Midnight Ghost Hunt 1.0 Review: Prop Hunt Meets Campy Horror Classics

Midnight Ghost Hunt is primarily a PvP game where two teams of four players face each other. One team plays as the Hunters, while the other is a set of Ghosts in this twist on Prop Hunt. Now that MGH has reached its 1.0 release, is it worth checking out?

Hide and Seek Takes on a New Life

If you’ve played Prop Hunt in the past, you’ll be familiar with the general idea of Midnight Ghost Hunt. Before the Hunters arrive, the Ghost team hides in objects, which they can use to attack the Hunters. The Hunters’ goal is to find and defeat all the Ghosts before the timer runs out. If they succeed, the teams switch so the Hunters play as the Ghosts and vice versa. If they fail, then the Ghosts are revived stronger for a second round, making it easier for them to defeat the Hunters and consume their souls.

Midnight Ghost Hunt Gives Both Teams Tools to Win

Since it can be difficult to win when you’re playing the team meant to hide, MGH gives each team unique tools so that either side has a chance to fight back. This makes the game feel more or less balanced. In each round that I took part in, the winner wasn’t known until the very end of the round. I never felt like there wasn’t a way to come back from being behind, or that I couldn’t still win even as the last person alive on my team.

That being said, the tools you have access to on either team aren’t created equal. The Flamethrower and Salt Shotgun that the Hunters can use are great for trying to break props and test if Ghosts are hiding in them. But they are far less effective when it comes to actually killing the Ghosts. Meanwhile, Ghosts can use one ability to drop Healing Orbs to help teammates, but in some cases, having the Death Trap ability can be more helpful in stopping a Hunter compared to the amount of health the orb gives a Ghost.

Additionally, to give the Ghosts a bit of help, each level has props with unique abilities. A few levels have suits of armor. These can be possessed and used as weapons to attack Hunters. My personal favorite is the vending machine in the school map because walking into a room and having soda cans shoot out is a shock the first time you see it. It’s also really effective in chipping away a Hunter’s health if you hit them consistently with the sodas. As a result, you don’t feel like you’re at a disadvantage while playing as either team, and that’s always a welcome trait of a PvP game.

A Variety of Maps and Abilities Keeps Rounds Fresh

The maps in MGH hit the classic 1970s to 1990s ghost vibes. Three were added during Early Access, for a total of ten. The maps act like a fun background while offering unique props that might be used to kill Hunters. And in a game where the focus is on PvP, that’s exactly what you want from the maps. That way, there’s not a map or two that are overpowered by buffing one team or the other, and you get to experience them all instead of focusing on certain ones.

Abilities also help keep each round feeling fresh because your choices in Ghost Ability or Hunter Gear change how you approach that round. Having abilities like Hallucinate can help your team (and yourself) by misleading the Hunters. Meanwhile, Hunters can help each other out by selecting a variety of gear in the loadout to cover the needs of the party. Having a vacuum is necessary to keep the Ghosts from reviving, but it’s not the best idea for every Hunter to carry one.

But of course, the aspect that keeps each round feeling different is the players. Because it’s a multiplayer game and you might have different people in each round — or at least switch up the team compositions with friends — no two rounds are the same. Given how polished Midnight Ghost Hunt is, it’s easy to spend hours sucked into the game and trying to win or just having a good time with friends.

However, the multiplayer aspect also means that MGH is subject to the pros and cons that come with online PvP games. There’s always a chance that you might get teamed up with somebody who doesn’t have a great attitude. And it’s possible that there are times when not enough people are playing to get into a game, leaving you with the option to play with bots. These possibilities aren’t unique to MGH. Still, I mention them because the community and playerbase still affect the game overall.

Midnight Ghost Hunt: The Bottom Line

Pros:

• Prime 1970s to 1990s horror vibes.
• Plenty of replayability.
• A much smoother and more interesting version of Prop Hunt.

Cons:

• Requires communication with your team.
• You can’t always control who you’ll be teamed up with when joining lobbies.
• The number of lobbies and players online varies, making it difficult to find a group at times.

I loved Midnight Ghost Hunt, which isn’t surprising because I also liked Prop Hunt a lot in the past. As it is, MGH is a game that’s worth trying out, especially if you’re playing with friends. Since it’s a one-time purchase, I don’t have any issues with playing it, then taking a break and coming back when new content is added. A fair bit of content and patches were added during Early Access, so I expect Midnight Ghost Hunt to continue evolving and improving moving forward.