Layers of Fear

 PlayStation 4
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

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  1. Reed618
    May 27, 2017
    7
    I just finished layers of fear yesterday and despite a promising first hour it became a little cliched and repetitive. The puzzle elements tend to slow down gameplay and a lot of the horror seems focused on room transformation. This isn't particularly scary though, you get used to normal rooms turning into blood smeared nightmares pretty quickly. By the end I was a little bored with it butI just finished layers of fear yesterday and despite a promising first hour it became a little cliched and repetitive. The puzzle elements tend to slow down gameplay and a lot of the horror seems focused on room transformation. This isn't particularly scary though, you get used to normal rooms turning into blood smeared nightmares pretty quickly. By the end I was a little bored with it but the dlc helped redeem the experience. The dlc centers around the main character's daughter as you relive her memories you can alter her perception of events and change the ending.
    Overall, layers of fear succeeds in storytelling but it's not very scary unfortunately and the gameplay becomes a little dull over time.    … Expand
  2. DrFriendless
    May 15, 2018
    5
    The point of this game is to be scared. And it succeeded in that, it gave me a few good jumps. However as for story telling, it kinda lost me. I know there was a story there, I found clues to it. By the end it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Apparently I also "died" several times during my playthrough? Really? It is indeed a scary game when dying is indistinguishable from the rest ofThe point of this game is to be scared. And it succeeded in that, it gave me a few good jumps. However as for story telling, it kinda lost me. I know there was a story there, I found clues to it. By the end it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Apparently I also "died" several times during my playthrough? Really? It is indeed a scary game when dying is indistinguishable from the rest of play. And that was the problem with the game - there wasn't enough information given for me to know what I was supposed to be doing, and whether I was succeeding at it. In the end I had to concede that I had been scared, and that was really all that the game was capable of achieving.… Expand
  3. 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 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
  4. 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 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    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.    … Expand
  5. MaxieZeus
    Sep 5, 2022
    5
    Decent story, decent mechanics and decent puzzle but it didn't scare me, so this game is mediocre at best.
  6. joaopontesvaz
    Dec 25, 2018
    6
    Graphics: 5.8 Sound: 6.2 Gameplay: 6.2 Fun/Story: 7.0

    A solid horror game but very simple and linear. The poor graphics doesn't help to create the terror environment.
  7. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Jan 22, 2023
    7
    "Layers of Fear" is a very effective chiller by Bloober Team. A psychological horror game partly inspired by "P.T" (demo to the cancelled "Silent Hills"), it is both a walking simulator and a trippy haunted house. The setting is an empty mansion and as you walks through its rooms, major hallucinations occur and creepy voices cry out. As you progress, the tragic history of the protagonist"Layers of Fear" is a very effective chiller by Bloober Team. A psychological horror game partly inspired by "P.T" (demo to the cancelled "Silent Hills"), it is both a walking simulator and a trippy haunted house. The setting is an empty mansion and as you walks through its rooms, major hallucinations occur and creepy voices cry out. As you progress, the tragic history of the protagonist (a deranged painter) is slowly revealed in the form of photos, drawings, letters and disturbing visions. "Layers" is always both spooky and stylish. Its constant use of special effects is great and the PS4's speaker is used well. Also, there are multiple endings depending on how you play. So if you like indie horror games that are all about exploration and discovery, than you'll enjoy "Layers of Fear". I would rate it with a 7.4 out of 10.… Expand
  8. JasonR98
    Apr 21, 2021
    6
    Good and interesting story with a creepy atmosphere that’s hurt badly by bad jumpscares that were predictable and didn’t even make me flinch.
  9. youmeow
    Jul 12, 2020
    5
    if you want a horror game with less stress and adrenaline, get this, its not scary enough, too repetitive, It does have some cool puzzles, but the rest of them are boring with no real purpose, the main scenario is good kind of, but for me this is just a psychedelic walking simulator with no actual danger or threat unlike Outlast or The Evil Within

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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. 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.
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  2. Games Master UK
    Apr 25, 2016
    91
    Some exceptionally clever misdirection means that this indie delight delivers more terrifying surprises than a cupboard full of haunted Kinder eggs. [Apr 2016, p.81]
  3. 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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