Layers of Fear 2
The cameras are all focused on you; the center of the scene. Not just in character, you are the character. The part to play is singularly yours. Written just for you. You are met with silence. No barking orders from the director. No call to action that you need to become this version of yourself. The demand to act fills your mind, but the script pages hold no words. Your past has helped to mold you into what you are, forced upon you the skills required to hone your craft. That same past has scraped deep furrowing scars into you, not on the outside where the world can see, but in a place buried so deep within that it has become shapeless. You push those memories down but let the experiences drive you into who, or what, you must play. Darkness surrounds as you stand silently in the spotlight, the only sounds to be heard over your heartbeat are the distant breaking of waves against the hull and the sound of cameras pointed in your direction preserving this moment for eternity.
Game Discussion
Steam User 4
This game builds on the psychological horror elements of its predecessor but shifts the setting from a haunted mansion to a creepy, abandoned ship. This time, you play as an actor, taking on roles in a disturbing movie directed by a mysterious figure. While it follows a similar formula of exploration and environmental storytelling, it introduces fresh themes of identity, control, and fear of the unknown.
Gameplay:
Much like the original, the core is about exploration and unraveling the twisted narrative. You navigate through the eerie corridors of the ship, which, much like the mansion in the first game, shifts and distorts around you. There’s no combat, but the game ramps up the tension with unsettling environments, puzzles, and a series of chase sequences that keep you on edge. The puzzles are still fairly light, but they tie into the narrative more effectively, often making you question your own sense of reality as scenes blend between the ship and the movie you’re acting in.
Pros:
+ Strong Atmosphere: The abandoned ship setting is just as unsettling as the mansion from the first game, with dark hallways, eerie sounds, and a constant feeling of isolation. The ship’s design, combined with cinematic lighting and brilliant sound design, creates a tense atmosphere.
+ Cinematic Themes: The game leans heavily into film and theater imagery, blending movie scenes into the world around you. It plays with ideas of performance, identity, and control in a way that feels fresh and engaging.
+ Mind-Bending Storytelling: It doesn’t just tell a straightforward story. Instead, it blends reality and fiction, keeping you questioning what’s real and what’s part of the director’s twisted vision.
+ Visual and Audio Design: The game’s visuals are haunting, with distorted reality bending before your eyes, while the sound design plays a key role in building tension—from whispers to creaking metal and echoing footsteps.
Cons:
- Repetitive Mechanics: The chase sequences, while initially intense, can start to feel repetitive after a while, as they don’t offer much variety and become predictable.
- Pacing Issues: The game can feel slow at times, especially for players used to faster-paced horror. Some moments of exploration drag on without much payoff, and there’s a sense of tedium in backtracking through certain areas.
- Lack of Innovation: While the cinematic theme is a nice twist, some players may feel that the game doesn’t do enough to innovate from the first. The core formula remains largely the same, so it might not feel as fresh if you’ve played the original.
Conclusion:
"Layers of Fear 2" is a worthy sequel for fans of the first game, offering another deep dive into psychological horror with a fresh setting and new themes. The emphasis on cinematic storytelling and the eerie atmosphere of the ship are definite highlights, though the gameplay can feel repetitive at times. If you enjoyed the slow-burn horror of the original or are a fan of narrative-driven experiences, this is worth checking out. However, if you’re looking for something that pushes the series forward in terms of gameplay innovation, it might feel a bit familiar. Nonetheless, it delivers a chilling, immersive experience for those who love psychological horror.
Steam User 5
+ Strong points:
- A once again original creation
- A beautiful demonstration of psychological horror
- Enigmas and situations more varied than its predecessor
- Still so tortured
- Neat soundtrack and sound design
- Weak points:
- A ghost train aspect that will not appeal to everyone
- Narration sometimes unnecessarily obscure
- Choices that we take somewhat by default
- The necessary “action” phases
- Still some optimization issues
Summary: Despite the fact that it struggles to escape its "ultra luxury ghost train" framework, that the narration is not always in good shape and that the few action scenes are not systematically successful, Layers of Fear 2 remains always a gourmet choice for all psychological horror game lovers. Varied, immersive, distressing and displaying treasures of staging, Layers of Fear 2 is an experience to live, even if the mimicry with its predecessor prevents it from totally emancipating itself.
15/20
Steam User 2
Simple, if you liked the first game, go for it.
Watch out if doing the achievements though, I lost half of my mental health doing them and had to be momentarily hospitalised.
Still worth it though
Steam User 0
Longer than the first one with a lot more crazy scenes and transitions. Sometimes it can seem a bit too strange and the change of the environment makes little sense at some very few areas. I would have wished for a little less of the crazy scenes and more focus on the story which has a lot more potential.
That's about all I can say to criticize this game. To me this was as entertaining as the first one and I would love there to be a third. There are just so many scenes, so many areas so well done. Very good game in my opinion and a joy to play through.
Steam User 0
Surprisingly a lot of fun for the short experience you get. Built on Layers of Fear (2016) by improving the gameplay experience. The cruise ship setting was cool and made for varied environments, and as a fan of movies I liked the references to films via the player character being an actor. I enjoyed trying to predict the story or outcome as the game progressed and finding the collectibles while going through the levels. The only thing I didn't like was how inconsistent the chase sequences were, sometimes it was obvious that a monster was about to chase you and other times it was sudden. I would've preferred some consistency in telegraphing the chase.
Steam User 0
One of the more recent horror games i've played which is saying alot since i played it 4 years ago. Considering horror is my fave genre might be time to play another soon. Its a true first world problem to have to find the time to play all these great games. lol
Anyways about the game ... The game was great. Played smoothly . It is a different plot but tries to stay on the artsy theme. I liked it almost as much as the first one . The game is short but has multiple endings
Overall Rating : 10/10
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Steam User 0
Very great horror game took less than 6 hours to beat. I also beat the first one and this one followed up very well. Great graphics and trippy gameplay and cutscenes. Great job dev team