Blumhouse is one of the biggest names in the horror space in films right now, with the company successfully producing films like Get Out and The Black Phone in recent years. As announced at Summer Game Fest, the company has now decided to expand into games, with a goal of curating and expanding the horror genre to new and old fans. Of the six games the company revealed, the first game, Fear the Spotlight, has a fascinating story.
Cozy Game Pals, the developers behind Fear the Spotlight, actually launched the game on Steam last year. After a few weeks of release, the game was pulled, with Cozy Game Pals stating that the game would undergo major changes to “make it even better”. With the re-reveal this past week, we now know that the team has worked extensively with Blumhouse Games to make Fear the Spotlight better than ever before. While I only played 30 minutes of the game during my preview session, I’m absolutely hooked, and I cannot wait for Fear the Spotlight to release.
Some of the greatest horror titles to ever be released came during the PlayStation 1 era of games. Resident Evil 1-3, Nightmare Creatures 2, Clock Tower, and Silent Hill all come to mind when reminiscing on this era of gaming. Fear the Spotlight looks to bring back this beloved era of horror while combining elements of modern horror games. The art style is very PS1-inspired, with a film grain laid overtop to maximize that ‘retro’ look.
You play as Vivian, who stumbles into the school at night with her friend Amy. The two head to the library in an effort to search for an Ouija board to speak to the spirits that might still be in the school. Years prior, a fire occurred in the building, and many students lost their lives as a result. Fear the Spotlight kicks off with this pretense and immediately settles in with vibes that keep you anxiously looking around at every corner.
Once the two girls set up the Ouija board, the candles flicker, and Vivian discovers that her friend Amy is nowhere to be found. I had to navigate through the library, which had bookcases and various objects thrown all over, as I heard all sorts of unidentifiable sounds that came from all directions. Speaking of, the audio utilized in Fear the Spotlight was another area that stood out to me in my demo. The voice acting was great, as was the music. But there is a very unique filter that’s carefully placed on top of the audio tracks that takes the horror to the next level. It’s very slight, but it certainly added to the eerie vibes as I traversed through the library and school.
In my session, gameplay mainly consisted of hiding behind objects not to be spotted, finding items & using them, and interacting with objects. I’m curious how this will evolve in the full release, as the trailers shown already seem to indicate we’ll see larger, unique environments. Could Vivian gain a means to attack the enemies in her path? We’ll have to see. Overall, I’m interested in how the rest of the game plays out, as I’m already hooked on this story. The demo ended so abruptly, right as I was running away from an unknown being into a dark corridor.
I might be most excited to play through the relaunched game and then watch a playthrough of the original title on YouTube to see how much the title has evolved. But then again, I desperately want to find out how the events at Sunnyside High happened and why Amy and Vivian are wrapped up in it.
It’s safe to say that this gamble to pull the game from Steam last year has largely paid off, as Fear the Spotlight I played at Summer Game Fest 2024 was absolutely incredible. It’s great to see Blumhouse Games supporting small titles like this one, and if my time with the game is anything to go by, I expect that the partnership for Fear the Spotlight will majorly benefit both Cozy Pal Games and Blumhouse.
Fear the Spotlight is expected to launch later this year on PC and consoles.
