Fear the Spotlight puts us in the shoes of a young girl who must wander through an abandoned high school… and very polygonal.
I don’t know what the proposals are based on aesthetics “low pol” that generate such bad vibes. We’ve already seen several titles that use this technique to generate discomfort in the player, and they really manage to create an atmosphere where tension can be cut with a knife. It may be that lack of detail, which does not allow us to completely distinguish objects or faces, or classic mechanics that make us feel vulnerable, but the truth is that they command respect on the part of the user. The same thing happens with Fear the Spotlight, a title developed by Blumhouse Games y Cozy Game Pals where a visit to an institute will be anything but informative…
Saved by the bell
Fear the Spotlight is a horror title which is inspired by the classics that we all know. On this occasion, we will control Vivian, a girl who sneaks into a high school with her friend Amy where they decide to make a Ouija board. Something bad happens during the ritual, as our classmate disappears and we find ourselves involved in some events that happened in this institute several years ago. In this situation we will have to find Amy’s whereabouts while we solve the mystery that affected the former students of this center.
Its visual style based on the first three-dimensional games goes hand in hand with very classic mechanics. Equipped only with a flashlight, we will have to explore all the classrooms that make up the facilities in search of clues to continue our investigations. Of course, we will not be alone. On several occasions, we will have to hide or flee from a strange entity that has a light bulb for a head. and it will make our life impossible. Despite the nature of survival-horror that the game has, we are not faced with an excessively scary title. Yes, there are times scarybut forget scares or a tension that forces us to close the game.
Your neurons for the final exam
Fear the Spotlight focuses more on puzzle solving, and know a story that will be told to us based on documents. These aren’t very difficult puzzles, and aside from a few specific moments that can be a bit trickier, We will know at all times what to do with the utensils provided to us. Texts that enrich the story will be scattered throughout each room, and although it may seem tedious to read every note you find, they are very interesting. This is because they are short and straight to the point, focusing on the story and without filler that could make us lose the main narrative thread.
Light (or lack thereof) will be a very important element in Blumhouse Games’ proposal. Almost the entire game will be plunged into darkness, with very few rooms lit. At first this generates a certain tension due to the fear of not knowing what we will find, although over time we will see that such fear does not exist. Everything will be very stipulated, and the moments where the male focus appears are obvious (and visible). This lack of lighting can sometimes be unpleasant, since this greatly limits exploration depending on the room, but hey, that’s the beauty of Fear the Spotlight.
old school school
Visually, we are dealing with a title that works very well and which We can make things worse. It’s funny to me because you can put a graphics mode where the camera changes are not so smooth, but rather in spurts as was the case in the first 3D games. We can also remove the grainy effect. From my point of view, it is better to leave these options enabled because they affect gameplay in some way.
If you prefer to take shots with outdated textures, don’t miss our analysis of Killing Time: Resurrected
Vivian, our protagonist, is asthmatic and when she receives a “scare”, her lungs are affected. When our lungs are damaged, everything looks grainier, with variations even in lighting, as if we lacked oxygen. It’s great to see how Vivian sees the world under the effects of her condition, and without considering any type of HUD or life bar, it’s a meter that lets us know if our protagonist’s health is very bad or if we can hold out a little longer without healing. Fortunately, from time to time we can find inhalers to calm us down again. It’s not that there are many, but there aren’t any excessive moments of risk either.
Fear the spotlight Conclusion
In anticipation of Halloween events, nothing better than having a title low pol to enjoy a few nights of suspense and tension on our couch. Blumhouse Games and Cozy Game Pals offer us a title with clear retro reminiscences, where we will wander through a very dark institute. It’s not a survival horror very problematic, and the puzzles will not be very complex either. But it has an interesting enough story to keep you captivated and wanting to see it through to the end. This can be a very good entry point for users who want to jump into the wide world of scary games.
Fear the spotlight
$19.99
Benefits
- Good implementation of “low-pol”
- Interesting story
- Graphics options to not look so old
Disadvantages
- The puzzles are simple
- There is no constant burden of dying
- Few enemies who can threaten our existence at the institute
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