Nostalgia is a very powerful thing, and many developers today are using their nostalgia for the PS1 survival horror era to create innovative, exciting new games that pay homage while offering something new. Over the past few years, there have been many PS1 inspired horror games released such as Night of the nun, Blood washingand this year's The country of crows. And now it's time to turn your attention to retro survival horror Fear the Spotlight.
The release is scheduled for October 22 Fear the Spotlight is currently in development by indie studio Cozy Game Pals, and has caught the attention of many thanks to its recent reveal at Sony State of Play. With reverse graphics and gameplay, Fear the Spotlight should be on every retro horror fan's radar, and even has the potential to be Halloween's biggest indie hit.
Fear The Spotlight could be the biggest sleeper hit of Halloween 2024
Fear The Spotlight wears its retro influences on its sleeve
As shown in the latest State of Play gameplay trailer, Fear the Spotlight wears its PS1-era influence on its sleeve, and its art style is a clear nod to the classics, as Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The character models are intentionally low-res and polygonal, mimicking the 3D graphics of 1990s consoles. Fear the SpotlightThe lighting is also very reminiscent of PS1-era horror games, with darkness and subdued light playing a key role in creating the game's eerie atmosphere. A film grain filter was also applied on top Fear the Spotlightsimulating the look of a game running on an old CRT TV.
This throwback art style pairs beautifully with Fear the Spotlightseemingly simplistic gameplay. Based on the recent trailer, it seems Fear the Spotlight players will slowly make their way through an eerie abandoned school, using their trusty torch to light the way and solving environmental puzzles to progress. Players also need to avoid the eponymous spotlight-headed monster that roams the eerie halls.
Fear The Spotlight is a lead for Blumhouse Games
Back at Summer Game Fest, Blumhouse Games took center stage to unveil its first slate of upcoming releases. Blumhouse announced six games at once, each a smaller-scale experimental horror game with a strong sense of art and game direction. Fear the Spotlight was one of six games announced, and is the first to be released for Blumhouse Games.
There are still very few Fear the Spotlight – as this is the first project released under the Blumhouse Games banner – the game has already gained some reputation. Fear the Spotlight was originally released on Steam back in 2022, where early users gave the game a “Very Positive” rating. When Blumhouse approached the developers to turn it into a bigger project, they took the game off Steam and are now preparing for release Fear the Spotlight in full form.
While there are currently no release dates for any of Blumhouse's upcoming horror titles, they are all worth watching for fans of the genre. From the farm simulator that became a murder mystery Grave seasons to the collaboration of Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg Project SBlumhouse has some exciting games right now, and Fear the Spotlight will hopefully set the gold standard for the rest.
