Layers of Fear (2023)
The canvas awaits its final brushstrokes. The stage calls for its lead actor. The novel needs its final chapter. It’s time to face your fears. One. Last. Time.
The series, which has left a mark on narrative-driven first-person psychological horror games, returns to tell its final spine-chilling story in Layers of Fear.. The series’ crowning work is the definitive way to experience the critically acclaimed franchise as it features Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2, as well as all DLCs (including the new ‘The Final Note’ DLC that will give you a new perspective on the Layers of Fear storyline) and the never-before-told story of The Writer, which will tie everything together. Built on Unreal Engine 5, Layers of Fear supports Ray Tracing, HDR and 4K resolution to make the stunning visuals, and your nightmarish experience, as immersive and realistic as possible.
Layers of Fear: Create Your Magnum Opus
“The one precious thing you ever truly desired… FINISH IT.”
Explore a Victorian mansion covered in artwork as The Painter, whose sanity crumbles and cracks just like old oil paint on canvas. Trawl through the ever-changing house to find the supplies needed for your greatest masterpiece, all while trying to outrun your past.
Inheritance DLC: Face Your Past
“I was once told insanity runs in my family… It’s time to make it stop.”
Told from the perspective of The Painter’s Daughter, you come seeking answers. What secrets does this homestead hold? Will you ever truly understand the madness that bestowed your father? Can you ever forgive him? The house may hold everything you need to know… if you can face reliving your past.
The Final Note DLC: Delve Even Deeper
A brand new DLC which aims to shed more light on The Painter, his muse and the family’s backstory, The Final Note is told from the perspective of The Painter’s Wife. This additional narrative may change how you see the characters of the first game, as well as their actions.
Layers of Fear 2: Hit Your Marks
“Time waits for no one, actor. Do not waste ours.”
You are the lead actor in a production being filmed aboard an ocean liner, but all is not what it seems. Explore the ship and discover why you were perfect for The Director’s (voiced by Tony Todd) latest film. You awake and are told one simple command “Act.” But will you?
The Lighthouse Chapter: Link the Layers
Enter a lone and ghastly lighthouse as the newest protagonist, The Writer, and discover a never-before-told tale which will tie the entire series together. What awaits you there? You’ll just have to find out.
Game Features:
- Explore unsettling environments and solve strange puzzles to unveil the narrative at the heart of this first-person psychological horror experience.
- Three different stories of craft-obsessed protagonists (The Painter, The Actor and The Writer) which are interwoven to create a truly immersive experience and gripping storyline.
- Everything in the Layers of Fear series, including all DLCs, so you can find the answers you want.
- New brand-new core mechanics that will be introduced to Layers of Fear and its sequel, as well as additional features, so all the chapters and stories will blend seamlessly.
- Rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, Layers of Fear supports Ray Tracing, HDR and 4K resolution to make the visuals as realistic as possible.
- The new Lumen system offers the most immersive and visceral horror experience.
- A hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by the highly acclaimed and award-winning composer, Arek Reikowski. He has composed a hypnotic score that adds an extra layer of tension to the game and will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Game Discussion
Steam User 21
Well: this was an odd decision for Bloober to have made (even in association with another dev company)! That said: an "enhanced" version of two really great games, somewhat haphazardly spliced together...is still two really great games...
Whether the stories for Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2 were ever "meant" to be run back-to-back - with some tenuous new links and further, shorter stories tossed into the cracks (including the formerly-released "Inheritance" DLC, for the first game) - is another question entirely. Similarly, some of you may have mixed feelings about the added "gameplay"/"danger" elements - most particularly to the formerly peril-free Layers of Fear 1 content - but I, for one, certainly felt it added some freshness and longevity/replay value to the whole package for a long-time fan, even if it does feel a bit "tacked on" at times.
Honestly, if you haven't played the original games, you may as well start here. If you have played the original games - and LOVED them - then there's plenty of newness and "improvements" (especially those to do with handheld light sources like lanterns and flashlights*) to make this a more-than-worthwhile purchase. (The new, occasionally gobsmacking imagery in "The Musician's Story" is almost worth the price of re-admission alone.) But if you're one of those people who played one or both of the first two games...and was a tad underwhelmed? Not enough has changed here to change your mind. 75% of what's present is much the same, with the odd alteration, the aforementioned added danger and, y'know..."better graphics". But it's not a revolutionary new experience, and will probably still bore those who were bored the first time.
One definite plus, for those of you who frequently complain that story-oriented horror games tend to be "too short"? This one easily lasts over ten hours! So if you were sitting on the fence, purely due to the monetary value you associated with each individual game's running time...I guess they "fixed" that part! (Me: I'll happily pay the asking price for a quality horror gaming experience of almost any length; or, failing that, I'll just wait for a sale. But I know I'm not everyone in that regard.)
Verdict: 9.5/10 (the exact same score I gave the exceedingly good first two games)!
(* Actually, unless I'm somehow mistaken: I believe they've made the Layers of Fear 2 content a tad less deadly...thanks to the addition of the flashlight. So they've essentially made the Layers of Fear 1 content MORE challenging, and the Layers of Fear 2 content LESS challenging; roughly balancing the two games out. Up to you whether that sounds like a wise idea or not.)
(PS If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my two Curator pages:
Cheers!)
Steam User 11
Layers of Fear 2023 remake has the visuals that are seriously stunning. The vibe is super eerie, and the story has me curious. Haven’t finished yet but it’s been great.
Note: It blends both older games together along with a new character, THE WRITER.
Steam User 8
Layers of trauma. Very good game I love it. Each backstory is written well and you get to explore each perspective of each family member. This game is one of my favorite horror games, so if you are looking for a wonderful in depth horror game, this is it.
Steam User 5
Mixed feelings.
The first part is still quite good, the original however was better, at least in my memory.
The second part as well as all the DLCs are mediocre at best, the game design and its mechanics just dont hold up over more than five hours.
So overall it not extremely good, but also not terribly bad either, but I had to force myself through the DLCs at the end.
I'd recommend play the first original game, if you really enjoy this one, then get the full extent with the newer one here.
Steam User 6
This game is essentially a bundle that ties all of the Layers of Fear games into one with updated graphics and gameplay mechanics. While I do recommend the game, as a diehard fan of the first game I have some qualms with the direction they went in this remake.
First of all, the first LoF game thrived in subtlety, which is why I recommend playing the original first. You had to figure out what happened yourself through little hints and clues and themes. Piecing the puzzle together is one of the aspects that make LoF special. The remake on the other hand shoves the story blatantly in your face with constant voice acting and dialogue. Every picture and letter you pick up MUST be voice-acted, and some of the voice acting just doesn’t cut it, especially the rat pictures, which I found kind of cringey. The protagonist will also talk to himself, blurting out what we should be deducing ourselves. Many gameplay elements and entire levels are huge spoiler alerts, like using the lantern to ward off "the enemy". Speaking of that…
Don’t even get me started on the chasing sequences. If I wanted to be chased around, I would pick up Soma or Outlast instead. Every time I heard that music come on, I would groan and try to get it over with as soon as possible. Safe mode might be the saving grace in this review, because eventually I turned it on to avoid all that nonsense.
Another baffling qualm that I have with this remake is its abandonment of the original soundtrack. Why? The OST was hands down one of the best aspects of LoF, and they scrapped it. Even one of the most powerful moments in the original LoF, the music box in the child's room , was changed. The music wasn’t bad by any means, but I’m disappointed by the removal of some pivotal stand-out tracks that brought LoF to small-time fame.
LoF 2 surprised me here. It was true to the LoF formula of changing environments and jumpscares. And, just like the first game, I found the story to be mesmerizing. Who are these two kids and what happened to them? Their voice acting really got me hooked. Whoever voiced their characters did a great job. I honestly enjoyed this part 2 more than the remastered first game. Maybe because I hold the original in such high regard.
They really outdid themselves in the graphical department; the game looks amazing. And while they made some decisions that really rub me the wrong way, the game is different enough to warrant a play-through. Really, it’s almost like a completely different game. And on top of that, all the DLCs and LoF 2? All in all, my 14 hours were a blast. I always looked forward to taking a few mushroom gummies and diving right into late-night LoF on Fridays and Saturdays. This is an absolute recommendation from me.
Steam User 6
The best Horror game I have played in a long time I must say. The way the story got more intense through the additional content we got, the Horror elements being ON POINT. I will definitely 100% it cause this masterpiece deserves the recognition it didn't get yet. Wish more people would play this game cause what they made out of it is just: Wow! :)
Steam User 6
Absolute masterclass of story telling. An utterly immersive game with deep symbolism, and interesting plots. Every story had me filled to the brim with different emotions (mainly dread and horror, which they craft expertly), and I'll never forget my experience playing this game. Thanks Bloober Team and Anshar Studios.