Layers of Fear (2015)

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 445 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 260 out of 445
  2. Mixed: 120 out of 445
  3. Negative: 65 out of 445

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  1. Banjoconker
    Aug 27, 2015
    10
    The best horror game this year! Absolutely amazing mood, groundbreaking visual style. It looks a way better then PT. There is just one snag - you better don't play this game alone at night!
  2. Thilus
    Feb 19, 2016
    7
    I present to you a game about... opening doors! And I kid you not.

    Layers of Fear is a pretty good horror game that revolves around the story of a failed painter that seemingly descends into madness. The storyline is quite decent, though a little too cut-and-dried at times. Problem with the story is that it's stretched out to 5-6 hours of gameplay when in fact it should be 3 hours tops.    I present to you a game about... opening doors! And I kid you not.

    Layers of Fear is a pretty good horror game that revolves around the story of a failed painter that seemingly descends into madness. The storyline is quite decent, though a little too cut-and-dried at times. Problem with the story is that it's stretched out to 5-6 hours of gameplay when in fact it should be 3 hours tops.

    The artistic side is very good, but that is something to be expected from Polish developers. The visuals are solid if not very good and audio quality is enough to maintain the atmosphere. No complaints here.

    The main problem of this game is that it's not really scary. Instead of building the tension, it relies on cheap jumpscares. You just go from door to door (you'll probably be sick of opening door for quite some time after you finish this title) and breeze through the rooms. Sometimes there'll be something to be found, sometimes there'll be a scripted event to watch, but most of the time you'll just be looking for the next door that will lead you to the next room where something might happen and make you jump.

    All in all, a recommendable game with decent story, palpable atmosphere and good visuals. If you don't mind some cheap scares then it's a game you might find interesting.    … Expand
  3. Elondon23fr
    Mar 1, 2016
    8
    Ce jeu est d'une qualité artistique incroyable. Tant au niveau du visuel que de la musique vraiment magnifique

    Ce jeu est si beau que l'on oublierait presque qu'il fait peur !

    C'est plutôt un émerveillement et quelques sursauts ! l'ambiance n'est pas pesant

    La durée de vie est plutôt courte, vous passerrer 4-5 heures voir plus plus si vous cherchez des fins différentes (3).
  4. pinismenshox
    Feb 19, 2020
    6
    So this game was top rated in steam, what the hell I can't see what the fuss is all about, it's just a linear walkiing simulator filled with jumpscares and a somewhat interesting story. Other than that... You're pretty much off wanking.
  5. SparkyVS
    Jul 5, 2018
    5
    Promising plot becomes dull really early. I like walking simulator, narrative and atmosphere games, but Layers of Fear pacing is terrible, awful jumpscares and super easy puzzles. Honestly, if it was more condensed and well designed, could be a instant classic. But it isn't.
  6. sft
    Oct 4, 2019
    6
    Picture this

    3/5 • LAYERS OF FEAR is a claustrophobic little chiller. It relies a little too much on jump scares, but it does also succeed in creating a fairly compelling air of creepiness and dread. The story lacks originality but the structure of the game is unusual and the incorporated puzzles are simple and yet inventive. The graphics are excellent and the limited environments are    Picture this

    3/5 • LAYERS OF FEAR is a claustrophobic little chiller. It relies a little too much on jump scares, but it does also succeed in creating a fairly compelling air of creepiness and dread. The story lacks originality but the structure of the game is unusual and the incorporated puzzles are simple and yet inventive. The graphics are excellent and the limited environments are used to good effect, although it’s a shame that you remain confined to the house throughout the game – I would have liked a little variety to the setting. Overall it’s enjoyable without being remarkable, but at just 4 hours long (unless you replay to explore different options, which is possible to some extent) I think it best bought in a sale. Good, but not great.    … Expand
  7. Trunks252
    Feb 18, 2016
    9
    Layers of Fear is exactly what it sets out to be; a trippy indie horror game. Inspired by P.T. and Amnesia, LoF has you walking through an ever-changing house that plays tricks on your mind - both behind your back and in plain view. There are many memorable set pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed progressing through; most notable of which was the nursery. There was a lot of effort put intoLayers of Fear is exactly what it sets out to be; a trippy indie horror game. Inspired by P.T. and Amnesia, LoF has you walking through an ever-changing house that plays tricks on your mind - both behind your back and in plain view. There are many memorable set pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed progressing through; most notable of which was the nursery. There was a lot of effort put into this game, and anyone who says otherwise is lying.

    While the game has many cool screen effects and the environment can transform in the blink of an eye, the game is not all that scary. There's hardly a sense of dread that is prevalent in many other horror games. What kees you playing (and in my case, totally immersed) is the sense of discovery and progression of the story. Not to mention the general creepiness of, well, everything in the house. A few jump scares did get to me as well. This is definitely a great horror game worth checking out, and one of my favorites to date.    … Expand
  8. Elcrocko
    Feb 20, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game! from the excellent visuals to the amazing sound design this game hits all the right horror notes! Admittedly it relies heavily on jump scares but they are in keeping with the tone of the game.moving from room to room your never sure what your going to find/see or hear next,just when you expect a scare nothing happens and vice versa! It's a good old fashioned haunted houseFantastic game! from the excellent visuals to the amazing sound design this game hits all the right horror notes! Admittedly it relies heavily on jump scares but they are in keeping with the tone of the game.moving from room to room your never sure what your going to find/see or hear next,just when you expect a scare nothing happens and vice versa! It's a good old fashioned haunted house type scenario that sees your character descend further and further into a state of madnes! If your a fan of outlast and the PT demo you'll love this! Can't recommend enough that you have to play at night in the pitch black with surround sound headphones on! Terrifying!!!!… Expand
  9. qrpiech
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    Surprises await at every corner, developers play with the concept of time and space - it's a blast. Would pay a lot of money to be able to experience it for the first time once more.
  10. RagingPoet
    Aug 22, 2018
    7
    Layers of Fear nails presentation perfectly, it looks and sounds amazing, creating truly terrifying atmosphere. But the effect is a bit ruined by too frequent jumpscares.
  11. Mobile
    Nov 15, 2017
    7
    ENG
    Three or four hours wandering around the house, opening every possible drawer, door, reading notes, admiring the paintings and the collection of the grains of what had happened in this house and with whom. I want to highlight that the developers have not just released a simulator of a tramp in the dark in the scary house which is very much we have already played, there's a good    ENG
    Three or four hours wandering around the house, opening every possible drawer, door, reading notes, admiring the paintings and the collection of the grains of what had happened in this house and with whom. I want to highlight that the developers have not just released a simulator of a tramp in the dark in the scary house which is very much we have already played, there's a good soundtrack, not a bad atmosphere, a suitable design models, it is not a stupid slasher film, some not horror at all, since there is no dumb of the game, the only thing that will be bad, so this pattern which will be always next to music (on headphones a pleasure to pass). The game is designed not for one pass, there are several endings that you do during the game their actions will earn. I was pleased to play this game, although I am not a fan of this genres of games, but again, the developers really tried.

    RU
    Три - четыре часа блуждания по дому, открывания всех возможных ящиков, дверей, чтение записок, любование картинами и собрания по крупинкам, что же произошло в этом доме и с кем. Хочется выделить, что разработчики не просто выпустили симулятор бродяги в темноте по страшному дому, каких очень много мы уже успели поиграть, здесь есть хороший саундтрек, не плохая атмосфера, подходящий дизайн моделей, это не тупой ужастик, для некоторых не хоррор вовсе, так как здесь нет дурацких скримеров, единственное от чего будет не по себе, так эта картины которые будут всегда рядом и музыкальное сопровождение (в наушниках отдельное удовольствие проходить). Игра рассчитана далеко не на одно прохождение, в ней несколько концовок, которые вы сами по ходу игры своими действиями заработаете. Мне было приятно сыграть в эту игру, хоть я и не поклонник данного жанры игр, но повторюсь, разработчики действительно постарались.    … Expand
  12. nik_balani
    Dec 24, 2017
    4
    Not really a game, but a interactive horror story. Unfortunately the progress is unilateral with no choice/decisions as to how the game progresses. Spend most of your time opening doors and trying to work out what has changed. After about 15 mins it becomes repetitive and uninteresting.
  13. danield80
    Jul 11, 2020
    2
    In this game you just go forward through corridors, open doors, turn around. Rinse and repeat. Almost no puzzles, nothing. Sometimes, the game's so dark you'll find yourself turning up the brightness just to later turn it down. Wasted 4 hours.
  14. gold
    Jun 2, 2020
    6
    Кому нравиться эстетика коридоров, тем может и понравиться.
    Для меня однообразные коридоры в восторг не вводят, поэтому только 6.
    Итог: 6.769/10
  15. Jackermy
    Sep 27, 2020
    6
    So, this game is not scary. It tries to affect your psychological health but after 1 hour playing this game, you begin to accustom to this atmosphere. Also, it tries to scare you by some screamers and a lot of fast running models. you're not afraid to play it. Perhaps a couple of times you will jump out of your chair, not from fear, but from surprise. I`ve completed a lot of horror gamesSo, this game is not scary. It tries to affect your psychological health but after 1 hour playing this game, you begin to accustom to this atmosphere. Also, it tries to scare you by some screamers and a lot of fast running models. you're not afraid to play it. Perhaps a couple of times you will jump out of your chair, not from fear, but from surprise. I`ve completed a lot of horror games and I am sure, that this game can not be scary.
    In the conclusion, I want to say that I recommend playing this game only if you want to feel something unusual, but this feeling will end in 1-2 hours of gameplay.    … Expand
  16. IntotheCosmo
    Jan 15, 2020
    2
    Let's cut the crap and get straight to it: this game is massively overvalued.

    The story is cookie-cutter and predictable. The atmosphere becomes dull within the first half-hour. The game play is stale. I'm not entirely sure why the larger gaming community looks favorably upon this game. To start, "Walking simulators" are games which I have always tried to give the benefit of the    Let's cut the crap and get straight to it: this game is massively overvalued.

    The story is cookie-cutter and predictable. The atmosphere becomes dull within the first half-hour. The game play is stale. I'm not entirely sure why the larger gaming community looks favorably upon this game.

    To start, "Walking simulators" are games which I have always tried to give the benefit of the doubt. That is because they often evoke a strong mood or rely on robust writing to make-up for their lacking game play. Some manage this formula to great effect and successfully immerse the player in the game world -- e.g. What Remains of Edith Finch. Yet, Layers of Fear has none of these qualities.

    It is a haunted house affair that wants you to mindlessly enter room after room, gasping "OH MY GOD THAT LOOKS SO WEIRD!" in your best Twitch streamer voice about a hundred times. I'm not even joking with that number. It is the same game play loop: enter a room, be unsettled by something, repeat. This goes on for a mind-numbingly long time. It was as if the developers consisted of about 50 artists and animators that each wanted to showcase their skills and one part-time writer. I'm sorry, but that is not stimulating game play.

    It honestly seems like an incoherent, jumbled mess of a "horror" tech demo more than a game.    … Expand
  17. caranteenser
    Feb 16, 2016
    7
    This a game is not bad. It has nice design, decent graphic, good soundtrack and horror atmosphere. Unfortunately game scares you not with elements listed above but with jumpscares.
  18. kuehnau
    May 1, 2016
    7
    I picked up Layers of Fear after I noticed it had come out of early access. I refuse to buy games in early access anymore, so I just add them to my wish lish and wait for them to be "finished".

    I am posting this review after I played and beat the game. Layers of fear is kind of an interactive story, puzzle, survival horror kind of game. You play as an artist returning home to work on    I picked up Layers of Fear after I noticed it had come out of early access. I refuse to buy games in early access anymore, so I just add them to my wish lish and wait for them to be "finished".

    I am posting this review after I played and beat the game.

    Layers of fear is kind of an interactive story, puzzle, survival horror kind of game. You play as an artist returning home to work on his opus magnum.

    At what first appears to be a basic jaunt around his home, quickly turns into a psychological horror, the house appears to be (possibly) haunted as the layouts change, you are confronted by visions of your dead wife and other various paranormal-esc situations.

    Along the way, you'll collect notes and other memorabilia within the house that offers quick glimpses into the painter's past life, his family and even the state of his mental health.

    The game isn't as "scary" as other games of this nature may be and in fact, you are put in several situations in which you can avoid confrontation entirely if so desired. As far as I am aware, there isn't really a way to die in the traditional sense, which is nice, because the game is set up in a way that you won't have to restart entire chapters of a mistake you may have made.

    The writing for the story is farily good, I'd say much better then games such as Penumbra. It's a fairly unqiue and engaging story that made me want to continue playing just to find out a little bit more.

    The puzzles are (generally) not too hard and there was very few moments I was actually stuck. Unfortunately the game doesn't help you in any real sense, besides some hints scattered about the game and as a result some of the more obscure puzzles can leave players scratching their head.

    While I did enjoy the time I spent with the game, there are issues with it that I feel inclined to inform people of.

    For starters, when you first start playing the game, it's fun and fascinating to explore the artist's big, beautiful house. The problem is that very early in the game, the exploration aspect of the game is all but removed, Instead the game becomes somewhat of an "on-rails" adventure game, instead of walking freely through the house, instead you'll be traversing hallways and single rooms. 9 out of 10 times, as you enter one room, the door will close and lock behind you, denying any sort of back tracking in the game.

    This can become an issue, because the game feels as if it were meant to be explored and it was just a concept that was throw to the side. On occasion you may be given the opportunity to travel off the beaten path, but it is almost always just for a moment and it usually results in a dead end or locked door. The missing exploration concept bothers me, because I have always loved horror books, games and movies that involved big, old, beautiful mansions.

    Another problem that I had with the game is it never really changes scenery too much. A large majority of the game just looks the same. Expect to see a lot of dark, dingy rooms, broken walls and floors and broken furniture. Also expect to see the same art, furniture and random junk over and over and over again. This becomes an even bigger issue when the game starts to begin recycling rooms.

    Finally, the last problem I had with the game was the story. Remember earlier when I said they had a good story? They do, the problem stems from the fact that there's a lot of information presented for players to process and it's never really tied together or explained in any real sort of meaningful way. While I enjoyed the game while I played it, after I beat it, I felt very dissatisfied because I really didn't learn all that much and the game doesn't really make a good attempt at helping you understand.

    I have questions, no one appears to have answers and frankly, I am no really into the entire "fan theory community" in which the developers of a game simply don't inform or release information to players, instead they just wait to see if someone gets it "right". For me, it just seems like a really lazy form of writing and I tend to get high aggravated with it.

    Don't get me wrong, I love reading long books, I like guessing at the story, or the plots or even coming up with theories as I enjoy whatever book/movie/game I am playing. But I expect the writers to eventually tie down and explain what is going on in a clear, concise and satisfying way.

    If you like games of this nature, if you have enjoyed games like 'A Machine for Pigs' and 'Penumbra', you'll enjoy this game a lot. If you like psychological horror, you'll appreciate this game. I can without hesitation recommend this game to horror fans, even given the rough spots of the game.    … Expand
  19. Zimbardo
    Feb 20, 2016
    5
    Basically: Layers of Fear capitalizes on a great looking engine, some innovative visual effects, and would likely be 10x better on an Oculus Rift. It lacks engaging gameplay and only has about 1 layer of fear that wears off 20 minutes into the game.

    Pros: This is a beautiful game that really showcases and uses Unity in really cool ways. Cons: All sense of tension is broken when I    Basically: Layers of Fear capitalizes on a great looking engine, some innovative visual effects, and would likely be 10x better on an Oculus Rift. It lacks engaging gameplay and only has about 1 layer of fear that wears off 20 minutes into the game.

    Pros:
    This is a beautiful game that really showcases and uses Unity in really cool ways.

    Cons:
    All sense of tension is broken when I realize that I can't die in a horror game (or if the chances of dying are pitifully low). Layers of Fear is more like Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. It's a walking simulator.

    The game is crazy repetitive. Your walking through the different variations of the same rooms over and over, from jump scare to jump scare. Even the timing of the jump scares becomes repetitive. PT could get away with it because it was a DEMO.

    The story is better than FNAF but it's no Soma.    … Expand
  20. thepatient613
    Feb 16, 2016
    6
    There is little to nothing about this game that I haven't experienced in other horror games. Lots of cheap jump scares, nothing perticularly interesting about the storyline either. There are allot of random items that have little to nothing to do with the storyline as if they where trying desperately to copy other successful games.

    I didn't give this game a terrible rating as there are    There is little to nothing about this game that I haven't experienced in other horror games. Lots of cheap jump scares, nothing perticularly interesting about the storyline either. There are allot of random items that have little to nothing to do with the storyline as if they where trying desperately to copy other successful games.

    I didn't give this game a terrible rating as there are a few interesting concepts but sadly enough it wasn't enough to make this a memorable experience. I think there's allot of potential on the developper's side but they need to rework their idea of an horror game.    … Expand
  21. SuperkenGaming
    Feb 16, 2016
    9
    Layers of Fear
    A story of obsession and loss
    There’s a lot to wrap your head around in layers of fear I’m still not even sure exactly what happened This is an adventure horror game where you play as an obsessed artist working on finishing his latest painting The game start out with you in your home, after walking around a bit you notice notes that set you on a journey of uncovering    Layers of Fear
    A story of obsession and loss
    There’s a lot to wrap your head around in layers of fear
    I’m still not even sure exactly what happened
    This is an adventure horror game where you play as an obsessed artist working on finishing his latest painting
    The game start out with you in your home, after walking around a bit you notice notes that set you on a journey of uncovering just exactly what’s going on or what went on
    This game is about 4 hours long if you take your time to uncover all of the mysteries, I even missed some.
    You’ll get a vague idea of the story if you did choose to rush through, but you’ll have a much better overall experience if you open all the drawers and read all of the letters and newspaper clippings... at least story wise...gameplay wise I’m not all too sure
    this game is creepy, exploring this house is unsettling, but I wouldn’t necessarily call this game scary
    There are plenty of jump scares, and it is possible to die, but it all feels inconsequential, I was never afraid to progress, maybe this is a personal courage thing, but I felt no anxiety while pushing through, it could be that I felt unthreatened while playing or it could actually come down to how the developers chose to deliver the story … Like I said earlier, if you want the full story you have to look through all the drawers and all of the cabinets, this kind of takes your attention away from the creepy experience going on around you.. instead of being immersed in the fancy tricks, and constantly changing rooms… you find yourself immersed in a drawer and looking for non-story doors to interact with
    I feel like this could’ve been fixed by telling the story with brief flashback style cutcenes attached to mandatory collectibles instead of optional collectibles…
    Or keeping them more as a well-hidden interactive secret, which they actually did for a handful of them...
    But ultimately I feel like the story and experience is delivered from eye level, so it’s such a massive design flaw to have interactive items below or above your line sight... you can’t really interact with objects in layers of fear, so having china cabinets to go through around every corner was unnecessary, and hurt the experience more than it helped,
    Especially for the ocd type that have to check everything
    Another complaint with collectibles is that the chapter select doesn’t tell you if you missed any, so if you want to uncover more of the story, you have to replay sections you might have scrubbed clean
    The overall story delivery is just a small hiccup though, because it’s still good
    but everything else layers of fear has going on for it in comparison is great
    I was really impressed with how frequently things would change around me out of nowhere, I would turn around and there would be a door that wasn’t there before, or a hallway I just walked down is now a wall, maybe a creepy painting or a doll, every time you walked through a door you would be somewhere new, there is no back tracking in this game, its constantly taking you forward which is very appreciated and is ultimately what will get its hooks in you
    the constant switching is hands down the highlight of the entire game for me, I’ve never seen anything like it, at least not at the level that its at here
    While I could’ve done without feeling like I’m Sherlock Holmes the whole time,
    I still feel like layers of fear delivers a creepily impressive and immersive experience well worth your time
    and maybe some of your hair, and blood, perhaps an eye
    I give Layers of Fear an 8.5/10    … Expand
  22. StidIsram
    Feb 25, 2016
    10
    Великая игра. Не страшная, но весьма увлекательная. После первого эмоционального прохождения появляется желание пройти ее как детектив и открыть все загадки.
    Проплаченные Журналюги как обычно поставили невысокие оценки, тк разработчики им не заплтили.
    А Энгри джо со своим 6 из 10 вообще обосрался и перестал считаться обьктивным критиком (стал таким жирным логвиновым из пиндосии). В    Великая игра. Не страшная, но весьма увлекательная. После первого эмоционального прохождения появляется желание пройти ее как детектив и открыть все загадки.
    Проплаченные Журналюги как обычно поставили невысокие оценки, тк разработчики им не заплтили.
    А Энгри джо со своим 6 из 10 вообще обосрался и перестал считаться обьктивным критиком (стал таким жирным логвиновым из пиндосии).

    В общем 10 из 10. Игра полностью оправдывает и цену каждую секунду игры.    … Expand
  23. jdavis3581
    Apr 5, 2016
    9
    guess I am the only one who really likes Layers of Fear. This is one of the best horror games that reminded me of Silent Hill 2. The reviewers have played too many games like Soma, and Alien Isolation, and blah blah blah blah blah. Give me a break. Mark my words the game will get glowing reviews in 5 years and will be a cult classic. This story is awesome, and the scares keep coming. Ifguess I am the only one who really likes Layers of Fear. This is one of the best horror games that reminded me of Silent Hill 2. The reviewers have played too many games like Soma, and Alien Isolation, and blah blah blah blah blah. Give me a break. Mark my words the game will get glowing reviews in 5 years and will be a cult classic. This story is awesome, and the scares keep coming. If you want to say it's PT guess what PT is a short game. To me the game is better than PT because the creators took the premise further. One needs to understand that when all of the Silent Hills came out they met mediocre reviews at best. The highest reviewed Silent Hill at the time was part 3 which received an 8. This generation does not appreciate this type of game and it's a shame. The music, atmosphere, the changing rooms felt fresh every time. This is the one game that has truly freaked me out since PT. I would have to say more freaked out. I give the game a 9.5. Tell these reviewers to be more objective.… Expand
  24. justcametosayhi
    Jul 25, 2016
    10
    To start: WEAR HEADPHONES. Turn them up. The better your audio/headphones are, the better your experience will be.

    The best horror game I've ever played. Scared me more than any horror film has scared me as well. Pros: -Incredible atmosphere and graphics/lighting/texture. It feels like a mix between the WInchester mansion maze and a living, breathing Escher piece. -Runs quite    To start: WEAR HEADPHONES. Turn them up. The better your audio/headphones are, the better your experience will be.

    The best horror game I've ever played. Scared me more than any horror film has scared me as well.

    Pros:

    -Incredible atmosphere and graphics/lighting/texture. It feels like a mix between the WInchester mansion maze and a living, breathing Escher piece.
    -Runs quite well. I was at a steady 50-60 FPS at max settings on a 750ti/i3-4150 build.
    -Spooky as hell - great and creative use of jump scares.
    -You can't "die", which I thought would take away from the game, but actually made it more appealing.
    -Awesome ambient noise and sound production. Music is 10/10.

    Cons:

    I don't have any. I finished the game in one sitting.
    VR would be an incredible addition to this game.    … Expand
  25. DIablos1414
    Feb 17, 2016
    10
    I'm dumbfounded by any reviews that fall below a 9 for this game. It is everything we were hoping for in PT before PT was scrapped. This is the kind of game that you play and remember where you were, who you were playing with, and the way it made you feel as you progressed through the story. Yes, there are plenty of jump scares, but I haven't played a game that had me biting my nails,I'm dumbfounded by any reviews that fall below a 9 for this game. It is everything we were hoping for in PT before PT was scrapped. This is the kind of game that you play and remember where you were, who you were playing with, and the way it made you feel as you progressed through the story. Yes, there are plenty of jump scares, but I haven't played a game that had me biting my nails, screaming out loud, and/or whimpering like a puppy since I can remember.

    A few stipulations: You must play in the dark. You must play with headphones or with the sound turned up as loud as possible (without being deafening). You must play with at least one other person, as half the fun is speculating as to what's coming next. Do these things, and I promise you this will be an experience that you will not soon forget.

    Is the game perfect? Nope. Is the experience perfect? Pretty much. Buy it.    … Expand
  26. Razor66
    Feb 22, 2016
    4
    I'm sorry, but this game is a real letdown.
    While it is great under a visual point of view, the game is just the umpteenth "walking simulator", with some artificial and forced jump scares here and there (loud sounds, flash, falling stuff...). It's all about opening doors - one after the other, on a rigid, track - and opening drawers and cupboard where you find nothing except from some    I'm sorry, but this game is a real letdown.
    While it is great under a visual point of view, the game is just the umpteenth "walking simulator", with some artificial and forced jump scares here and there (loud sounds, flash, falling stuff...). It's all about opening doors - one after the other, on a rigid, track - and opening drawers and cupboard where you find nothing except from some sparse piece of paper with some hints on the story.Story that is copy-pasted from Oscar Wilde and H.P. Lovecraft.

    Nothing to do, no choice to make, not a single one, ever. You just walk, walk, walk, looking at psychedelic effects all around you, waiting for you next door you MUST open to unlock.Two puzzles throughout the whole game: some numbers to put into a lock and to phone to.
    While I truly appreciate the atmosphere and the visuals, that's all to it: there is nothing else in this "game". A game, in the game, would have been truly appreciated.

    Let's clear it out. I'm not a "COD gamer", i truly appreciate slow paced, insightful and intimate gaming, story and atmosphere heavy. Still I think this is just the kind game you make when you are short of ideas and developers, and high in visual artists and art directors, and you want just to leverage on an engine graphic library.

    This "game" is lazy, that's the truth. The deranged mind of the main character (actually the only one) is just an excuse for tons of nonsensical stylistic choices: if you are narrating the story of a mad man, any kind of room swirling around, flashes, melting, popping, moving object, crying, ringing, it's ok. Just throw in something that sounds and look crazy, and it's done. Lazy, the game is just lazy.

    The game is lazy even about the horror. There is nothing horrific in the game, there is nothing scary, not even vaguely disturbing. The game is all about CHEAP scary jumps. So cheap to the point of getting pathetic. You close a door behind you and suddenly a loud bang goes out: nothing happened, no reason for a bang, nothing caused it, but you just jump... like when a friend of yours (usually the most stupid and resourceless one) fill a plastic bag with air and the smash it just behind you. Again, you are in a silent room looking around, and the very second you give your shoulder to a picture on the wall, the picture falls down with a loud boom. And you jump. Or you are walking in a corridor and suddenly a rat cross it... Cheap, cheap, cheap.

    The game is even more of a letdown if - given the gorgeous graphics - you think to what it could have been with some sort of gameplay in it - any kind of gameplay. Someone to interact with, some adventuring (finding stuff, combining items, discovering the secret, having a part in the story...you know, that sort of stuff), some roleplaying (in the strict sense of playing a role)... anything. Such a wasted opportunity.

    A "game" (visual book?) for those who appreciated "To the moon", "Firewatch", "The Park", "The Beginner's Guide", "Homesick", "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" (this one has at least a minimum of gameplay) or the infamous Dear "Esther".

    Anyone else should avoid.    … Expand
  27. xKindred
    Feb 19, 2016
    8
    What it lacks in complexity & finesse, it more than makes up for with its sheer terror and immersing atmosphere. Layers of Fear is a well-flowing sequence of (sort of) interactive horror events that strike fear & toy with the mind of the unfortunate player. The evocative story & impeccable setting is definitely adequate enough to make the player want to explore every corner of this game,What it lacks in complexity & finesse, it more than makes up for with its sheer terror and immersing atmosphere. Layers of Fear is a well-flowing sequence of (sort of) interactive horror events that strike fear & toy with the mind of the unfortunate player. The evocative story & impeccable setting is definitely adequate enough to make the player want to explore every corner of this game, despite its unapologetic linearity. This game is an excellent pick-up for those up for a terrifying & memorable experience on the PC.… Expand
  28. Edelplastic_com
    Aug 16, 2016
    6
    Nice puzzle game with short shocking events, a great story and wonderful graphics. But it isn´t a real Horror-Game. After few minutes you know that the game life from shocking events, but you not can die or can do something wrong. You play a short Story and thats all. It´s ok, but nothing special.
  29. DaniMayor
    Feb 24, 2016
    9
    this critic is in spanish

    Wow,me e pasado hace poco este juego y la verdad es que me a sorprendido y mucho. Este es un juego de miedo pero algo peculiar,usa mucho la repeticion y bebe mucho de P.T por no decir que es casi igual pero me gusta y mucho,el mirar hacia algun lado y al darse la vuelta ves que todo cambia es flipante de narices,de quedarse aplaudiendo en algunas ocasiones de    this critic is in spanish

    Wow,me e pasado hace poco este juego y la verdad es que me a sorprendido y mucho.
    Este es un juego de miedo pero algo peculiar,usa mucho la repeticion y bebe mucho de P.T por no decir que es casi igual pero me gusta y mucho,el mirar hacia algun lado y al darse la vuelta ves que todo cambia es flipante de narices,de quedarse aplaudiendo en algunas ocasiones de lo tremendo que es

    El miedito:

    En cuanto al terror te digo que es bueno,en algunas ocasiones recurre al susto facil(cosa que no me gusta) pero cuando estas con los cascos a tope y la habitacion a oscuras es facilisimo sumergirte en el juego y sentir de verdad miedo.

    Historia:
    Como no la historia tambien es buena,nose si por cosa propia(ya que me encantan las historias contadas con pequeños guiños,sutilezas y notas osea que no te cuenta la historia de sopeton)
    pero la verdad que es bastante buena y el final tambien.

    Graficos:

    Simplemente increibles,flipantes en algunos casos,para dejar la baba colgando

    Rendimiento:

    El rendimiento en general es bueno pero aveces da una caida de framerate que no deberia de ocurrir,alomejor si tienes un pc mas modesto no podras jugar este juego a 60 fps constantes

    En resumen es un juego corto (6 h max) pero intenso que no te va a dejar indiferente muy recomendado    … Expand
  30. Puppet12
    May 6, 2016
    9
    ouah ! This games guys is pretty cool ! it's an experience in horror excelling. This is the kind of game this is the kind of game that reproduces 6 months for fear
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Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
38
#38 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 46
  3. Negative: 2 out of 46
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Jul 23, 2016
    40
    More an incoherent collection of jump scares than a horror game, Layers of Fear occasionally spooks but doesn’t make much of a lasting impression.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    May 9, 2016
    86
    Gothic horror with a beautiful, strange setting and a strong embedded story. Linear, with a lot of hidden details. [May 2016]
  3. CD-Action
    May 1, 2016
    55
    Layers of Fear can send shivers down your spine, but it lacks a good story and moderation. It looks like developers could not decide which favourite horror motifs to use, so they used all of them and although the game started really well, after two hours I was already tired by the throng of predictable clichés and jump scares. [04/2016, p.57]
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