Fears to Fathom is back with Episode 3, Carson House! In this Episode, we plays as 18 year old Noah Baker who looks after a big time CEO’s house for the weekend. Roy Carson, a major cheapskate and friend of your fathers will pay you $100 to stay there. If you haven’t played yet, here is your spoiler warning!
It’s a typical night at first, creating a good mix up of mundane horror and build up to the scariest events of the game. Roy is a nice guy, but again a cheapskate and a pain, he even makes you go grocery shopping! He does make up for it though by buying you a pizza. While eating, there’s some super freaky shows on the TV, like Cooking with Jeffrey, The Hand Merchant, and more. The shows were a neat addition, weird and entertaining.
It’s a pretty big house, and you can even check out the neighborhood a bit. As usual my favorite stuff like the sky and other houses are done well and a great attention to detail. Except the garage… good fourth wall break. Then there’s a lot of stuff you can interact with in the house and throw around. The extra PC programs are fun to play around with too. It’s pretty cool how you can actually google stuff like the Roy Carson divorce.
Fears to Fathom: Carson House Story Explained – The Reality of Home Invasion
After going to actually get some work done, the security camera’s show another person outside. It doesn’t look like another pizza delivery man. This is where the game has a bit more build up, giving you that increasing unsettling feeling you’re not alone. The first Fears to Fathom episode home invasion was scary enough, now Carson House is even more intense. Depending on where you go and at what times, you can run into the killer early. Which turns into a twist of it’s own. The game had you convinced it was Roy’s ex wife or one of her fans, instead it’s your ex!
What makes this game way more terrifying that your usual horror game is just how real the story is. On top of her crazy obsessive and stalker behavior, she’s also a drunk, crazy meth addict. Quite the combo you don’t want in your house. The way she runs right at you with her creepy psycho face is scary as f*ck. Same with her slow maniacal walk when she comes upstairs, and then the conversation through the door… chilling. Carson House has tons of great moments like this.
You can miss some of the glimpses of her on the camera’s pretty easy. She’s a pretty stealthy home invader. Doing small things to bait you out. The changes on the camera are chilling. You don’t hear her at all, how did she even get in? One of the knives from the kitchen eventually goes missing too.
Once again the game uses your mic and measures sound when you have to hide once she’s upstairs. Something to keep in mind so you can have one less heart attack. It’s a nice additional feature, though completely defeated if you’re like me and don’t use the mic. It’s there for the reaction YouTubers.
Final Thoughts
The graphics are excellent, it has one of the best VHS style visuals for an indie horror game. The retro filter and models are just right. I love moments like where you get to go explore the town. Even if the shopping is mundane, it’s always cool to visit a retro style mini mart.
Fears to Fathom: Carson House is my favorite episode so far, it’s definitely worth checking out for any horror game fans. Me and Steam both give it a 9/10. It’s about an hour of gameplay for $3.99, and considering the quality, story, and indie development, it’s a great price. I’d also recommend episode 1, Home Alone if you enjoyed Carson House.
