Layers of Fear 2
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Rating Summary
Based on 85 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Score Distribution
Unscored Reviews
Top Critic
A slick psychological horror plagued by poor pacing and infuriating instakills
As a horror, it doesn’t quite match up to other greats this year, lacking the genuine sense of peril and desperation I found in Resident Evil 2, or the emphasis on uncertain horror in a Metro Exodus. Yet Layers of Fear 2 still has enough about it to get under your skin and mess with your mind. Plus there’s a real sense of creativity here, something horror is scarcely associated with nowadays.
Top Critic
It’s a pity that the game fails to take advantage of these analogies and delve into their immense potential. Instead, it’s too fixated on traditional jump scares to embrace the twisted, palpitating gut of its story about a flawed protagonist and his struggles with inner demons.
Scored Reviews
Layers of fear 2 has been one of the best horror games I have played in a while, the psychological effect in your head really draws you into the game and the length and options of how to play and how to finish your game opens up a variety of things to do, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. I will be awarding the Thumb Culture Platinum award!
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is a stirring horror adventure with incredible writing that consistently subverts expectations.
Layers of Fear 2 is yet another terrifying masterpiece which will fuck with your mind from the amazing Bloober Team. It finds a perfect balance between jump scares, chasing and stealth segments, puzzles, and following the narrative so that everything feels exciting, suspenseful, and thrilling. Although I found the overall narrative a little hard to follow at times, the action and gameplay you experience throughout your six to ten-hour playthrough will more than keep you engaged – even if you get a little lost in the story.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 doesn't have many scares to offer, but visual panache and a multitude of classic film homages make for an extraordinary journey—for the right person.
Top Critic
I wish more horror games were like Layers of Fear 2. It's a mature and intelligent understanding of the deeper and more meaningful elements of horror, and while I can have as much fun as anyone creeping around a Resident Evil game and shooting the ugly monsters while being startled by the jump scares, it's something like this that I end up reflecting on well after I've finished playing, and this is the kind of game that I return to when I'm looking for an actual horror experience.
Top Critic
Fans of the original Layers of Fear or any psychological horror game will truly enjoy Layers of Fear 2.
Layers of Fear 2 is an incredibly nuanced horror title that pulls back on jump scares and focuses more on building psychological dread and tension.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is an abstract, slow burn psychological thriller that strings you along with increasingly skilled and disturbing imagery, then leaves you shaking and looking over your shoulder.
Layers of Fear became a hit among horror fans for its sinister and unsettling atmosphere. Focusing on the journey and less on combat. Layers of Fear 2 provides many of the same concepts that made the first game such as hit. Remaining loyal to the same systems but offering a fresh take on the familiar mechanics. Layers of Fear 2 is a deeply tense journey through madness and lots of mannequins.
Top Critic
Magnifique.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is a fascinating horror game that centers on exploring a mysterious ship and its ever-changing layout. It isn't the scariest game, but the unsettling nature of everything you encounter more than makes up for it. The constant environmental changes designed to mess with you are amazing and one of the best aspects.
Layers of Fear 2 will be one of the best horror games you’ll play this year and its haunting tale will live with you for quite some time
Top Critic
Bloober Team has done tremendous work in creating rich horror narratives that are as compelling as they are scary.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is one of the best Horror games in this generation and it is better than the first entry in many ways, specially in story-telling. Fun gameplay with shape-shfting world, amazing sound design and atmosphere with a deep dark story, made Layers of Fear 2 a game that you should not miss it if you are fan of valuable horror games with amazing story-telling.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2's cryptic story is filled with film references and well-earned scares, making it the perfect digestible game for any horror buff.
Layers of Fear 2 is a brief, electric bolt of terror, a game that begs to be played in the dark and on the biggest screen possible and with a pair of sound-canceling headphones.
Top Critic
Though its conclusion may perturb thanks to some obtuse storytelling, Layers of Fear 2's unconventional and artistic approach to horror make it a real gem of the genre.
Top Critic
From developer Bloober Team and publisher Gun Media, Layers of Fear 2 is a truly terrifying game and a significant improvement over the original in many ways.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 excels as a horror game and a mystery story, with excellent worldbuilding and plenty of creepy moments throughout
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 provides an atmospheric horror story that uses scares to its advantage. Despite some buggy mechanics, the game contains beautiful and haunting visuals, varied gameplay, and satisfying plot elements incorporating classic films.
Layers of Fear 2 goes up and down like a ship during a storm in the sea. There are evident falls in the gameplay and in the way the story is told and displayed. Even if is really hard for some players to catch the spirit of it, the general experience is still worth t be lived. The level design is rich of really clever solutions, the setting is dark and with a strong identity. The sounds effect are excellent, telling places and characters in a unique way. Layers of Fears builds frame by frame a cinematic view, following rules and style of the horror symbolism.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, Layers of Fear 2 was an enjoyably terrifying experience. Picking out all of the different film references led me to really enjoy the game and continue playing to see if I could pick out any other references.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is an unnerving and memorable descent into madness that reminds us why Bloober Team are the masters of first-person psychological horror.
Top Critic
Even though both Layers of Fear's stories are not linked, this sequel follows up the style of the original game. All the horror comes from the peculiar stagings and visuals used by Bloober Team that cause a constant sensation of anguish. Also, the different "homages" to several movie classics are a great classy touch.
Review in French | Read full review
Top Critic
The Layers of Fear 2 is undoubtedly one of the most frightening titles that have been released in the last few years, when most of the titles are similar. The experience of a different game that tries to affect the player through psychological and internal fears can be very exciting. But the new elements of the gameplay are not so perfect, and with all the efforts made by the creators to make a balance between their own style and keeping the game entertaining among today's games, they still could not do it well enough, and in the final stages, these elements are completely out of balance
Review in Persian | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 has a great atmosphere, but it's muffled by choppy controls and confusing narratology.
Review in German | Read full review
Top Critic
In conclusion, Layers of Fear 2 is a worthwhile experience, and even more so if you consider the launch price of $30. I can’t say I found it as thought-provoking or chilling as the first Layers, but it’s still pretty solid. The story, writing, sound design, much of the game design overall really, outlasts the lesser, but still very significant, flaws of the game.
Top Critic
Layer of Fear 2 is the dramatic descent into the lost mind of an actor that has to find himself, a compelling story about violence and abuse.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers Of Fear 2 is an extremely gripping first-person horror game that can keep players engaged from beginning to end thanks to its story, which touches some very interesting themes. The game, however, is far from being a masterpiece that could appeal to a wider audience due to its simple gameplay mechanics, linearity and excessive similarity to its predecessor. A solid game and a must-have for fans of psychological horror stories, but not for everyone.
Top Critic
this game is for those looking for an intriguing story without doing much except for linear exploration and simple puzzles.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Top Critic
Short psychological horror from Bloober team offers great atmosphere with ghostly ship, but fear do not lasts until the end of story.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is a "sightseeing horror walking simulator" that focuses on different things than games like What Remains of Edith Finch. This majestic, atmospheric game offers players a unique and bold experience, but the best features can be seen in single scenes than in the entire title.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Top Critic
It certainly has its fair share of flaws, and anyone looking for a horror game that’s less linear and features more gameplay might be a bit disappointed by it, but Layers of Fear 2 is still worth experiencing at least once.
Top Critic
This is still a good game that I recommend to anyone who is a fan of psychological horror titles but don’t go into it expecting to even come close to having your pants scared off.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2's production is without peer, but the continuously frustrating design decisions confuse.
Top Critic
Diverse movie scenes, twisted dynamic levels, and a handful of good scares help make Layers of Fear 2 a fine piece of horror gaming. Better story pacing and a clearer start might have seen it outperform the competition.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is bigger, more ambitious, and scarier than its predecessor, but it can feel a bit familiar at times too.
Layers of Fear 2 is not going to be for everyone. It has a distinctive flavor even among horror games, and the movement controls can sometimes come across as a bit clunky and some of the narrations do not hold up with the overall really good voice acting found in the majority of the game. Those concerns aside however, I have to say that Bloober Team knows how to play with a person's senses, heighten tension skillfully and pay that off with some pretty solid scares in a new environment that diverges from what they used last time around.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 ups the ante from the original game's haunted house simulator style of horror, but that still leaves it all feeling too scripted to instill any real sense of dread.
Top Critic
The game's first few acts are its finest, particularly for their strong sense of physicality.
Top Critic
As a low budget indie horror game, Layers of fear 2 may have done its best. But it doesn't show any new features compared with the prequel while the original game's core gameplay was nothing but a walking simulator.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 falls short in one too many areas for us to consider it a classic, but the experience that remains is still well worth your time. Predictable horror conventions aside, spectacular visuals, a haunting atmosphere, and impressive shape-shifting environments are sure to keep you up at night.
Top Critic
Overall, Layers of Fear 2 is better than its predecessor and mostly succeeds at its attempts to induce psychological horror. It is only marred by a few sections that, despite the fact that you're running, tend to bring the pace to a halt, hindering the entire experience.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 didn’t live up to any of my expectations, but given what I expected, that’s a good thing.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 has excellent atmosphere and cleverly done scares, but its story falls apart towards the end, the puzzle gameplay is average overall, and the imagery often doesn't tie into the narrative's themes.
Top Critic
If I could, I would score Layers of Fear 2 somewhere between Null and Infinity, but I can't, and as everyone is going to have a different view on Layers of Fear 2 the score is pretty much irrelevant. If you know your films and consider yourself reasonably intelligent then I would recommend at least taking a look at Layers of Fear 2. I *think* I enjoyed it, but I honestly couldn't promise that you or anyone else would. What an odd curio of a game.
Layers of Fear 2 is the type of game you have to experience yourself to feel it. This is what makes this game a horror/thriller. It’s the setting, the feeling and the vibe all combined into one. This is the first game I played in this genre and I am enjoying it. Happy acting and break a leg!
Aesthetically, the game is a marvel and a wonder to behold. There are some genuinely creepy moments in this game, and a few times I found myself looking over my shoulder when playing at night.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is narratively brilliant but lacks some much-needed polish that would truly make it great. The game subsequently struggles to deliver consistently over the course of its roughly eight-hour length, but it is ultimately this short campaign and its thrilling atmosphere that saves it from becoming monotonous, allowing its expertly crafted story to truly shine. The game lives up to its name as a layered and nuanced tale of horror, making it worth experiencing for any fan of the genre.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is bursting at the seams with creativity and tension, with stellar writing and voice acting. Sadly let down by some outdated gameplay sections that should have been left in the early 2000s.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 may not outperform its predecessor, but it must surely is recommended to players who enjoyed the first title. Being too linear at various times and using basic resources to try to cause fear, it feels as if more could've been done in the game to create unique situations that really question the sanity of everything presented there.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 retains many of the features of its predecessor while varying the setting greatly. Wandering in solitude on the Icarus in search of the truth is undoubtedly a claustrophobic experience, however, the continuous use of the more classic clichés of the horror genre makes the final result too predictable and inevitably much less terrifying than expected.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Top Critic
I'd still recommend Layers of Fear 2 to fans who enjoyed the original game's atmosphere enough to want to see it realized on a grander scale, but don't feel like you need to rush to play it at launch.
Top Critic
A visually resplendent sequel, Layers of Fear 2 is frequently terrifying affair - though it fails to capture the ponderous melancholy of its predecessor and boasts plot that is far too often disjointed. All the same for those willing to stick with it, there are no shortage of hair-raising and spine-chilling moments.
Layers of Fear 2 measures up to its predecessor, but as expected, the initial moment of surprise is gone and the game's potential wasn't fully realized. Bloober Team's previous works were much more effective.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Top Critic
Although it aims to achieve the opposite, Layers of Fear 2 isn't superior to the first game. Jump scare tactics and slowly revealing story saves the game to some extent, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is a boring game to play with questionable narrative. But it has so many absolutely beautiful scenes around every corner that you should see it for yourself.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is striking in its unsettling places, but is a looser experience than its predecessor, losing the player with busywork puzzles and winding corridors.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is most certainly not one of the best titles in horor genre, and although it's technically solid, there are lots of issues in gameplay and story telling departments. If you already enjoyed the first game, then probably you'll enjoy this one as well, but if you are looking for a deep, frightening experience, maybe you shouldn't rush into it.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Top Critic
A lack of actual gameplay and a slow paced, confusing storytelling don't do justice to Layers of Fear 2's interesting premise and fancy visuals.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 excels in many aspects of psychological horror, but it also undermines itself. While it creates many layers of fear, there’s little connective tissue between them to make the narrative coherent enough to engage with.
Top Critic
The story in Layers of Fear 2 is decent, even if you can see the narrative twist coming, but you need to sit down and analyze the pieces for it to really come together. The same tricks used in the original to distort the environment still work here, as do the jump-scares despite their predictability over time. The longer playtime robs the title of the crispness of its predecessor, while the element of an active pursuer doesn't mix well with the game's need for more involved door and switch mechanics and the precision needed to activate those action spots. It's still worth checking out for fans — but sometime later, as opposed to immediately.
Top Critic
Overall, I found Layers of Fear 2 to be a mixed bag for me. While I do enjoy the puzzle solving, the majority of the game is too slow and uneventful to really make a huge impression on me. Sure it was fun playing the game more than once to unlock all of the endings, but I don't think this game is worth all of the effort.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is like a big, strange and greedy DLC of the first chapter. Despite the extreme "more of the same" feeling, in some ways here the expressionist atmosphere is even more disturbing than the painter adventure. On the other hand, however, the story is too much fragmented, answers are not sufficiently clear and the game needs more than opening doors and trivial environmental puzzles.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Top Critic
Surprising moments succeed at sending occasional shivers down your spine, but the game doesn't bring you deep enough into its world to inspire fear
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 is an enjoyable horror adventure, but rarely does anything new with the genre. I've seen it all before, and given the excellence of Bloober Team's last project, this feels like a step backward in terms of both ambition and quality.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 starts off scary but runs out of ideas quickly. It tells an interesting story but is marred by out of place action sections.
Top Critic
While Layers of Fear was a jaunt into the unknown, Layers of Fear 2 has a strong sense of déjà vu that you carry with you from beginning to end; you’ve the feeling you’ve seen this before, and likely, more expertly done. Despite that misstep, it remains a must-play for horror fans who’re looking for a polished, atmospheric little fright.
if you’re a masochist who enjoys the thrill of being on the receiving end of the chase, this game is excellent for you. However, if you’re a person looking for an immersive narrative experience that allows you to explore without having to constantly watch your back for fear of having your spine prematurely removed, go play the first Layers of Fear instead.
While holding true to the same basic gameplay formula, Layers of Fear 2 takes great steps toward distinguishing itself from the first game. Unfortunately, while this pays off in some respects, Layers of Fear 2 struggles to be as cohesive as a psychological horror game should be.
Overall, this title follows the same convention as the previous entry, however, lack of fundamental changes in gameplay, combined with an unsteady story progression, has damaged the game in many ways. On the other hand, using metaphors taken right out of popular movies and the chance to experience them in a gaming setting can offer good, scary time. If you were a fan of the first game, Layers of Fear 2 will satisfy you, but after finishing its 5 hours long story, it is hard to not think about unmet expectations.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Top Critic
In expanding on its predecessor, Layers of Fear 2 sinks into a state of deep confusion.
Top Critic
A slightly insipid follow-up, Layers of Fear 2 attempts something more ambitious than the first game, but disappointingly fails to stick the landing.
Top Critic
Short on puzzles and scares, Layers of Fear 2 ultimately feels like an overly dark walking simulator.
Top Critic
I can’t recommend Layers of Fear 2 unless you just absolutely love the genre and have played everything else out there.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 swaps the mind of a tortured painter for one of a tortured actor, setting sail for the high seas in a sequel that disappoints.
Top Critic
Despite its name, Layers of Fear 2's main problem is that there isn't anything going on under the surface
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 tries to be deeper and more complex than the original game, but in the end we have a completely bland chases, pixel-hunting and aimless walking on empty rooms. If you are looking for a new intellectual horror that will entice you for a few evenings, then from this project you should definitely stay away.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Top Critic
Credit must go to Bloober Team for setting a different course for its sequel; it's just a shame that it didn't bring the chills and scares that littered the last outing.
Top Critic
Layers of Fear 2 has some mildly redeeming qualities, but there are too many better horror games available to waste your time and money on something that requires you to dig so hard for fun.
Top Critic
But once the novelty of a new game fades, what we're left with is a failure of a title that simply loses itself after the first hour or so. And you end up going in bizarre circles without any sense of satisfaction.
