Playable Teaser or P.T.
Table of Contents
Playable Teaser or P.T. has become synonymous with defining a terrifying horror experience. All the horror elements are present such as dread, anticipation, murder, conflict, monsters, ghosts, and the list goes on. Many imitations, such as Visage, have tried to emulate the experience. I appreciate their attempts and some titles are amazing. However, P.T. is an anomaly that cannot be recreated.
ABOUT PLAYABLE TEASER
Playable Teaser or P.T. is a Sony PlayStation exclusive demo released on August 12, 2014, for the PlayStation 4 console.
There are very few details about the demo. The video game demo’s thumbnail, opening image, and opening credits suggest that 7780s Studios developed the demo. That is all we know before the game begins with the protagonist waking up on the floor. From there, the protagonist loops through the home’s hallways, and supernatural occurrences increase with each loop.
It’s not until the credits roll that we gain more details about the demo. The demo was developed by Kojima Productions (not 7780s Studios, a fake studio name) and published by Konami. We also know that Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, and Norman Reedus (the protagonist) are a part of the project. Finally, we find out this is a demo for an upcoming title called Silent Hills.
After all the excitement, Konami confirmed in April 2015 that Silent Hills was canceled. Shortly after the announcement, Sony confirmed that the demo will no longer be available for download through the PlayStation store.
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH PLAYABLE TEASER
I downloaded the demo the day it was released. I know next to nothing about the game except for reports on how scary the demo can be. I love horror games so I am excited to get started.
I’m at home by myself and it’s sometime in the late afternoon so there is light outside. After my first couple of loops through the hallways, I am spooked already. However, I have played plenty of horror games and haven’t had any terrifying encounters since the Gallows in Silent Hill 2. I feel confident continuing with the demo.
THEN SHE APPEARS…
It’s not until I get to the part where I wrap around the corner of the hallway and go to the door leading to the next loop. When I approach the door, it closes before I can reach it. I hear a door open behind me. When I turn around, I see the bathroom door cracked open. I approach the door but before I reach the door, a bunch of cockroaches run out of the bathroom. They spook me but I move around to peek inside the cracked door. I don’t see anything as I am looking. At some point, I press R3 on the PS controller to focus on what I can see. When I do so, Lisa (more on her soon) appears before me and shuts the door. I feel my heart drop and decide to take a break.
I didn’t expect Lisa to appear in that crack of the door. For some reason, she rattled me to my core. It wasn’t until my girlfriend (now wife) got home that I resumed play. I got farther but admitted that I could not figure out how to finish the demo without help. I eventually found the answers on the Internet.
LISA
Lisa is the entity that haunts you throughout the demo. As later revealed, she was shot in the eye and stomach by her husband. For one reason or another, the husband thought Lisa was carrying a monster.
Lisa is terrifying. Her movement is jerky and creepy, and the crying and groaning sounds are haunting. If Lisa decides to attack, she will give you a good jump scare and kill the protagonist. She is crafted for horror, and Kojima Productions did a great job creating her. She still haunts my thoughts to this day.
AS I SEE IT
I love Playable Teaser
Playable Teaser is an anomaly, an unforgettable experience. It remains in the top five of my favorite horror experiences. My disappointment in the cancelation of P.T. remains strong to this day.
I am fortunate to have Playable Teaser installed on my PS4. In case the hard drive crashes, I have a backup of my PS4 hard drive on my PC. I play the demo periodically but this is the first time I have recorded my gameplay. Should anything ever happen to my copy of P.T., I will at least have my gameplay.
In true Silent Hill fashion, Playable Teaser takes supernatural horror to the next level but Hideo Kojima pushes the level even further. The suspense, tension, and horror are masterful. Sure, P.T. can be considered a walking simulator but you are easily taken into the halls that our protagonist walks through and the experience is terrifying. It’s the most horrifying haunted house walkthrough.
As I see it, play the teaser if you know someone who has it. Playable Teaser sets a high benchmark. If you can’t play the teaser, then watch my gameplay.