A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this Layers of Fear (2023) review.
Layers of Fear is not the first game called Layers of Fear. In fact, it’s the second. But there is also Layers of Fear 2, which is the second game in the series. In actuality, this is the third Layers of Fear game. But it isn’t a sequel to the second Layers of Fear. It’s a collection of all the older Layers of Fear games (plus a new story and previous DLCs) – rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5 – which have now been woven together to create a more cohesive overarching narrative. Make sense?
The reason for this “reimagining” (as Bloober Team call it) is somewhat unclear. Sure – the previous Layers of Fear games are neat, if unremarkable, horror titles. But they hardly set the world on fire. Truth be told, it’s difficult to imagine a world where these games even exist if P.T. hadn’t come first.
As with most P.T.-inspired corridor-walkers of the last nine years, Layers of Fear just doesn’t compare. It has all the hallmarks of Hideo Kojima’s “playable teaser” but lacks the frights, mystery, and personality – although it desperately tries to deliver all three.
With that being said, 2023’s Layers of Fear makes for a decent 15-hour tale of arty-farty spooks. Unfortunately, it just isn’t scary. At best, it’s slightly sinister. At worst, it’s dull and predictable. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, it looks nice enough. But its erratic plot is excessively vague and pretentious.
When the game begins, you are a Writer staying in a gloomy lighthouse. After wandering around a bit and acquainting yourself with your new surroundings, you finally sit down to write. Layers of Fear then switches to the Painter’s story (from the series’ original game), which is being written by the Writer.
The Painter is desperately trying to complete his magnum opus. You must navigate his ever-changing mansion to find the supplies needed to finish the work while coping with his declining mental state. Along the way, you come to learn about his family’s tragic fate, as well as his regrets, fears, and failures.
While there are some frights to be found in this story, it’s all just a bit meh. A few jump scares may catch you out, but, for the most part, the Painter’s story relies primarily on the mansion’s Rubik’s Cube interior. Where P.T. was subtle and restrained with its environmental changes, Layers of Fear is relentless. Far too often you turn your back and entire rooms morph completely. This is eerie the first time and maybe even the fifth time. But the tenth time? I don’t think so.
This cheap trick is really all Layers of Fear has to offer. Its peculiar surroundings are also packed full of just about every horror trope imaginable, and uninspired chase sequences do little to liven things up.
The same can be said for the rebuilt Layers of Fear 2 experience, which takes place on a seemingly abandoned ship. An actor awakens and must follow instructions from the ominous Director (voiced by Tony Todd). Much like in the Painter’s story, you walk around, weird stuff happens, your surroundings warp and change, and you learn about what’s going on.
Layers of Fear clearly prioritises narrative over gameplay. Which is fine, generally. While it piqued my interest every now and then, it’s far from gripping. These tales are told primarily through obscure hallucinations, newspaper clippings, notes, and unseen voices.
This constantly interrupts the game’s flow and reeks of self-importance. Rather than earning the player’s intrigue, Layers of Fear expects it and demands you break off to read uninteresting chunks of text that provide little incentive to progress.
Layers of Fear also features puzzles, although many of these are simply quick head-scratchers and nothing more. There are a handful that require genuine thought (such as one rather finicky puzzle involving picture frames and easels). But, often, the game’s puzzles can be boiled down to finding basic number combinations for padlocks and suchlike.
Graphically, Layers of Fear is easy on the eye. However, it was only nice to look at after I’d spent a good 15 minutes figuring out why the game was just so damn dark. In the pre-release version of Layers of Fear that I played, I was forced to disable HDR and turn the brightness up so I could see what I was doing.
Thankfully, once I’d overcome the darkness, I was treated to some lovely lighting effects that greatly enhanced immersion. Given there isn’t much of a fear factor in Layers of Fear, its impressive visual fidelity certainly improved the overall horror offering.
On a technical level, the game performed well with minimal frame rate drops, bugs, or glitches to speak of.
Layers of Fear (2023) review: Verdict
Layers of Fear is an acceptable package of horror stories, but that’s about it. Its few scares do just about enough to earn a title that includes the word “fear”, however it isn’t in the same ballpark as other genre titans.
Its narrative isn’t as clever as it seems to think and will likely leave you disengaged. This isn’t helped by decidedly simple puzzles and lacklustre (virtually non-existent) action. Despite this, the game’s graphics are its saving grace. They pull you into the scene and amplify the environmental ambience in every room and corridor of Layers of Fear.
Sadly, pretty visuals just won’t be enough to make Layers of Fear a worthwhile experience for most. Hardcore horror fans will surely find something to enjoy. But players with limited time on their hands will likely run fast and far from a game that fails to do anything noteworthy, no matter how polished the package might be.
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
Version played: PS5
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