Deathwatchers takes the "spot the difference" element of the first game, and has you go on site to find those differences directly, and banish the entity directly. It dovetails the two genres that were really kicked off by Observation Duty and Phasmophobia, though it is really its own game (don't expect anything similar to those).
[h3]Early Access[/h3]
As with any Early Access game, expect bugs and things that can be improved, of course, but what makes me recommend the game in this stage is that it's a full playable experience, AND the dev is very responsive. Quick responses in the steam discussion forums, to both bug reports and feedback, and follow up communication is good.
The game has some jankiness to it (movement and interactions are fine, just a learning curve on some equipment and menu awkwardness).
Lastly, I appreciate ANY game that gives a good demo to try it out. I prefer that over relying on the refund process to just figure out if I like the gameplay or not.
[h3]Current Game State[/h3]
The game gives a full experience:
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[*]There's level progression that unlocks upgrades as you go, getting better equipment as you get used to their functions. You can also customize your character and unlock different clothing, etc. Something to go for if you like that.
[*]There's a good variety of maps to play with, each with their own entity, and I believe some of their own unique behaviors (haven't been brave enough to try all the big maps). They are very distinct, ranging from a small house to a larger mansion, and even abandoned subway or police station.
[*] There are several game modes; if you prefer the original Deathwatch experience (sit in a chair looking at cams), you can switch to that mode too, and there's Custom gameplay settings to adjust things if you want it harder or don't like a particular difficulty element.
[*] Multiplayer works well, although I admit I only ever play with my wife and friends. VERY easy to have them join (steam invite process), and I have yet to experience any lag or sync issues (wife next to me, friend lives in a different country, no problems).
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Importantly, [b]the game loop is engaging and forgiving[/b]:
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[*] You enter a map and collect the evidence (log the changes you find). This is already enough to get you reward; it's not an "all or nothing" experience. Don't think you can survive to figure out the banishment? Leave early and still get a bunch of experience and cash.
[*] You are immediately given access to nearly everything (upgrades just make them all better, or have more of them), and you have tools to defend yourself from the ghost if you are caught out in the open or cornered.
[*] The banishment ritual is a matter of checking the evidence you collected and compare against the requirements for the list of herbs in the ritual. Basically "3 or more", "2 or less", "none" type of requirements, two each per herb. Eliminate down to three, find out what special item you need from the site (hairbrush, jewely box, etc) and perform the banishment to get the bigger payout.
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I've only run into a single bug that caused problems with the game loop (getting 4 actual herbs by evidence, but you should only ever get 3), but the dev is highly communicative on fixing that and it should be hammered out shortly.
Some game elements could use better definitions/tutorial. If you use the UV and see a splotch on the ground, that's an old Entity Sighting, and a floating audio symbol is a missed Audio, try testing audio evidence until you get the right one. I assume these are elements added afterwards, and the tutorial will need updating to catch up.
[h3]Final Verdict[/h3]
It ticks all the boxes for me: investigation puzzlework, skill-based gameplay, spooky atmosphere and chases, and a sense of progression. Not super complex or deep, good for "arcade" style play with some friends (play a couple missions for an hour or so). Very good for the price! I've added this to my "ghost game" rotation.
