While the first Layers of Fear really threw me for a loop in trying to know what Bloober Team was doing, here it sort of felt like a retread. It was a moderately paced experience that offered me a new story to reconstruct and figure out. I managed to finish Layers of Fear 2 in about five hours. That said, seeing the world transform, with the developers pulling off a certain penchant of scare intensity manifesting, this was definitely the highlight of the game. Others offer an almost too pristine room, leading my mind to wander and ask, “when is this going to take a turn into the macabre?” This all correlates with the story elements being told and makes sense…eventually. I found myself constantly in awe of some of the visuals and interesting tricks on display. The ship player’s traverse, the style and throwback nod to movies, and the variation in locations do add more color and life to the game giving it quite a bit more personality. While the game play experience seems rather similar in regards to the original, one huge area of improvement is in the visual department. Seeing the loading screen pop up in these moments just takes a player out of the experience abruptly. It becomes more of a way to break the flow of the narrative when dying, versus increasing tension, which I believe is a bit of a mistake when the story and atmosphere are crucial and what’s being focused on. There are also quite a few moments of trial and error when the random moments an enemy or danger does appear leading to a loading screen. Sometimes offering confusing moments of feeling lost, but perhaps not in a good way. It doesn’t always flow as natural as it could though. Offering spooky, creepy, and on occasion, downright terrifying moments peppered throughout the journey. Some of it unique, some of it par for the course for the genre. There is a lot here to keep a person’s attention. Doors becoming walls, lights turning off, visions of the past. It’s not a problem, but for a sequel, if players expected anything a bit deeper or more, that’s not what Layers of Fear 2 provides.Įxploring the varied environments as they story hops around players is about the most elaborate element here. There is no combat, very little in the way of traditional enemies, it’s more about the plot delivery and story narration. While the storyline is a huge element to what will drive the player’s experience, gameplay here is basically the same as the first: Exploration, minor puzzle solving, and some enemy avoidance is the overall flow. I was able to understand the core story line at the end of my time but it’s still not told in the most constructive way, confusion for confusions sake as I would put it. The game is cryptic and will take lots of analyzing to understand its’ complexity and I’m sure even as writing this there is probably some big discussion going on about it somewhere online. The story here melds with the idea of someone who possible could be having an identity crisis but the show most go on, as they say. One thing is certain though, the main character is an actor, and from what players will discover, a fine one at that having done many movies over their life…or have they? Even after having finished the game, I’m still left feeling the intro and ending feel as if they just happen with little weight to either. I won’t lie, it comes off a bit confusing and very similar to the first game, if not even a bit more perplexing on what is even transpiring. Over time, much like in the original game, clues, notes, and audio dialogue will dive deeper into the character the player are portraying. There’s really no intro dialogue, no set up, it’s just you suddenly placed into the game, which is abrupt, but intriguing nevertheless. Players will find themselves on what appears to be a luxury cruise ship in disarray. The answer isn’t quite as clear, like much of the plot, but as expected but Layers of Fear 2 still offers a good time with certain expectations adjusted.Īs far as story goes, Layers of Fear 2 starts off very, very sudden. Was it a true sequel or a new story being told? Would it improve upon the formula? Would it be scarier than the first? With much anticipation and excitement, I dove right in to the madness. Immediately awaiting it with baited breath, I had no idea what the game was even about but knew I was going to play it. Well, here we are with our Layers of Fear 2 review! Is it worth diving into this madness again? Read on. Much to my surprise, was to see a sudden announcement for Layers of Fear 2 coming later this year. Back in 2016, I stumbled upon just such a game, Bloober Team’s, Layers of Fear - A game that felt as if the player themselves were having a mental breakdown into absurd moments of insanity. Finding a hidden gem that manages to surprise and scare is a guilty pleasure. Horror games have always been a favorite genre of mine.
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