Fear The Spotlight Does a Lot With the Familiar
Playing the first 25 minutes of Fear The Spotlight, it was evident from the start that there would not be a mystery, unidentified terror stalking the outside of the game. The core of the game's narrative is a very personal source of horror, and it seems like it would be better for it in practice. Two adolescent girls break into their school at night to perform an occult ceremony using a ouija board. This kind of horror cliché is one that has been perfected over time; there is nothing instantly unusual about how Fear The Spotlight tackles it.
Still, some of the genius resides in the preparation for that seance. The girls had to swiftly hide the security camera in the corridor heading to the library, where Fear The Spotlight first reveals the main cause of its scares: observation. The two girls remain concealed behind furniture as the camera's focus wanders away from them, then they're into the library solving the first basic riddle and seated down to start something they both know they shouldn't. It takes no time at all to feel the tension among the two females.
Audio Design and A Fondness for Retro Serve Fear The Spotlight Well
One thing struck me as I was playing Fear The Spotlight: you'll want a decent set of headphones to properly enjoy the experience. Whether Vivian's gasping breaths in a trying situation or the creak of a floorboard in the darkness, the game does with its audio to convey its tale and enhance its environmental set pieces would be a shame to miss any of. Fear The Spotlight deftly uses little audible cues to show something might be wrong, and I knew Vivian needed an inhaler long before the game specifically informed me it was a mechanic in my investigation.
It's not only microlevel sound design, though. Perfect is the lack of any music to create the atmosphere; all the work is done by Amy's confident babbling and Vivian's shy but loving reactions. Cozy Game Pals also knows that less is frequently more in horror; as Amy vanishes and that stream of consciousness monologues ends, it feels so lonely to drag Vivian through the darkness and try to find her companion. Fear The Spotlight will fall on its throwback horror delivery with confidence because to so many subtle little moments.
Fear The Spotlight Will Send Me Dreammares
First of all, I have to admit that my sleep routine for that week does not fit my future Fear The Spotlight gameplay. I truly cannot get these kinds of games out of my thoughts; even low-poly horror like old-school Silent Hill was horrible, therefore it's unlikely Fear The Spotlight would have any less of an impact, providing it's of a similar level. However, that's the thing: I do think it has the potential to be of a likeliness to those classic masters, therefore even for someone as afraid of the horror genre as I am, it's worth trying.
Fear The Spotlight showed a lot in the 25 minutes I spent with it, but more than anything else, it was skilled in building on what feels familiar and gently turning it into something just strange enough it causes discomfort. Its retro look helps support its horrors rather than undermine them, creating some difficult to view pictures or images that make them feel unfamiliar. The pacing seems great so far; the feelings are perfect save from the whole haunting part. Though I detest Horror Games, I will play Fear The Spotlight as soon as I can since, as a genre newbie, that is as much evidence of its excellence.
I'll Play Fear The Spotlight Even Though I Hate Horror Games
I had an opportunity to sit down early on my last day of the Screen Rant thorough Summer Game Fest 2024 coverage schedule to view a game Blumhouse Games was demoing. Nestled in a room filled with blue and purple light, between a trading card game demonstration and some bright, pleasant comfortable games, I threw myself into the couch in front of a television with an alarming message: Fear The Spotlight. Images of my unfortunate meetings with games like Amnesia and Death Stranding dominated my thoughts; even a small jump fright may cause me to drop my controller.
I absolutely hate frightening games. I would put Resident Evil and Silent Hill among some of my favorite games in the genre, and like them well enough in principle; nevertheless, they usually aggravate my anxiousness to the point that it feels like enjoying them may sometimes be an impossible effort at times. I would much rather see someone else live vicarially through their anxiety. So I left my time with the Blumhouse Games horror title with a perplexed but hopeful attitude knowing full well I would be playing Fear The Spotlight as soon as it came out.
Even frustrating game mechanics are used to great impact in fear. The Spotlight
Even if they are still annoying, Fear The Spotlight makes superb use of even frustrating game mechanics. Vivian's perspective is preserved as she investigates quite beautifully by a tenacious camera that travels slowly and feels as though you are always fighting it. When you squat, you're limited to the small area around Vivian, including having your vision blocked by the objects she's crouching behind; you're not able to simply see everything from an omniscient vantage above.
The camera does not let you easily check over Vivian's shoulder when she is running across environmental hazards; thus, you might just come across a fallen shelf or some books the way you would have if you were really escaping a supernatural presence breathing over your shoulder and generating unnatural fire in a library. With its clever application of once "annoying" technologies now employed effortlessly to increase the involvement and immersion of the experience, I am forward to see what else Fear The Spotlight can do.
Blumhouse Has Ventured Into Game Publishing and Its Slate of Upcoming Horror Games - Revealed At SGF Has Me Excited for Some Unique Horror Games
Blumhouse has entered into game publishing, and its slate of forthcoming Horror Games, shown at SGF, excites me for some original horror games.
The business is adept at spotting original and intriguing horror ideas, and I wonder what they could achieve with a medium like video games.
