When watching a horror movie, what is the most common reason for the plot? The most common cause of the plot is when someone is messing with something they shouldn’t be while summoning a creature of terror in the process. Fear The Spotlight is an indie horror game where you have to rescue your friend while exploring your school, solving the mystery of the school fire and avoiding a mysterious creature. This game will keep you on edge and the more focus you are trying to survive, the scarier the experience is.
You play as a high school girl named Vivian, trying to find her best friend Amy, while learning the truth of the fire that destroyed the school decades ago. This game had me on edge the whole time I was playing. Fear The Spotlight recreates the feel of playing classic PlayStation games from the horror genre. The game uses the school setting well by using every room that can be found in any high school, while giving each area an ominous feel to it, like something could jump out at any moment or as if something or someone is watching.
The game play works similar to old Resident Evil games and other classic horror games. You would find a door to the next area that requires a specific item, such as a key or crowbar. You will have to find such an object, then need another item in order to retrieve it and so on. The game is very simple to play and is great for beginners. When you investigate, you move the cursor over the target and you drag it to interact with it. During certain sections, the spotlight creature will appear and start hunting you down. You will have to hide and sneak around in order to escape the clutches of this creature. There is no combat of any kind so the best Vivian can do is hide and survive in order to escape. The puzzles in the game are very simple and straightforward, so it’s the perfect game for people to get into the horror genre.
This game is scary and will keep you on your toes. While playing I am always on edge and never knew when something was going to happen. Within the first hour of playing, I got scared 4 times. The atmosphere and background music gives off a horror feel and makes me feel like I’m in an actual horror film. I even find myself hesitating to go around any corner or interacting with anything, in fear of something attacking me. My pulse is always pounding and I’m always on edge when playing this game.
However, this game is filled with some problems and issues. The character’s movement is very slow, even when running, making it very important to not get caught by the spotlight creature. Another issue for me is that the creature itself isn’t really that scary. The creature is basically just a guy with a spotlight as a head and while its clothes are burnt and torn, it’s really just a basic design and isn’t really that scary. The design could be a little more horrifying to get the point across, that the creature is a threat. However, the atmosphere and the music makes up for it so when the creature appears I am afraid that I will get caught and get a game over.
The story is also very basic as it’s the typical, messing with the supernatural and summoning a creature. The story also does not deviate from the formula and uses all the tropes in a classic horror film, where the main character messes with something they shouldn’t have, costing the safety of a loved one and having to save them while solving a mystery. Fear The Spotlight definitely could benefit from occasionally adding some twists and turns in the plot, to improve the storytelling and give it more of an identity.
In conclusion, Fear The Spotlight is a great starting point to get into the horror genre of gaming. With easy to understand gameplay, simple puzzles and simple stealth sections, this game is perfect for beginners. However, I don’t recommend this game for people who want to be challenged, because this game is too easy and won’t give you the challenge you want. But, if you want a casual horror game that gives you chills and will have you on the edge of your seat, then Fear The Spotlight is perfect for you.
Score: 7 out of 10
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch