Fears to Fathom - Home Alone

Being a horror video game fan, I am not sure why I just recently found out about Fears to Fathom - Home Alone. It was actually a friend of mine who suggested this to me. This is an anthology series of games and this is the first part of it. It is a rather short experience, but it is a game that keeps you on edge the whole time you are playing it and it is more of a psychological horror type experience rather than relying on gore to scare you.

The Truth Is Out There

One of the most interesting things about Fears to Fathom - Home Alone and the series in general is that from my understanding all of the stories that the games feature are based on true events! It is about someone who has survived a creepy and scary encounter and the idea of each installment is that we are put into that person's shoes, this game does a great job of doing that and I do feel like the premise of this particular installment is one that many people are going to be able to relate to.

No Wet Bandits Here!

The story of Fears to Fathom - Home Alone is that we are playing as a 14 year old kid called Miles. Miles’s parents have to go out of town for a work thing so he is going to be home alone for the weekend, Miles has a buddy coming around to keep him company so it is not a big deal…. However, that falls through, and now Miles is going to be home alone. Miles is not bothered about this and just goes about his evening as normal until he gets a creepy text from his mom with a photo of the front of their house with a dude standing outside of it. She tells him to stay in the house, lock the doors, and wait for the cops and us waiting for the cops is basically what the game is about.

Who Left The Door Open

The gameplay of Fears to Fathom - Home Alone is mostly like a walking simulator. We get to walk around the house and discover some strange things such as the door being open when it was closed before. There are a series of scripted events in the game that lead to a few awesome jump scares, but if you try and go off the beaten path and do what you want, it is kind of like the game does not want you to do it. This is more of an “experience” than it is a game I would say and it keeps you on edge the whole time. Did I really see some feet going up the stairs or is my mind playing tricks on me? Stuff like that happens all the time and it is pulled of very well.

A Real Video Nasty!

Anyone else in the UK remember when a “video nasty” was a thing in the 90s? Anyway, that is quite appropriate for Fears to Fathom - Home Alone as the game has a kind of VHS filter over it. To be honest I am not sure why they have done this as the game is clearly not set in the 90s, but it is still kind of neat. The house is well detailed and the game makes great use of lighting and shadows to play tricks on your mind. It is not the largest area to move around, but this helps add to the tension.

Pros:

• I liked the setting of the game
• It reminds you of being left home alone as a kid
• It has some excellent jump scares
• You can get through the game in one sitting

Cons:

• It is pretty much a one and done kind of experience
• As it is based on a true story, you know the kid survives right from the start