Layers of Fear 2 is a first-person, psychological thriller, horror video game with an emphasis on exploration and story. You became an actor so you wouldnвЂ™t have to be yourself.

The beauty of both games not coming from what you can see in front of you, but what you think you may have seen and what is constantly changing in your wake. IвЂ™m glad to say that the sequel takes everything that was brilliant about the first game and somehow manages to make it even better. First person perspective saw the player navigating an old house with the scenery constantly changing around you, normally off camera so it would confuse and scare the player at the same time. The original Layers of Fear went way beyond screwing your senses and emotions up as any good horror should always do. Bloober Team could have quite easily left the success of that title there and concentrated on other releases which they have done to a certain degree, but it was only a matter of time before they had to brings the fans a sequel and eventually it is with us all. To begin with, the creepiness was more implied and subtle, increasing the impact of any scarier moments but as the overall environment becomes more crazy and intangible, so do the вЂscaresвЂ™ making them feel cheap and cheesy.February 2016 was the release of a relatively unknown title called Layers of Fear a psychological horror game which turned out to be one of the best horror games released in recent years. A bit cheesy?Дespite the increasing insanity, the sinister tone and darker elements of the narrative and the gradual shift in atmosphere as the player progresses, the game lets itself down in the latter half by relying more heavily on clichГ© and familiar tropes.

The gameвЂ™s sound effects are implemented well to help create tension and accentuate the surrealism as well as adding oomph to some pretty successful jump scares. The OST is one of the strongest elements of the game, ranging from delicate and eerie piano playing to full-bodied, invasive music with atmospheric and distorted vocals. Rat silhouette created by random debris and creepy lighting The artwork is good but not as stand-out as I expected from an art-themed game, it also had that familiar Unity feel! There are multiple instances of repeated assets, from books to paintings and furniture, however, fortunately, this seemed reasonable given the ever-changing layout of the house and labyrinth style progression. The setting and experiences get increasingly surreal and sinister as the player progresses, the colour palette changes from sombre and muted to psychedelic and the surroundings become increasingly sinister. The writing and voice-acting are both done well, working in tandem with both the environment and the gameplay to drip feed information and build the narrative whilst maintaining curiosity and anticipation. Layers of Fear does a great job of building tension gradually.

However, the most common (and the only one I achieved in two separate 6hr playthroughs) is the endless loop and it seems as though the player is required to be quite specific in their actions to achieve a conclusive ending. The route that is taken by the player, as well as behaviour during certain encounters and which collectables are kept will determine the ending of the game there are three possible outcomes which are self-portrait, family, and endless loop. The gameвЂ™s protagonist is a troubled, alcoholic painter struggling to create his magnus opus whilst navigating his way through memories, delusions and an ever-changing Victorian mansion. It does include a few puzzles but is, for the most part, an atmospheric, narrative experience. Layers of Fear is a first-person, psychedelic horror with point-and-click, walking-simulator style mechanics. Available on: Steam, GOG, Humble, Xbox, PS

Layers of fear game ps4