpness and malice, creating a unique aesthetic. Additionally, the game’s fully voiced cast and killer original soundtrack of 80s-inspired tunes, ranging from rock classics to synthwave, enhance the immersive experience. The visuals aren’t overflowing with detail, but this is something PS5 owners will notice a lot more than VR players.
Especially in VR, the game manages to capture the horror and dread-inducing atmosphere of a fairly recognizable yet isolated (so never entirely comfortable) environment. The seamless blend of worldbuilding, character development, and environmental clues showcases the developer’s storytelling skills as well, with a nice and novel way to approach to horror that works great in VR and the branching storyline give you a great sense of immersion. Because you’re actually running a radio show some of the gameplay mechanics might seem gimmicky at first, but it doesn’t take long before it draws you in with calls from distressed listeners.
Without VR to immersive you in the story, the fact that a lot of game takes place in a DJ booth can make the story feel a bit repetitive for players. If you have the choice, play this one in VR. You’ll feel like the star of an indie horror film from over three decades ago.
Score: 7.7/10
Press Play Media 