Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, MacOS, and Linux
Release date: October 22, 2024
You've definitely heard of Blumhouse. The production company is known for making some of the best horror movies out there, and most recently, has turned its attention to the world of the best horror games. Admittedly that's a big, bold move as all eyes will be on them to make sure their horror vision translates just as well when it's interactive, away from the big screen.
I'm happy to report they're starting on a high note with the narrative horror game Fear the Spotlight, a short title developed by Cosy Game Pals. When a séance goes horribly wrong (honestly, when will people learn?), the player character Vivian must navigate an abandoned school to find out what happened to her friend. The setup, while simple, invites the player to unravel a dark mystery while trying to escape with their own life. It combines that eerie high school setting seen in some slasher movies with plenty of interactivity for gamers. Unlike the The Dark Pictures Anthology, this isn't an interactive movie, and you have plenty of opportunities to go off and explore.
Big Buffy Energy
Aesthetically, it's hard for me to not compare this to the 90s supernatural TV hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is a huge compliment, of course, because Buffy is iconic and this really seems to embody some of the stuff I loved about that show. Clueless high schoolers messing with the occult, a cool character and her nerdy best friend, that grainy VHS overlay throughout, an eerie high school setting with plenty of secrets buried. The entire feel of it is really fun, I loved the retro style and the little nods to the genre. Fear the Spotlight seems to have been made with a lot of love for the horror genre and its fans, and that shines throughout the game.
The school is even called Sunnyside High, and Buffy's is called Sunnydale. Look, I'm just saying these developers have excellent taste and I've clocked it. The developers have teased this is a great entry-level game for those wanting to try out horror, and while I agree, there's plenty for long-time fans of the genre to love too.
We also need to talk about the Silent Hill vibes. The spotlight that follows you is reminiscent of Pyramid Head himself, and they can appear at any time. If you're clever about it, you can predict when these scenes will happen based on the number of conveniently placed furniture to hide behind, but I definitely got shocked a few times when I was going about my business and they just appeared. The suspense is off the charts throughout, and you need to be as stealthy as possible. That wasn't great for me when my gaming style is very much me running in and attacking things as fast as possible, but hey, it's nice to try something new!
Hide and (hopefully not) Seek
While Fear the Spotlight does not rely on jumpscares, it's still incredibly tense. Some visuals will stick in your mind for a while, like the screenshot above, where you're navigating this creepy atmosphere expecting something to jump out and grab you. It never does, but you'll find your heart rate elevated just a little. As Hitchcock once said: "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."
Fear the Spotlight is a stealth-heavy game. You have to navigate the abandoned halls of the school avoiding the spotlight character, who can show up out of nowhere. You need to pay attention and be quick on your feet, hiding wherever you can and getting your timings just right. You have two opportunities; they can catch you once, and then they'll drop you, but if you're caught again, the game resets to your last saved checkpoint. Thankfully the checkpoints are pretty frequent so you won't end up back at the very beginning or be punished too severely.
Frustration can set in when you have to avoid threats while also running back and forth doing fetch quests because there are plenty of puzzles to solve throughout the game. I personally got stuck on one particular one for about 15 minutes before realizing the solution was painfully obvious, so it's the kind of game where you can get in your head a bit. Or maybe I'm just stupid, I'll let you be the judge of that. Technically, it's easy to navigate, the controls are smooth and the puzzles work as they should... when you've actually figured them out, that is.
If you love logic puzzles and constant tension, you will very likely have a great time with Fear the Spotlight because it's impossible to relax at any point. There's this constant vigilance throughout, it sucks you in and I found myself really worried about Amy's wellbeing.
It's a very immersive experience throughout. The player character's breathing can become erratic, so you need to be mindful of this. You can find inhalers hidden around the school which boost your health and stops the screen from blurring red at the sides, and your character from freaking out. Inhalers are a very useful tool especially nearing the end of the game when things get more difficult, so it might be wise to use them strategically. You are completely unarmed, aside from a few tools that can help you crawl through vents and repair things, so your only option is to hide.
The unstable breathing teamed with the vibrations from the controller I used dialed the tensions up, so I would recommend giving that combination a go even if you are playing on a PC. The game is designed in such a way that you truly feel a part of it, and this is one of Fear the Spotlight's greatest successes.
Accessibility
There is a range of subtitling options in Fear the Spotlight. Though the only spoken language is English, you can find many other languages in the display settings.
As well as allowing players to use a controller or mouse and keyboard, the display can be tinkered with too. While Fear the Spotlight does have a grainy, retro feel, you can switch that up in the Graphics menu. The game gives you the option to change the frame rate, and V-Sync, as well as display variations such as TV Filter and Ambient Camera Wobble. I played with a maximum TV Filter to make it more atmospheric, but I can see why people would prefer to turn that down as it can get a little distracting.
Should I play Fear the Spotlight?
Play it if…
Don't play it if...
How we tested Fear the Spotlight
I tested Fear the Spotlight for around six hours and finished the main game. Once you have completed the story, you unlock a secret bonus level which I have not yet tested at the time of this review.
I played the game using a Lenovo Legion 5-15ACH6H Gaming Laptop with Beats Flex wireless headphones and a PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller. I also did additional testing with the laptop’s built-in keyboard and Steelseries Aerox 9 Wireless Gaming Mouse, to check that the game ran smoothly in both modes.
