Killer Frequency (PlayStation 5) review "Dial M..."

Once a famed radio DJ with millions of listeners, Forrest Nash is now running the graveyard shift in 1987's Gallows Creek. With the help of producer Peggy, silhouetted in the adjoining room, Forrest is still getting accustomed to his new job in this small town. However, just as his duties begin one fateful night, Forrest becomes a reluctant protagonist within the span of minutes. His first major caller happens to be the town's lone emergency dispatcher, who has come across the sheriff's murdered body at the police station. Dreadfully, the suspected killer is roaming outside the building and, through a series of surreal events, you, as Nash, eventually become the substitute emergency dispatcher for all 911 calls, while also running your program.

Despite the implication that this will be happening in real time during a live broadcast, Killer Frequency's structure doesn't actually use that as a concept. In fact, if you look at a clock anywhere in the radio station during each "chapter", it forever stays frozen on a specific time. If anything, the structure is closer to that of an adventure title: in a first-person view, you search for clues and items, pick from choices, and hope you didn't accidentally have someone killed. But how are you able to conduct all these objectives when you have to stay at your desk and answer distress calls? How Killer Frequency handles this is, to an extent, its strongest suit.

Basically, the majority of calls received are puzzles that you must solve due to the killer's presence in their vicinity. Take for example the call concerning the dispatcher at the police station. With the sheriff dead and the killer trying to get back inside the station, you must carefully guide the dispatcher away. However, adding a layer, the dispatcher must also drag an unconscious deputy with her to safety. Here, you're presented with descriptions of what's happening and their surroundings through dialogue, which you must rely on when selecting one of two to three choices, some of which are timed. Failure to pick the right choices won't conclude with a game over, but you will lose the deputy in the process.

Subsequent callers offer variants to the default "listen and decide" puzzle, and these usually require you to step away from the desk while a record of your selection is played. Whether exploring an office room or the receptionist area inside the radio station, you'll need to find important items like documents or a hastily-drawn map sent via fax machine. Simply discovering such objects won't solve the puzzle, because there are red herrings placed about to throw you off. One example involves getting a whole group to safety, with each person having strengths and weaknesses. You're tasked with assigning people to objectives, but there's a certain someone that's very good at something, but at the same time very rambunctious at it. Given the situation, are they good or bad for a specific task?

Reading comprehension will be your savior in Killer Frequency.

Definitely an interesting set-up for a video game, but as you can tell, it has a mostly by-the-numbers design concerning gameplay. Though, that shouldn't be an immediate dismissal of its overall quality. It caters to a specific audience, those seeking story-driven products that also aren't heavily-reliant on impressive or flashy visuals every few minutes. That's not to say Killer Frequency has bad graphics, as there's an intentionally-subdued atmosphere considering Forrest is doing a radio program past midnight. It also mostly stays true to its time frame, as the radio station is littered with vinyl records, cassettes, VHS tapes, and a bit of neon lighting.



Though, it has to be said that while the game will provide a few hours of entertainment, it's the type of entertainment that strictly stays in its lane right up to its climax. While there are attempts to change up the pacing with different puzzle types, even those fall into a repetitive pattern of leave desk-find item in building-go back to desk. Mileage will also vary based on your preference concerning dialogue-heavy stories, especially one with an emphasis on characters with differing personalities. Having said that, the game bills itself as a horror comedy, but the "humor" just falls flat most times; a lot of it leans too much on stereotypes, like the lonely geeky man with a nasally voice or the frat guy with a "surfer dude" accent without placing more depth into their writing.

You're also required to put in a bit of suspension of disbelief in order for the plot to function the way it does; Forrest nonchalantly divulges personal information of complete strangers during his live broadcast, not to mention it's implied that several callers just happen to be carrying brick cellphones in a small town during 1987. That, or they have really long telephone cords out in the middle of nowhere. Still, Killer Frequency is a nice little adventure title if you don't think hard about these nitpicks or expect something grand from its plot. Consider playing it as a "break" before you move on to your next big title.

Community review by dementedhut (October 24, 2023) One of the many spin-offs and sequels of OutRun. There's... so many.