Layers of Fear: Legacy

 Switch
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 50
  3. Negative: 11 out of 50

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  1. katjaS
    May 30, 2019
    5
    If you like the thrill of ghost rides this may be your thing. The game is masterful in building up strong suspense and then suddenly scaring you into pieces, especially if you wear headphones. It stays within the realm of psychological horror and won't bore you with cheap elements like zombies. The surrealist horror scenes are cool and I took a lot of screenshots.

    However, all the    If you like the thrill of ghost rides this may be your thing. The game is masterful in building up strong suspense and then suddenly scaring you into pieces, especially if you wear headphones. It stays within the realm of psychological horror and won't bore you with cheap elements like zombies. The surrealist horror scenes are cool and I took a lot of screenshots.

    However, all the gameplay revolves around intense jump scares and searching for (sometimes too well hidden) story pieces in-between in drawers, bookshelves etc., and opening doors to follow the predetermined path. Many people out there do like jump scares, especially when they are done so well - this game is without doubt a great ghost ride. But for my personal taste they are simply a cheap horror element, and be warned if you feel the same and expect more mystery and depth from a horror game. The underlying story is there, it's horrific, and a lot of things go on in your own mind while you slowly uncover it. But it also leaves a lot barely explained.

    If you expected more story depth due to screenshots of surrealist scenes and how they use famous paintings, and the promise of showing the mind of a mentally ill painter, then you may, like me, end up a bit disappointed. The scares have connections to the story, but in itself rarely contribute to it, they rather illustrate it.. It's usually just surface. Due to this I had to force myself through the second half as I expected more than a linear ghost ride with mostly meaningless visuals.

    Another thing I found a bit annoying was the strong asset reuse. Also, Layers of Fear does not seem to be optimized for the Switch. It is my only Switch game right now where the fan can be noticed, virtually running all the time, and it cooks the little thing quite a bit so that I took some worried breaks in-between.    … Expand
  2. BeeSting1
    Jan 1, 2021
    5
    Less of a game. More like a stroll through a haunted mansion.

    The Good: - The sounds suited the atmosphere - the visual effects were creepy most of the time. But negated by your character's invincibility. - the narrative around the paintings were cool ----- The Bad: - you're character is invulnerable. That took out the sense of fear for me. It just felt like I was    Less of a game. More like a stroll through a haunted mansion.

    The Good:

    - The sounds suited the atmosphere

    - the visual effects were creepy most of the time. But negated by your character's invincibility.

    - the narrative around the paintings were cool

    -----

    The Bad:

    - you're character is invulnerable. That took out the sense of fear for me. It just felt like I was walking from one room to the next not caring what popped up, cause I knew it wouldn't hurt me. You can fall off cliffs, but you'll just respawn very close by.

    - not enough dialogue. The narrative is given to you through random pieces of text found. It wasn't enough to piece together full picture. By the end, I felt like I knew only very broadly what happened.

    - The jump scares were nullified by the fact that you were invincible. I didn't care cause I knew they would do nothing to me. No punishment. I just kept walking to the next room.

    - Too many drawers to open. Most have nothing, making me lose incentive to open any more and potentially missing some collectables or plot texts.

    - When I look down, i have no legs, it feels like I'm controlling a hovering camera, not the protagonist of the story.

    - wish there were npcs of some kind. The entire experience felt like I was taking a stroll through a haunted mansion. One that I can find in my city during halloween. Felt like a point and click adventure, rather than a game.

    -----    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Worth Playing
    Jul 11, 2018
    86
    Despite some minor performance issues and the occasional on-the-nose writing, Layers of Fear: Legacy is a fantastic horror experience for Switch owners. You get two great stories, both accessible right from the menu screen — I highly recommend you play the main story before Inheritance, though — that offer gripping tales and shocking scares. Better yet, both are playable in portable mode, ensuring that the courageous and unafraid can get their fill of terror before bed. It may not be P.T. in name, but for those seeking that same level of atmosphere and hallway-twisting tension, Legacy fits the bill.
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  2. Nintendojo
    Jun 28, 2018
    91
    The concept of losing one’s sanity is perhaps one of the most relatable fears of all. Layers of Fear: Legacy captures that idea in a way not seen in gaming since the days of Eternal Darkness. While the two titles share that theme, Legacy is strong enough to stand on its own. The scares are plentiful and well thought out, the visuals are jarring and the game’s audio is downright haunting. It just might be the scariest title currently available on Switch.
    Read full review
  3. XGN
    May 2, 2018
    80
    Layers of Fear is a perfectly well-made horror-adventure game. The feeling that you get from playing is mostly fear. Get ready for one of the best game of the horror genre.
    Read full review
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