Layers of Fear (2023) Reviews
While Bloober Team has achieved immersive visual enhancements through Unreal Engine 5, the game itself did not deviate from the original 'Layers of Fear' series. If you cannot be satisfied with enjoying the game's expanded madness within a single title, it will simply feel more like a definitive edition.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Layers of Fear is an acceptable package of horror stories, but that's about it. Its few scares do just about enough to earn a title that includes the word "fear", however it isn't in the same ballpark as other genre titans.
Despite my personal enjoyment of the new horror title and its previous games, objectively, Layers of Fear’s superficial gameplay will likely scare off players who want more than a story-driven walking simulator.
Layers of Fear (2023) is, in my opinion, the true story Blooper Team wanted to tell when they released the first opus in 2016. With the power of the Unreal Engine 5, they were able to deliver their vision of psychological horror without compromise. The game has a few flaws and can be repetitive in places, but that's not enough in my opinion to overshadow the enormous qualities it possesses. Having played all the games in the series, Layers of Fear (2023) is Blooper Team's magnum opus.
Review in French | Read full review
Layers of Fear is, without a doubt, a worthwhile experience for those who are curious to enter the franchise and haven't had the opportunity yet, since the package includes the two main games, DLCs and extras, making it a great attraction. However, it is necessary to emphasize, for those who already know the experience, that you will not find anything substantially new, having in the graphic improvement its greatest strength, keeping the rhythm, puzzles and gameplay loop intact and not correcting the mistakes of the franchise's past.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Layers of Fear on the PS5 is the best-looking, best-sounding, and best-performing console version of the game yet. Playing with headphones is a must for the biggest scares, though many of the thrills are psychological rather than jump-based. Packed full of four different stories all interwoven to varying degrees, there is also a good deal of content to play through. Combined with multiple endings, Layers of Fear represents a great value for fans of horror games.
With average horror elements that have their moments and a somewhat interesting story that unfolds as you descend into a rabbit hole of madness, Layers of Fear does enough to keep players engaged, but not enough to push the series forward in a meaningful way.
Layers of Fear brings plenty of new additions and refinements to each game, ensuring it is the definitive way to experience the series. The visual upgrades look absolutely outstanding, whilst the new story content fleshes out the narrative in an intriguing and cohesive manner. The refinements to the to the gameplay help streamline the experience too, and whilst some of the changes are better than others, it helps ensure that the haunting gameplay feels fresh and intriguing. Will it win over players who had mixed feelings about the original releases? Maybe not, but it’ll definitely be a treat for fans of the series that have been itching for more. I definitely had a good time with Layers of Fear, with it acting as the perfect reminder that Bloober Team certainly know what they’re doing when it comes to horror.
It certainly feels like the type of game built for people who love YouTubers that play horror games, as it is easily accessible and not a very difficult game to get through. It is a game built to get a reaction from the audience and not much else. Layers of Fear (2023) just doesn’t seem to scratch that itch that many will be looking for when searching for a game to play. It does do many things right in the sense that it does feel like a scary game, but it certainly isn’t for everybody.
At its core, Layers of Fear is a rather generic survival horror experience. Most of your adventure will be exploring locations for clues or solving rather basic puzzles. Eventually, you meet hostile forces; they’re more annoying than scary. For these reasons, it’s probably worth it if you love the genre, but you might want to look into something else for everyone else.
Layers of Fear’s ambition was to bring the whole series into one cohesive package, with some additional content. In concept, the premise was interesting. Unfortunately, as horror titles, they really don’t stand up at all, being completely devoid of any scare factor. Bloober Team just doesn’t make the most of some of the more unique and interesting concepts that pop up throughout.
Layers of Fear is one of the most visually impressive games this generation, most certainly the most stunning horror game ever made. It’s a smart, creative approach to a remake by mixing up puzzles as well as incorporating a new storyline which links everything together with compelling, haunting writing. However, it is product of its time, with slow, aimless walking, constantly retreading familiar steps and cheap scares at almost every turn. The definitive way to play Layers of Fear but also a cautious reminder the substance is mostly at a surface level.
Layers of Fear 2023 really isn't the most necessary remake ever and those who didn't like the original games certainly won't be converted, but this is a pretty compelling package for psychological horror fans.
a solid compilation of two decent horror titles. It is a massive graphical upgrade that uses a new narrative to tie them together in a satisfying way. Releasing at $30 MSRP if you haven’t played the games before and love to get creeped out then this one is well worth checking out.
Layers of Fear is a generous collection of brilliant horror stories. Fans of PT and psychological horror are in for a treat with this beautifully crafted exploration of human misery.
Layers of Fear (2023) has new gameplay elements that breathe life into the older games, but the new story additions just feel tacked on.
If you're hoping for something new with Layers of Fear, you should be aware that the majority of your time will be spent on the original Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2. At the same time, if you just want to replay those games, keep in mind that the new structure means it's not as simple as that. But for fans who want to experience the games in a new way or newcomers to the series trying it out for the first time, the new Layers of Fear keeps the games largely true to the originals' themes while also making some notable improvements.
Layers of Fear tells an incredible story of mental illness and tragic events set in a stunningly detailed world that won't scare you as much as you might expect.