Layers of Fear (2023) Reviews

Layers of Fear (2023) is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
75 / 100
Jun 19, 2023

In the end, Layers of Fear (2023) is all that, a place where darkness and enigmas invade everything. The first part of the experience consists of a tunnel of terror with very few mechanics to its credit, in which the setting, light and sound effects are present in each car. In the second, we will have to defend ourselves from elements that only inhabit our worst nightmares ... A cast that will be responsible for making it difficult for us and that promise a macabre journey to the depths of terror.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

3 / 5.0
Jun 15, 2023

All told, when Layers of Fear (2023) is firing on all cylinders, it feels like a genuinely mind-bending thrill ride as pathways behind you twist and contort in the blink of an eye. These qualities are best exemplified in the lithe and tight debut title. That said, what truly flies in the face of the collection’s overall charms is its uneven storytelling, repetitive puzzles, and buggy technical performance. In essence, much like the fractured psyches of the artists that form the soul of these vignettes, Bloober Team’s latest collection is simultaneously beautiful, fascinating, and deeply, profoundly… aggravating.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 16, 2023

Layers of Fear impressively goes beyond the call of duty of updating both games for modern hardware. It's a remake with significantly enhanced visuals and a strong dedication to creating an immersive atmosphere, while also introducing new content. However, it's regrettable that the newly added content feels lacking in substance and significance. Nevertheless, Layers of Fear remains the definitive way to experience the Layers of Fear series, warts and all.

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Jun 15, 2023

Layers of Fear serves as a kind of director's cut for the horror series. With lavish visuals, new content, and a new framing device, it proves the definite way to experience the series. Those who've already played the games won't find much they haven't seen before, but The Final Note chapter adds a fun, spooky new layer.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 15, 2023

An impressive remake/reimagining of the series from a technical standpoint, and there are some welcome changes to the way each game plays. It's unfortunate that efforts to tie the individual stories together don't always land, but it generally does the trick.

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3.1 / 5.0
Jun 19, 2023

Layers of Fear 2023 re-packages the first two games with better visuals and sound, but gameplay is a miss.

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6 / 10.0
Jun 16, 2023

Layers of Fear is gorgeous to look at, but its beauty is skin deep. From rudimentary, repetitive gameplay to predictable attempts at scaring you, this definitive reimagining of Bloober Team's horror franchise stumbles too often to be able to make a meaningful mark.

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CGMagazine
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Jun 15, 2023

Layers of Fear (2023) is Bloober Team’s magnum opus and a must-play for atmospheric horror fans who have yet to play the originals in the series.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 15, 2023

Layers of Fear is not a new game, nor a remake. it seems like a sort of definitive edition that includes the old games of the series and a new section that ties the two stories together. The passage to Unreal Engine 5 and the mild gameplay tweaks are not so relevant and add nothing to the game experience.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Sep 21, 2023

Layers of Fear really brings a lot of improvements that amplify the game's strongest aspect: its immersive atmosphere. Audio and visuals are almost impeccable in this release, and they're truly worth experiencing. That said, playing through all of the content on offer in this remake/remaster collection does stretch the gameplay a bit too thin over its runtime, and it slowly wears out its welcome. What remains is a repetitive and sometimes tame horror adventure game that's worth experiencing for its presentation alone.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2023

Layers of Fear (2023) is the definitive way to experience this series. The new narrative content helps tie together these previously released titles more effectively, the Unreal Engine 5 visual overhaul is very impressive, and the sound design is top notch.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 3, 2023

The definitive Layers of Fear experience revamped for PlayStation 5

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8 / 10.0
Jul 3, 2023

It's a good game that everyone who doesn't hate jumpscare and loves psychological horror should give it a chance.

Review in Turkish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jul 1, 2023

Layers of Fear is truly a disturbing experience that even players of the previous titles need to check out. With the gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 graphics and the amazing binaural sound, this is a game that has to be played.

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PSX Brasil
Top Critic
84 / 100
Jun 27, 2023

Layers of Fear is a psychological horror game that is really scary, but as time goes by you start to miss something. That doesn't make it bad, mainly because it contains extra stories to entertain the player. However, a little more action here wouldn't hurt anyone.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

TrueGaming
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2023

Layer of Fear looks great visually and the way it plays with the environments and lighting makes use of that graphical presentation. It adds new content and a few new mechanisms but maintains the same mistakes the original games made.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jun 17, 2023

Layers of Fear (2023) is the best way to experience the series and has enough new content to revisit it.

Review in Russian | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jun 15, 2023

Layers of Fear shows no sign of creativity or ambition and it delivers a familiar walking simulator experience in horror genre. That being said, if you're a fan of psychological horror games, you're going to love its atmosphere and story.

Review in Persian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Jun 15, 2023

It is not a remake, it is not a sequel. However, it is a proper bundle of horror experiences. It is one game that actually offers up to 5 of them. Some of them you may already know, others are completely new. Nonetheless, it is something that horror game fans should reach for, even if they have already played the previous Layers of Fear games.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

9 / 10
Jun 14, 2023

The new release of Layers of Fear is one of the best and most complete packages in the horror genre; one that improves the first game substantially and takes its story further forward with new DLCs. More work could have been done on the second game, nevertheless, this package is the best way to experience the whole franchise and is definitely recommended to any fan of the genre.

Review in Persian | Read full review