Hunting For The Truth
The truth is out there. UFOs have been a part of our world – and our cultural consciousness – since the Roswell incident in the desert in 1947. Conspiracy theories, TV shows, and films have captured our imaginations since that time, from The X-Files to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Nowadays though, just as governments are admitting that UFOs exist, the public reaction has essentially been, “Okay… what’s on Netflix?”
Video games have tackled the subject too, from the early days of Space Invaders right up to the present day with UFOPHILIA. Here, you are on the hunt for extraterrestrial life, equipped with a host of tools housed in your caravan. But can you capture the evidence before you are captured yourself? Let’s find out.
The Alien-Hunting Premise
UFOPHILIA is clearly influenced and inspired by the recent success of Phasmophobia. In that game, you visit several locations armed with specialised equipment to hunt ghosts. Here, the premise is similar, but this time you are hunting aliens.
The major difference between the two is that the ghost-hunting title relies heavily on multiplayer for its scares and enjoyment factor, whereas UFOPHILIA is a strictly single-player experience.
There isn’t a story as such either. There is no setup explaining who you are, how you got into hunting UFOs, or who is funding your equipment. There are no narrative arcs to follow; you just need to find and photograph these aliens. And why not?
The Core Gameplay Loop
You start in your caravan, where you find a list of instructions on your laptop and a document listing the different types of aliens you might encounter. In the training section at the beginning, you have two pieces of equipment available: a camera and a microwave reader. You walk around the location in first-person with your reader, and if the lights turn green, an alien is nearby.
At this point, you enter a stage called ‘Phase 4’, where the alien becomes visible. Your goal is to photograph the entity to complete the level. But be aware: each alien is different, and if you aren’t careful, you might end up being abducted, resulting in a Game Over.
Identifying the Visitors
The laptop in the caravan contains all the information you need to identify the target. There are nine types of aliens to deduce and identify. Some respond to specific stimuli, such as light or sound. Some are playful, some like to watch, and some are aggressive. It is an intriguing game of cat and mouse featuring some genuine jump scares. Each time you play a location, the alien will not be the same, as they are randomly generated every time.
If you complete the level and capture an image of the alien, you earn experience points. These points unlock new locations – there are seven in total, ranging from a police station to a campsite – as well as new equipment like Geiger counters and a magnetometer. There are multiple endings, and the gameplay loop is interesting, full of atmosphere and suspense.
Inventory Limits and Base Backtracking
The biggest problem I had with UFOPHILIA is that the laptop is required to access information about the alien on the prowl, but to consult it, you must keep returning to the caravan. Why couldn’t you have a portable display with you? Furthermore, you can only carry two pieces of equipment at a time, so you are constantly making trips backwards and forwards.
Visually, the game does a good job with its locations, though some are much more effective than others in terms of building suspense. I like the alien designs and how they move. The caravan looks great, capturing the feel of a homemade base with instructions handwritten on a whiteboard. The sound design is excellent and masterful at making you feel uneasy too, as you wonder what is around the corner with every creak you hear. Hearing a growl is very unsettling, but the most frightening moment is hearing breathing right beside you…
A Solitary Search
I like what UFOPHILIA is trying to achieve. The concept and gameplay loop are fun and addictive. There is a good range of aliens and a solid incentive to unlock new locations and equipment. However, the constant back-and-forth between the location and base is a tad annoying.
There is also the elephant in the room: the lack of multiplayer, which is what made the ghost-hunting alternative such a success. If we could have taken a team with us to hunt aliens, UFOPHILIA would have scored a bit higher.
Important Links
UFOPHILIA Lands On Xbox – A Paranormal Investigation Twist – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ufophilia-lands-on-xbox-a-paranormal-investigation-twist/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/ufophilia/9MXBHD0NHNV9/0010
