Fear the Spotlight—Review

Classic Horror in a New Way

Fear the Spotlight is truly a unique game from start to finish. It's 90s era visuals, haunting environments, to its touching and symbolic story, this game shines in more ways than one (pun intended).

After just finishing the game, literally an hour ago, I must say that it has become one of my favorite indie horror games in a while. Great writing, clever puzzles, and a shorter but intriguing story really made it a fun experience the entire time I played. Now, let's deep dive into the specific areas of the game without giving any spoilers, or at least try not to.

The Visuals

Fear the Spotlight is instantly captivating from the second you start the game. Reminiscent of older games, the art style really stands out with its jittery polygons and fuzzy TV filter look. If you have issues with this at any point, the game does let you turn off some of these effects, which is a great addition.

The biggest strength, however, lies in how it amplifies the atmosphere of the entire game. Misty corridors, decrepit gymnasiums, and ruined classrooms; all of these environments are only enhanced by its somewhat unsettling graphics of that era.

Simple Yet Effective Gameplay

Most of the gameplay in Fear the Spotlight is what you'll usually find in your typical third-person horror game. Collecting items, unlocking doors and devices, and hiding from enemies. Sure, it's simple and somewhat easy to navigate, but as someone who loves this style of game, I was perfectly content with the general minute-to-minute gameplay.

From time to time, you'll find yourself in a frantic moment running away or trying to hide, but for the most part, the game isn't too hard of an experience, which, once again, I appreciate. The puzzles were a nice change of pace from the usual hiding and collecting. I didn't get stumped on any in particular; however, some of them do take a bit of thought to figure out.

The horror aspect is more of a slow-burning, creepy vibe sort of horror and not so much a jumpscare fest. Though, saying that, there were a couple of moments that genuinely startled me. Probably by my own doing, but still. So if you enjoy more of a tense and eerie type of horror, then Fear the Spotlight is perfect for you.

A Haunting Story Full of Heart

So this is the part that I can't go a whole lot into without spoiling anything. The story starts off simple: a girl named Vivian sneaks into school with her friend Amy to perform a seance and, well, things go wrong. Throughout the story, you'll discover all kinds of secrets and uncover the real truth about what is truly going on.

I think one of the best parts of Fear the Spotlight is its two protagonists, Vivian and Amy. I love their banter back and forth, the unique way the story plays out with both of them, and how it all culminates at the end. The dialogue is well written, and the mystery is genuinely an interesting one to uncover, also disturbing.

While I can't go into much more detail, let me just say that the story is an engaging one that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Finishing up

I know I'm a bit late to the game at this point, I mean, it's already been out for a year at this point, but I wanted to share my thoughts on this game after spending all day playing it. After experiencing Fear the Spotlight for the first time, and enjoying every second of it, I have to give it 4.5 out of 5 hearts!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the game, and if you're interested in other spooky games to play, you can check out the Top 10 Halloween Games for the Spooky Season article, where Fear the Spotlight is included. See you later!