Fears to Fathom part 4 spoilers!!

Just watched a playthrough of Fears to Fathom: Ironbark lookout. Highly recommend the game, although I personally struggle to play through horror games and thus opted for watching a playthrough instead.

The premise is excellent. Being alone in the woods is a nerve wracking experience all by itself, and the events of the game just build on that inherent creepiness. Best to experience the story without knowing the reveal though. While it's not a big plot twist or anything, intrigue makes the heart grow fonder... or something--

Spoilers included from now on <!>

The subject of whether the story is based on true events or not doesn't particularly bother me, and it stands on its own, whether a creepypasta or a real life horror.

However I won't deny that a horror game that isnt abstract or supernatural did tickle some odd fear in me. The cult and murder/disappearances are completely within the realm of possibility, but they don't fail at seeming strange and otherwordly. The whole story is sort of ambiguous and shrouded in mystery. You never know for sure who was and wasn't in on it (Conner for instance. Did he send the player to investigate the fire on purpose in the end?).

On the subject of atmosphere - the game nails that too. The ambiance of the forest and the coziness of the cabin is contrasted with the eerie sound design and the tenser elements. I love the fact that the player has a feel for everyday life in the cabin - responsibilities, chores, a full blown computer with videogames and even bodily functions that you have to worry about (did you know you can pee off the balcony?). All these small elements make the experience that much more immersive. Not to mention the picturesque landscape views of the park!! Everything comes together to make the MC and the setting feel very real.

The game just has so much outside of plain shockvalue and jumpscares. It is in a way homey and beautiful.

This is not to sleep on the horror though. While these things are fresh in my mind:

The bonfire scene.

Om. The climax of the story, when Jack sees the cult through his binoculars, goes to take a picture and is spotted. This is what got me interested in the game in the first place. This is such a masterful moment. A perfect breaking point of the building paranoia and overall a great scene.

Another personal favourite moment of mine in the time Jack wakes to see a shadow of a cultist in the window. The haze over the players eyes that indicates Jack's groggy and disoriented state after being awakened is a marvelous touch. And the way said haze disappears, as if Jack is startled awake? It is also the first moment we face the foe in such an explicit way.

Overall I am of the belief that not knowing the whole truth only makes something scarier. For this reason I enjoyed the ending and the loose threads immensely. Thank you for reading this hehe