TwiceBittenBacklog Layers of Fear Review

“Babyface isn’t even that bad, darn the critics.” Layers of Fear is a Haunted House romp in the key of House of Leaves with inspiration drawn from The Picture of Dorian Gray among others beyond my artistic grasp. The player spends their time walking through the impossible, ever-shifting geometry of the manor, contending with the protagonists psychosis while uncovering the history of his family and the tragedy therein. All while attempting to complete his magnum opus. On the pantheon of psycho-horror walking sims, Layers of Fear deserves a place, but perhaps on a lower rung. It’s not perfect - fatty around the edges, short in its list of spooky-tricks. Still, it’s a theme park ride I would recommend, at least once. Presentation and atmosphere are what excels for as long as the player is enthralled by its spell. Exploring the manors surreal spaces, uncovering clues to the past - there’s a good story being told well here. Thematically, the world, and narrative make a nice tight knot. Voice performances are solid, and music, when used, is beautiful and effective. Gameplay consists of walking, opening containers and collecting notes. Occasionally a simple puzzle will rear its head. It’s not noteworthy, nor should it be for the genre Layers of Fear aims for. The term “walking-sim” is not an immediate death sentence for me. However I was a bit dismayed at the ratio of opened containers to missing notes by the end of the game. I think the games length is its primary flaw. Layers of Fear eventually runs out of new spooks, and the story is so revealed as to piece together the full narrative well before the climactic ending. With no additional twists, in either gameplay or story, the game begins to outstay its welcome. A problem which perplexes me, as the game asks you to double-down and play it again, making obscure choices, in order to reach a “true”, “conclusive” ending. Imagine going through a haunted house attraction and then immediately going back in a second time, with none of the scares changed. With a game that is so singularly focused in setting and theme, I think slicing an hour off would be to its benefit, as well as nixing the multiple endings. Make it more concise. Keep the magic from running out early. I dare say the Inheritance DLC is an all around upgrade compared to the main game. It serves as both a new perspective and an epilogue. Some of the scares are familiar but the presentation, its setting, its use of the main cast, are all excellent and kept me hooked. A combination of presentation and shortened length ensured I remained interested, avoiding my aforementioned problems with the base game. Additionally there’s a Halloween season specific mini-episode of content that exists in the Basement. I had no idea and unintentionally stumbled into this bit. Another fun bite-sized vignette which strengthens my belief that the shorter these pieces are, the more enjoyable they become. The more pure they stay in my memory. On the whole, Layers of Fear is a haunted house theme park ride. A solid ride but one that lasts maybe a bit too long, spread a bit too thin. But theres a lot of good at its core and I look forward to experiencing the next Bloober project whenever I get around to it. If The Inheritance DLC is any indicator of their new direction, then I won’t be disappointed. A play-it-once enjoyable 7 out of 10