Skip to main content

Fear the Spotlight review - lo-fi horror that's light on scares but big on heart

Phantom dread.

A young Asian girl in glasses and a red sweater looks straight ahead in Fear the Spotlight.
Image credit: Eurogamer/Blumhouse Games
Fear the Spotlight is the least scary horror game you'll likely ever play, but there's a tenderness to its storytelling that cannot be overstated here, even if some of it's a bit muddled.

Why is it that games don't draw more often from the realms of musical theatre? I'd argue they're just as much a part of our cultural fabric as films and TV shows, but for whatever reason they very rarely manage to get a look in. Sure, they might not be the first thing that 30-something-year-old white men look for on their tapestry of pop culture references, but for a certain sub-section of the gaming population, a dialogue exchange riffing on the lyrics of Les Misérables, say (shout out to Subsurface Circular), is just as likely to elicit a delighted fist pump from me than yet another Twin Peaks reference in something like Alan Wake, for example.

I mention all this because Fear the Spotlight, the first game to be published by horror film company Blumhouse's new games division, directly riffs on Phantom of the Opera - a realisation that brought me so much joy that it was almost enough to smooth over its slightly rougher edges elsewhere. I love Phantom of the Opera. It is one of my favourite things outside of games, and I cannot tell you how heartening it is to see it crop up in this very gentle tale of a spooky high school séance gone wrong.

Again, I realise that not everyone will react the same way to seeing broken mirrors open up to reveal hidden passageways or, indeed, peeling back plush, red velvet curtains only to find the most 90s school boiler room lair instead of a candlelit opera house grotto. But as a repeat offender of watching Phantom at the theatre, as well as the 2004 film about ten times more than is really necessary (not to mention reading the book on which it's based), I will always have a soft spot for anything that plays with its themes of longing and secret desires - especially when the phantom figure himself gets a honking great spotlight for a head, and whose piercing gaze will cause shy teen Vivian to wheeze and become short of breath if she gets trapped inside its blinding light. Honestly, pyramid heads are so last season here.

Watch on YouTube

It's a fitting conceit for Vivian's underlying struggle to expose and express her deeper feelings toward her best friend Amy, but steering clear of this wandering stage bulb is also how Fear the Spotlight keeps players on their toes between its brilliantly constructed Resident Evil-style puzzle segments. It's never particularly scary - tables and overturned desks provide plenty of cover for Vivian to crouch and hide behind during the fixed and predetermined moments he shows up, and once you've reached a door to enter another room, you can always breathe easy. This isn't a threat that will constantly pursue you like Mr. X, for example, and even if you do get caught, I was able to quite easily outrun him and make my escape.

A young girl in glasses looks into a chest inside a dressing room in Fear the Spotlight.
A young girl approaches an archway that says 'Bully Free Zone' inside a gym in Fear the Spotlight.
A young girl looks over her shoulder to shine a torch on a broken mirror, which hides a hidden pathway behind the wall, in Fear the Spotlight.
Vivian passed the point of no return when she agreed to break into the school library and steal the spirit board from their Halloween display so she could have a scary night out with her mate Amy. | Image credit: Eurogamer/Blumhouse Games

It's very generous in that sense, even if it does take the bite out of its overall horror somewhat. It's hard to feel any lingering sense of danger when you can just put a lid on a game's main threat like that, and it's very easy for it to lose any kind of suspense when there's precious little else here working to keep up the tension. Fear the Spotlight doesn't do jump scares, you see (unless you count the creepy little gremlin lads that sometimes blink at you and shuffle about in the shadows), which will no doubt be great news for some, but it does also drain the game of any sense of dread or challenge anytime the phantom's not on screen. It's a horror game for people that don't do horror games, in other words, and will likely be a bit too safe and simple for anyone else.

But Fear the Spotlight isn't just one big Phantom of the Opera riff. There's a second part to this tale, which has been freshly added to the game this October thanks to assistance from new publisher Blumhouse. This shows a different side of the story from the perspective of a character I'd be loath to spoil, and despite relocating the action to an altogether different setting, its mix of stealth and puzzle-fuelled exploration remains very much the same. Alas, it's here where Fear the Spotlight begins to feel a lot more muddled for me in what it's trying to achieve. For as we retreat into the entranced mind of the Christine Daaé stand-in in Vivian's side of the story, it's not the world of musical theatre we find ourselves in anymore, but that of Hideo Nakata's 1998 film The Ring.

A young girl hides behind a metal cart in Fear the Spotlight.
Stranger than you dreamt it? Or is it that really a bloke with a giant lightbulb for a head? | Image credit: Eurogamer/Blumhouse Games

It's an odd juxtaposition to say the least, but one that feels even more toothless and diluted than what came before it. Taking place across just two floors of an old house - as opposed to the much larger school of part one - its puzzles are just as cleverly constructed in this smaller and more intimate setting, but it completely misses how to make its claustrophobic, box-riddled corridors work with its main baddie - which, yep, you guessed it, is a dripping, long-haired woman who's gone a little too far with her backcombing.

Sadly, she's even less of a threat than old spotlight head in part one, as she doesn't even have the good grace to chase or stalk you half the time, and is seemingly just there to be an obvious metaphor for the character's troubled mother. It's a shame, as the first half seemed to really understand the core themes and tenets of what makes Phantom of the Opera tick. This second part, though, just seems content to pick and choose convenient motifs from The Ring without really getting to the heart of why it's still so damn scary all these years later. Instead, it's the puzzles that really carry this section, and while each exhibits the same wonderful tactility of pushing and pulling levers with your mouse - twiddling dials, lifting lids and clunking big chunky buttons into place as they did in part one - its weaker story elements can't help but like it's undermining it all in the process.

A young girl shines a torch on a hi-fi system in a bunker underground in Fear the Spotlight.
Music of the night takes on a whole new meaning down here... | Image credit: Eurogamer/Blumhouse Games

All that said, Fear the Spotlight is still an enjoyable way to spend five hours or so, and I really do love how the shifting textures of its PS1-era visuals make each part feel just a tiny bit otherworldly despite their very mundane settings. It won't scare you in the slightest, but there's a very sweet and tender-hearted love story sitting at the centre of this, and the excellent voice work from its central duo of Khaya Fraites and Maganda Marie bring real warmth and empathy to this pair of nervous teenagers. There might not be much to challenge you here, but if all you're after is the lightest of thrills then Fear the Spotlight will no doubt be music to your ears.

A copy of Fear the Spotlight was provided for review by publisher Blumhouse Games.

Read this next

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com