This article has SPOILERS for Fear the Spotlight
The recently-released survival-horror game Fear the Spotlight includes a surprise nod to Konami's beloved Silent Hill franchise. Fear the Spotlight was technically first released in 2023, but then the game received backing from Blumhouse Games and was pulled from sale. A new and improved version of Fear the Spotlight was then launched in October of 2024. Spoilers for Fear the Spotlight follow.
The new version of Fear the Spotlight gives players a brand-new scenario to complete where they play as Amy. Amy's story features new locations to explore and puzzles to solve, not to mention fleshes out the backstory and helps Fear the Spotlight feel like a much more complete experience. Those that play through both stories in Fear the Spotlight and reach the end of the game will be treated to a neat nod to the Silent Hill franchise.
Fear the Spotlight Review
Fear the Spotlight is a creepy survival-horror game that serves as a fun throwback to the genre's heyday.
At the very end of Fear Spotlight, players can read an online newspaper article by Sunnyside Post. The article explains what happened in the aftermath of Fear the Spotlight's story, and is set up like an actual webpage, complete with ads and links to other articles. In the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, players can see a link for a news article with the headline "Mysterious Fog Hits Toluca Lake," complete with a sign that looks identical to the "Welcome to Silent Hill" sign from the Silent Hill games.
Fear the Spotlight Silent Hill Easter Egg
Survival-horror fans will no doubt recognize Toluca Lake as the lake featured in multiple Silent Hill games. It's adjacent to the titular town and is an important location that players visit on more than one occasion. In fact, Silent Hill 2 famously begins with protagonist James Sunderland looking out over Toluca Lake before venturing into the nightmare that awaits him in the town itself. The headline also references the strange fog that covers Silent Hill and the surrounding areas, tied to the bizarre supernatural occurrences that happen to people unlucky enough to find themselves in the town.
It will be interesting to see if Toluca Lake pops up in future Silent Hill projects. Konami has a number of other new Silent Hill games in active development at various studios, and Silent Hill 2 remake developer Bloober Team has expressed interest in tackling other games in the series as well. It's safe to say that many fans would jump at the chance to revisit the classic Silent Hill games, so hopefully, we get some announcements on that front sooner rather than later.
Fear the Spotlight
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 15, 2023
- ESRB
- Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- Cozy Game Pals
- Publisher(s)
- Blumhouse Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Fear the Spotlight is an atmospheric third-person horror adventure with a disturbing mystery to unravel. Sneak into school after hours with Vivian and Amy, survive a séance gone wrong, solve tactile puzzles, and, whatever you do, stay out of the spotlight…
Sunnyside High has a dark history. When Vivian enters the deserted corridors for a seance with the rebellious Amy, she suddenly ends up alone, and at the mercy of the monster who wanders the halls. Vivian must avoid its gaze, find her friend, and uncover the disturbing, murderous truth of a decades old tragedy. Fear the Spotlight is a creepy love letter to classic 90s horror experiences with a focus of rich storytelling, puzzle solving, and a tense atmosphere. This is a perfect narrative horror game for those new to the genre.
- Engine
- Unity
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 2.5 hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1.7 GB
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
