
As you turn a corner or even turn to look behind you, the game environment will completely change into something entirely different without the use of any loading screens. Perhaps the most amazing part of this game is found within how the world changes around you. It builds its nightmare slowly, the tension growing thicker every minute. This is the game’s strongest tactic and if you are hoping for something with more moment to moment thrills akin to Resident Evil 7 or Outlast, then Layers of Fear 2 might not be for you. Personally, I love my horror to take its time, work its way into my brain, reaching a haunting climax that has my heart pounding, palms sweating, and leaves me constantly looking over my shoulder. It is 100% a slow burn, narrative-driven experience which will not be for everyone. Layers of Fear 2 is not an action-heavy horror game. Not to mention the sultry, demonic tones of horror legend Tony Todd who fantastically narrates this interactive terror.

Voices, groans, creeks, screams, all happen around you and send shivers down your spine while never being too over-bearing or unwelcome. I highly recommend playing with headphones as the team at Bloober really did a number with binaural audio. The audio is also no exception to this rule. The graphical prowess on show here paired with an art design that clearly came from the minds of true horror fans really sticks out and immerses you in the way a good horror story should. Some of the scenes I had wandered upon had me frozen in place, unable to move my character forward, genuinely fearful for what would happen if I did. The ship is created in painstaking detail and houses some seriously nightmare-inducing imagery. In terms of design, this game is absolutely brilliant. That is the basic gameplay loop: move forward, act to act, solving puzzles, running from deadly creatures, and even questioning your own sanity. The beauty in this game is that you know absolutely nothing about it when you start, forcing you to look in every section of every area to find clues or notes about what is happening. The game opens with you in the middle of a hallway on said ship and you must progress forward. Upon starting the game you are not greeted with any cinematics, text, or any explanation of any kind. You are an actor in the 1930s and you are portraying a rather unique role for a film that will be shot at sea aboard a luxurious ocean liner. Layers of Fear 2 is a psychological horror game featuring a deep and troubling narrative that unfolds over the course of five acts. Now, the devs at Bloober Team are trying to re-capture that same thrilling experience with Layers of Fear 2 and I can say they definitely deliver.

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The first Layers of Fear was a shining example of a game made by a team who knew exactly what they had to work with and how to tell a compelling, nightmarish narrative with those resources. First person narrative horror is the new fad among indie developers and, more often than not, their ideas are far larger than their resources which results in a subpar game that is lacking in some way or another. That being said, I have grown overly critical of horror simply because there is so much of it. Before we jump in I need to explain something: horror is my favorite genre, in both movies and games, and I experience every bit of it that I can.
