Since Phasmophobia took the indie world by storm with its co-op ghost hunting mechanics, there have been a few imitators. Some of them, like Ghost Exile or Demonologist, have kept the basics of developer Kinetic Games’ formula, but put their own spin on it. Even things like Lethal Company are going for a somewhat similar vibe. But Mirowin’s Bureau of Contacts is trying something a little bit more advanced.
Very much taking cues from the likes of Phasmo, Bureau of Contacts is, on the surface, a ghost hunting horror game for up to four players. However, its biggest sell is that it attempts to magnify the scares with spooky goings-on that are intelligent and able to shift at will. According to the website, it does this through the use of “generative AI technologies,” with the studio boasting that it has “trained a neural network to kill.”
Over on the Steam page, the studio describes this neural network as being able to control each ghost’s “behavior and tactics,” which changes depending on the actions of players. It’s also said to be able to hear your voice and adjust how it acts based on what you say.
How could I not go ahead and install it after a sales pitch like that?
Bureau of Contacts? More like “bureau of crap-pants”
If you’re familiar with Phasmophobia, you already know how this is going to go down. Players enter a haunted location and, with a series of tools at their disposal, must locate and identify the kind of ghost that’s hanging around. However, with Bureau of Contacts – much like other ghost hunting games – there are some tweaks which do make it slightly more advanced.
For example, while you can ascertain where paranormal activity is happening based on thermometer readings, this game has a little more nuance. The temperature might rise, it might lower, or it can even fluctuate. Similarly, with the EMP reader. It’s not just a one and done mechanic; you have to actually decide what kind of sound the device is emitting.
It also looks great at the moment, despite it being in the early stages of development. Adequately spooky and atmospheric. However, where the game comes into its own is through the use of horror as imagined by this neural network. This may well be the first of its kind in the gaming industry, with Mirowin selling the idea that this is the most “human-like intelligence.”
It definitely does increase much of the tension via unpredictability. If ghosts are able to change their behavior on the fly based on what’s happening during investigations, then it stands to reason that you can’t ever truly know what’s around the corner. The video below shows it in action. Phasmophobia has similar voice-activated scares, but here it’s purported to be more state-of-the-art.
Sure enough, our time in Bureau of Contacts may have been short, but it was pretty intense. There may be just the one map so far (it’s still in Early Access), but it’s sizable enough to get a decent amount of playtime out of it.
As for the scares themselves, it seems there is something to be said for having a highly advanced algorithm as the director, deciding how and when it attacks players. We noted numerous instances of unexplained sounds, such as running footsteps, being knocked down by invisible entities, as well as literal traps being laid.
How much of what we experienced was scripted or just ambient sounds is hard to say. It definitely felt like we were never safe so long as we remained in the house. If a neural network is pulling the strings on digital ghosts which watch our every move and listen to what we say, there’s gotta be some potential for a truly horrifying experience.
I will admit that it’s perhaps a little too soon to truly appreciate what Bureau of Contacts is trying to achieve. It’s still very much in development, but that does mean it’s on the cheap side. Currently, of the few hundred that have reviewed the game on Steam, many are impressed with what they’ve played so far, with one person admitting they “nearly pissed” themselves about four times. Not something I would readily admit to on a public forum, but I’m perhaps more traditional when it comes to embarrassing tidbits.
The game’s not been out long, having launched June 20. There was an update recently which did add in a tutorial section. Honestly, if you want to actually get to grips with the basics, it’s best to learn via these sections, even if you are familiar with other releases in this genre.
This could be one to watch out for. One of the backlashes of this is how people feel about games with generative AI. Everyone has their own opinion, of course, with many fearing it could spell the end of human input in the creative industries.
In this case, however, it seems like Mirowin is interested in using AI/neural networks for scare factors only. It’s up to you to decide whether this is a slippery slope into generative artificial intelligence dominating video games and other media, or whether you think it can have its uses. Is scaring players half to death “useful”? Only time will tell.
Published: Jul 9, 2024 02:21 pm