Team17, you know them and we love them. They’re putting the final touches on their latest creation, Killer Frequency, to release on 1 June 2023. Killer Frequency is a first-person horror adventure game that looks reminiscent of Five Nights At Freddy’s. However, it comes with a few twists… The town is under attack by the Whistling Man, a dearly departed murderer from 30 years ago who doesn’t seem to be as departed anymore.  He’s back and he wants revenge against a certain group of people. You’ll have to take on the role of a radio voice and stand-in 911 operator while on air, guiding the people he’s hunting to safety from the studio.

You take on the role of Forrest Nash, a washed-up radio host who’s now working for KFAM Radio, a late night radio station in the very small town of Gallows Creek. Your evening starts off rather quiet and relaxed with your lovely producer, Peggy. After some equipment testing, your quiet evening comes to a screeching halt as you receive a call from Leslie. She’s a 911 operator but she’s also going to throw you in the deep end of her job as you have to take her place temporarily. Once again, throwing you into the deep end, you’ll have to guide her through a police station over the phone. Though your choices make a difference, and the wrong choice can lead innocent people dying to our mysterious killer.

You’ll have to strike a balance between being a 911 operator, helping people escape the Whistling Man’s pursuit, solving the mystery as to why he’s back, along with hosting a normal radio station. The first of your more mundane duties will be to play music on the record player, you are missing a few songs that are scattered throughout the building. Up next is, the phone line board. Your first two buttons are for actual callers, and the last one is a direct line to Peggy. While she might not look like she plays a big part, she’s great for comedic relief and helps when you’re really stuck. You’ll also have the soundboard if you want to add some flare with different short sounds to the calls but these don’t affect the story at all.

Your last tool in Killer Frequency is the tape player. On the mundane side, it’s mostly for advertisements when you’re not answering calls from panicked citizens, but it serves a second purpose. As you explore the studio, you’ll also find tapes that can add to the story to help you uncover the mystery at hand. Progressing does come with the fun advantage of getting to explore the studio for tapes and songs, though you’ll also notice strange things as you explore, from strange noises to the occasional ominous person outside.

This goes without saying but there is one more tool, your most important one, your mind. You’ll need a sharp mind and some fast thinking for the timed dialogue options. Not responding is an option too, while Peggy can sometimes fill in with the right answer for you, you’ll have to be sure about what you choose to do. Depending on what you choose, your victim on the line might get to live another day, or your killer gets to strike another person off his hit list.

As mentioned before, you’ll need some quick and very sharp thinking if you want your victim to survive. With a unique take on puzzle solving, you’ll have to help the victims do things like hotwire their car as an example using information from a magazine. They’ll still relay what they see to you, but you have to quickly put the pieces together to choose how they proceed.

Killer Frequency is built around a 1980’s aesthetic combined with a very retro visual design. While it can look like a very underwhelming game, the retro visual aspect adds to the overall ambiance of it being a horror game. Though in the 80’s, bright neon colors blended with dull shades were quite popular and Team17 captured that same design from back then in Killer Frequency. What adds a new layer of ominous feeling is that even though you can see Peggy’s silhouette through the window on the other side of your broadcast room, when you get closer to her, you can clearly see she has no face. This can be a bit unnerving, but her small movements are what give her presence in the studio a lot of life and it’s a welcome sight when you feel a little trapped.

Killer Frequency also features a unique perspective on sound design. With the music having a very authentic retro 80’s feeling, this helps build a really fitting atmosphere in which you help citizens survive the Whistling Man. Killer Frequency is also fully voiced and each character you talk to plays their part to the fullest, from the more smug characters to victims actually running for their lives. You’d think the calls are real events taking place, but that very aspect might also be the heart of the game.

As an honorable mention – For when just want to ‘kill’ some time, there’s also the killer shot in the broadcast room. The Killer Shot being a basketball hoop over a trashcan, grab a paper ball and with some careful aiming, see how many you can land. It’s actually harder than it looks… But it’s a fun way to pass the time if things are going a bit too slow for your liking.

Killer Frequency looks like it’s going to be another major hit from Team17. With an enticing story that’ll have you coming back for more as you play, brilliant retro music, and probably the best voice acting the gaming industry has yet to fully see, Killer Frequency's release on 1 June on Steam is definitely an event to look forward to. 

Jay Claassen
Editor, NoobFeed