First Look: Fear the Spotlight Reminds Us of PS1-Era Horror Games (And That's Good)
Fear the Spotlight is now available on consoles and PC, bringing players into its creepy world that will likely feel very familiar for fans of PS1-era horror games like the original Silent Hill.
In Fear the Spotlight, players must help a young girl named Vivian find her friend, Amy, who goes missing after the pair breaks into their school and performs a séance. Vivian will need to investigate Amy’s disappearance by collecting key items and solving puzzles to move from one area to the next.
Fear the Spotlight was designed without jump scares and focuses more on telling a story in a creepy atmosphere than on violence and gore. Instead of fighting against enemies like zombies or horrifying nurses, players will need to hide from a figure who has a literal spotlight for a head. Amy can crouch down to hide behind furniture or crawl under desks, and players will need to use this stealth ability to avoid the light emitting from the spotlight.
As players explore environments, a sparkle will identify objects they can interact with (Vivian will also turn her head to look at these items). In many cases, the game will ask players to perform lifelike actions to manipulate the objects in front of Vivian. For instance, at one point, players must unzip a duffle bag to find a key item inside. Rather than simply clicking on the bag to open it, they’ll need to press and hold a button to “grab” the zipper pull, and then move the joystick to move the zipper and open the bag. This is a nice touch that brings players into the game’s world.
Check out some gameplay from the beginning of Fear the Spotlight to see the game in action.
Fear the Spotlight
Release Date: October 22, 2024
Digital Only
Disclosure: Game code provided by the publisher.