Fear the Spotlight
- September 15, 2023
- Cozy Game Pals
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Fear the Spotlight" is a third-person horror adventure set in the ominous Sunnyside High. When Vivian is left alone during a séance, she must avoid the monster prowling the halls, find her friend Amy, and uncover the dark truth behind a tragic history. The game features tense stealth sequences, atmospheric exploration, and tactile puzzles, making it a thrilling introduction to the narrative horror genre.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 5
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Beautifully crafted areas with great attention to detail and a charming PS1-inspired aesthetic.
- Engaging story with strong voice acting and unique puzzles that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Perfect for fans of classic survival horror, offering a cozy yet spooky atmosphere without excessive jump scares.
- The game is quite short, taking only 2-3 hours to complete, leaving some players wanting more content.
- Some puzzles are overly simplistic, which may disappoint players looking for a greater challenge.
- The game has been removed from the store for updates, causing frustration among fans eager to play.
- story73 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its engaging narrative, well-paced storytelling, and strong voice acting, particularly in the context of a high school murder mystery infused with horror elements. However, some players found the story to be mediocre or disappointing, feeling it lacked depth or significant peaks, while others appreciated its charm and the way it unfolds through environmental details and puzzles. Overall, the narrative is seen as a key component of the experience, resonating well with certain audiences despite some subjective critiques.
“Fantastic voice acting and has a great story to keep you going.”
“The story is a high school murder mystery with a few creepy apparitions sprinkled in, and it’s paced incredibly well and told through notes, cut scenes, and a lot of small and big environmental details.”
“The heart of this game lies in its captivating story.”
“I guess the story is rather mediocre, but I don't intend to spoil anything.”
“The story is where I feel like it sags the most though.”
“I just feel like the story was leading us to a much more interesting place than where we ended up.”
- atmosphere27 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its ability to create an eerie and immersive experience, often drawing comparisons to classic horror titles. Reviewers appreciate the focus on tension and mood over jump scares, highlighting the captivating story, engaging puzzles, and retro visuals that enhance the overall ambiance. Many players found themselves on edge throughout, with the atmosphere being a key factor in their enjoyment and engagement with the game.
“Intriguing and atmospheric, it leaves you uneasy and spooked but definitely doesn't overstay its welcome.”
“The atmosphere is incredible with nods to classic horror favorites like Silent Hill but an overall style that's all its own.”
“It masterfully builds an eerie atmosphere and sustains spine-tingling tension throughout, leaving me genuinely on edge without resorting to gimmicks.”
“The atmosphere is done pretty well, but the game isn't all that scary and there's a bit too much fetch questing.”
“Transitions between dark and light areas are where the dithering is most apparent, and the sensation of dithering accumulating into a void of nothingness adds so much more to the world's atmosphere and tension.”
“This game plays to its strengths, perfectly using its deceptively simple art direction to build tense atmosphere and an intimate sensory experience.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its solid mechanics, engaging puzzles, and effective narrative integration, creating a balance that enhances the overall experience. While some players found it simplistic and lacking in depth, others appreciated its charm and tension-building design, reminiscent of classic PS1 games. Overall, the game offers a concise yet enjoyable experience, though there are calls for more inventive gameplay elements in future titles.
“Excellent game, really enjoyed this game, simple but effective in its narrative and gameplay mechanics.”
“Fear the Spotlight boasts an engaging story, clever puzzles, and a solid stealth mechanic that never felt cheap or unfair in my playthrough.”
“The gameplay is solid, and the puzzles are very fun.”
“Pretty boring, not very scary, not big on gameplay mechanics and with simplistic puzzles.”
“Barely any mechanics to it.”
“More inventive gameplay puzzles would make me more enthusiastic to recommend this.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, PS1-inspired aesthetic that effectively enhances the horror atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the blend of retro visuals with modern effects, creating a nostalgic yet polished presentation that contributes to the game's creepy and engaging storytelling. Overall, the art direction and level design are highlighted as standout features, making it a recommended experience for fans of the genre.
“The aesthetic really is very charming and still conveys everything really well.”
“The ps1 style visuals coupled with modern effects like cloth simulation and shadows cast by your flashlight also add a lot to the presentation and stop it from feeling amateurish.”
“Even though the art style is ps1 inspired, the art direction is also fantastic with beautiful dynamic lighting and shadows which make the feel of the game that much stronger.”
“It's unclear whether you are hidden or not as it's not really based off visuals.”
“If you are a genre veteran, you may not soil your pants in terror, but I'm sure you'll appreciate the aesthetic.”
“Even though the art style is PS1 inspired, the art direction is also fantastic with beautiful dynamic lighting and shadows which make the feel of the game that much stronger.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its effectiveness and memorability, particularly the main villain theme. Reviewers commend the atmospheric soundtrack and variety of ambiance, which enhance the overall tension and storytelling, making it a standout feature in the survival horror experience.
“Not sure who did the music and audio design for this game, but it's very effective; the main villain theme being particularly memorable.”
“Great character design, great voice acting, great tension building, great music, and an amazing story.”
“I loved the variety of ambiance and use of the soundtrack.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While the game features impressive character design, voice acting, and an engaging story, many users feel that the lack of struggle and depth in character development detracts from the overall experience, making it feel undeserved and out of place.
“Great character design, great voice acting, great tension building, great music, and an amazing story.”
“With how little struggle or character development there was, it felt out of place and undeserved.”
“The characters felt one-dimensional, lacking any real growth or depth throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that could influence character development.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's optimization could be improved by allowing players to select and switch between tools more efficiently, rather than repeatedly selecting the screwdriver for each action. Overall, while the character performances are highly praised, the user interface for tool usage could benefit from enhancements to streamline gameplay.
“The only thing I'd like to see is possibly a more optimized way to use items, like when unscrewing two screws. Instead of unscrewing and selecting the screwdriver each time, it would be great to select the screwdriver as the item you'd like to use and switch between them.”
“The only thing I'd like to see is possibly a more optimized way to use items, like when unscrewing two screws. Instead of unscrewing and selecting the screwdriver each time, it would be better to select the screwdriver as the item you'd like to use and switch between them.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the emotional depth and authenticity of the characters, which enhances immersion in the narrative and evokes a sense of intelligence and engagement.
“The emotional depth and authenticity of the characters served to immerse me even deeper into the gripping narrative.”
“It made me feel smart, which is not common.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a highly stable experience with no significant issues, citing a bug-free environment and the absence of translation problems or typos.
“No one has anything bad to say; my experience was completely bug-free, with no translation problems or typos.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the game is; I can play for hours without encountering any issues.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
"Fear the Spotlight" successfully blends horror and humor, creating a unique experience that is both frightening and entertaining. Reviewers appreciate its ability to maintain a compelling narrative while incorporating dark comedic elements.
“Fear the Spotlight achieves that beautiful balance of being scary while compelling and dark while funny.”
