Layers of Fear

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. LaPS4
    Feb 25, 2016
    74
    Layers of Fear is like a videogame based on Edgar Allan Poe's tales. Several technical issues arise, but it achieves the feat of making us feel tension and fear.
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Apr 10, 2016
    70
    A horrifying affair that will have you flinging the pad across the room in terror, ending any hope of a restful night's sleep. In the best possible way. Job done then. [Apr 2016, p.88]
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  3. Power Unlimited
    Mar 24, 2016
    70
    Layers of Fear has a lousy framerate on PS4, the tempo is excruciating at the start and it’s filled with lazy jump scares but as you progress further you come to experience a good horror story that’s worth checking out. [april. 2016 / page 68]
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  5. Gameplanet
    Feb 18, 2016
    70
    While Layers of Fear hews close to horror game tradition all too often, it does offer enough innovation to make it a worthwhile experience - especially when played after dark.
  6. Game Rant
    Feb 15, 2016
    70
    Layers of Fear delivers on its promise of a unique vision of gothic horror, but the game leans heavily on creepy dolls and other cliche genre gimmicks to jump scare players as they explore its shifting corridors.
  7. VideoGamer
    Feb 14, 2016
    70
    Layers of Fear is a fun ride. If you can live with the poor frame rate you'll find a horror game that relishes the chance to mess with your head, delivers plenty of scares, jumps and heart-pounding moments, and wraps it up in a bizarre yet intriguing storyline.
  8. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Feb 16, 2016
    65
    What Layers of Fear lacks in complexity, it more than makes up for with atmosphere. It’s a bizarre and thrilling ride that doesn’t even considering letting up as you traverse a truly broken mind. The concept is incredibly novel and well portrayed, the wellbeing of your limping vessel never coming into debate as he works on his masterpiece. It’s just a shame that, even with all the literary influences, the phenomenal and thought-provoking ambiance isn’t backed up by the writing or voice work that can both feel flat and uninspired more often than not.
  9. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 12, 2016
    60
    Horror game with a great mood and beautiful environment, which would need a larger number of puzzles. But still it is an interesting option for fans of horror stories. [Issue#262]
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  10. Edge Magazine
    Apr 10, 2016
    60
    What could've been a new high-water mark for horror is weighed down by a litany of clanging missteps, but while the game's many problems conspire to tarnish its innovations, the latter are so far ahead of other games' tricks that they dazzle nonetheless. [April 2016, p.115]
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  11. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 31, 2016
    60
    The dearly departed P.T. finally has some notable competition as your chief nightmare provider. [May 2016, p74]
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  12. Time
    Feb 14, 2016
    60
    It’s a feat of atmospheric design on par with Alien Isolation or Soma. And while it doesn’t salvage the story or excuse the cheap scare tactics, what’s more intriguing is the design team’s way of looking, and what that might inspire down the road.
  13. God is a Geek
    Feb 14, 2016
    55
    Wonderfully mischievous visual tricks and grim environments can’t stop Layers of Fear from falling flat with its hellish pacing, framerate issues and scares you can spot a mile away.
  14. Impulsegamer
    Oct 18, 2018
    50
    From a visual and story point of view, the Layers of fear masterpiece edition is indeed a masterpiece, but it is a game, and sadly the entire gameplay side of things is extremely disappointing and turns what could have been a very impressive and cutting edge psychological horror title up there with the likes of Silent Hill, into nothing more than another boring and generic indie horror, so short that even the $30 its in the PlayStation store for is a stretch.
  15. Post Arcade (National Post)
    Feb 25, 2016
    50
    Horror fans may want to give Layers of Fear a shot if they can find it in a future Humble Bundle or if it eventually pops up as a free downloadable via Xbox or PlayStation subscriptions. I can’t recommend it beyond that.
  16. Game Informer
    Feb 19, 2016
    50
    Despite some creative visual tricks, Layers of Fear doesn’t have sharp enough teeth to maintain its bite.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. The A.V. Club
    Mar 1, 2016
    When Layers Of Fear aims for the head with its sordid tale of bad men and the bad things they do, it misses. It only hits when it aims for the heart instead, when it allows itself to be no more ambitious than that theme-park haunted house.

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
91
#91 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 170 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 100 out of 170
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 170
  3. Negative: 26 out of 170
  1. shearer333
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    Fanstastic game ! I want more !!! The best horror game this year! This game is amazing !!!!Fanstastic game ! I want more !!! The best horror game this year! This game is amazing !!!!

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    … Full Review »
  2. livinghero
    Apr 1, 2016
    6
    It's a solid horror game overall, but it falls victim of horror cliches. It uses almost the exact same scene from P.T, and the place isIt's a solid horror game overall, but it falls victim of horror cliches. It uses almost the exact same scene from P.T, and the place is scattered with wheelchairs, ala Silent Hill. Plus the ending is worthless, making everything end so fast, despite what you've accomplished. But overall, Layers of Fear offers a solid horror experience that should not be overlooked… Full Review »
  3. Datamari
    Mar 28, 2016
    7
    This game has a lot of good things going for it, but nothing was put together in a satisfying way.
    Layers of Fear was a game that I was    This game has a lot of good things going for it, but nothing was put together in a satisfying way.
    Layers of Fear was a game that I was worried about; due to the fact that people were saying it was one of the scariest games in recent years, even going as far to call it scarier than Outlast. So what do I think of it? Well, it's a very well made game, but it fails to hit it's mark when it could have easily been a truly scary game. The graphics are nice, the soundtrack is perfect, and there are some genuinely scary moments in the game. As I traversed deeper into the game, I became more scared and unaware, and that's what a horror game should be, it needs to build up to something that will either shock you, or scare you. The game does use many jumpscares to its advantage, but most of them come out of nowhere when you least expect them, such as opening a door and it slamming against a wall, a loud scream coming out of nowhere, etc. It's a solid horror game overall, but it falls victim of horror cliches. It uses almost the exact same scene from P.T, and the place is scattered with wheelchairs, ala Silent Hill. Plus the ending is worthless, making everything end so fast, despite what you've accomplished. But overall, Layers of Fear offers a solid horror experience that should not be overlooked.

    Layers of Fear gets a 7/10.    … Full Review »
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