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10 80 40 on layers of fear 212/19/2023 ![]() The only events breaking up this string of linear, boring hallways are the chase sequences which are so bad I nearly quit playing over them. ![]() Find a locked door, pick up a key in the next room, unlock the door, find another item… wash, rinse and repeat until the credits roll. Walk through another door, pick up another item, listen to another audiolog. Walk through a door, pick up a random item, listen to a voiceover from an unidentified character. Where the first felt carefully handcrafted by clever designers, Layers of Fear 2 feels like the product of an AI designing via ‘horror’ algorithm. I enjoy it when sequels jump off in a new direction instead of directly following their predecessors, so I wish I could say that Layers of Fear 2 is better, scarier and more creative than the first. Layers of Fear 2 follows in the footsteps of the first, except instead of an elderly painter descending into madness, players take the role (pun intended) of an actor who’s accepted a job aboard a cruise ship. It also didn’t rely on chase sequences, stealthy hide-from-patrolling-monster sections, nor combat. The trick was environmental ambiguity which changed aspects of the immediate vicinity to keep players on their toes - walk down a hallway, find a locked door, and then turn around only to find the hallway changed completely. ![]() I loved Layers of Fear and championed it as the closest thing to P.T. we’re ever going to get, as it featured first-person horror exploration that relied on more than jumpscares to creep players out. Long story short, they’ve been busy in those three years. Developer Bloober Team even released an original sci-fi horror IP ( Observer) since then. What started as a game that lingered forever on the Xbox One Preview Program has now seen follow-up DLC, a Masterpiece Edition, a port to the Switch, and a full-fledged sequel in the years since its debut. Has it already been three years since the first Layers of Fear? WTF Why can’t I open a door with a single button press?
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