Bloober Team has solidified itself as one of the premiere horror game developers in the entire industry, a reputation that started with 2016's Layers of Fear. Taking its cues from Hideo Kojima's PT, the first Layers of Fear was a first-person horror game set in a haunted house. It was followed by DLC and a sequel that have now all been brought together in one reimagined collection.
The 2023 Layers of Fear is separated into three experiences. The first is essentially a remake of the original Layers of Fear along with its Inheritance DLC and a short new chapter called The Final Note. The second is a redo of Layers of Fear 2, and the third is a story about a writer in a lighthouse that functions as a framing device for the core games. Unfortunately, anyone that has already played the original Layers of Fear or its sequel is unlikely to find enough quality new content here to justify buying this collection.
The original Layers of Fear as it's presented in the 2023 game plays out similarly to how fans may remember, which makes it puzzling why the game isn't being marketed as a remake. There are differences, but it's more or less the same basic experience, with players taking on the role of an artist as he explores a creepy old house and is subjected to supernatural horrors. Gameplay consists almost entirely of walking from one spooky scene to the next, though the game is very rarely scary, relying too much on horror clichés and predictable jump scares.
A new feature in Layers of Fear is the lantern, which gives players the chance to fight back against the ghostly woman that occasionally pops up. It's also used in some puzzles, but regardless it's not a significant enough addition to make this redone version of Layers of Fear feel all that different from the 2016 original.
For those that haven't played the 2016 game, Layers of Fear is basically the video game equivalent of a theme park haunted house. And the ghost in the game is about as threatening as the performers at those haunted houses, so easily held back by the lantern that players hardly have to worry about her. Players will catch on to this pretty quick, making the whole thing toothless and devoid of any tension that it would have had otherwise.
Besides failing to be scary, Layers of Fear also suffers from puzzles that are too simple to be compelling and a story that never goes anywhere particularly interesting. Unfortunately, the Inheritance DLC and The Final Note are more of the same, except players take on the role of the artist's daughter and wife, respectively. There simply isn't much substance to the first Layers of Fear or its add-ons. Layers of Fear 2, meanwhile, is a step above its predecessor, though it suffers from a lot of the same problems story-wise.
Layers of Fear 2 trades the haunted house setting for that of a cruise ship. It leans heavily on the same horror cliches that its predecessor does, but it at least has some more compelling gameplay by throwing anxiety-fueled chase sequences into the mix. At specific points in the game, Layers of Fear 2 players are chased by a relentless blob-like monster that won't stop until it gets the player or they manage to escape. Players have to move objects out of their way and quickly shut doors behind them if they hope to survive, and the stress of juggling these different tasks while simultaneously running for one's life makes for some memorable moments. Layers of Fear 2's chase sequences and better puzzles make it more fun to play, even if it also falls short of being scary or providing an engaging storyline.
In between reliving Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2, players take on the role of a writer who is locked in a lighthouse. This new content would be the main selling point for hardcore fans that have already played the first two games extensively, but it leaves players stuck in the same location the entire time and recycles the horror tricks found in the core experiences. There are multiple endings, in typical Layers of Fear fashion, but the one we got was hugely unsatisfying. Even if games are going to have "bad" endings, it's best if the endings still provide some kind of closure to the story, or else it makes the player feel like they went through all that for nothing.
Those looking for engaging horror stories will not find them in Layers of Fear. The gameplay, meanwhile, is passable but far from anything special. However, this new Layers of Fear isn't a complete loss. While one can find a lot to criticize about the Layers of Fear games, no one can take anything away from the graphics. The 2023 Layers of Fear game is built using Unreal Engine 5, allowing it to take the visuals to the next level and deliver one of the best-looking horror games made to date. The new Layers of Fear has photo-realistic graphics where every environment looks genuinely lifelike. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the game's visuals, and some may even find it worth buying the game to gawk at if nothing else.
This collection of Layers of Fear games is also available at a budget price of $29.99, which makes it a bit more appealing. Horror fans that haven't played the Layers of Fear games before will get a lot of value out of this collection, as it is essentially two full games in one with added content and some truly incredible graphics. They may not be blown away by the actual games themselves, but there's no denying that one can get a decent amount of content for their money with the 2023 Layers of Fear.
The 2023 Layers of Fear is definitely the best way to experience the Layers of Fear games, but they were never particularly good to begin with. While Layers of Fear is what put Bloober Team on the map, the studio has put out significantly better games since then, like sci-fi horror game Observer, the Blair Witch game, and the Silent Hill-inspired The Medium. Horror fans should consider checking those out before taking a chance with Layers of Fear.
Layers of Fears (2023)
Using Unreal Engine 5, Bloober Team's Layers of Fear (2023) serves as the definitive package for the entire franchise. Containing updated versions of 2016's Layers of Fear, its sequel, and all of their DLC, this horror game also comes with a new story called The Lighthouse Chapter designed to tie all the stories together.
Layers of Fear launches June 15 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided with a PC code for this review.