2023-06-16 16:00:00
This new version of Layers of Fear brings us all the titles of the saga and a new story.
The first installment of Layers of Fear is probably the title by which the Polish studio Bloober Team rose to fame, becoming a flagship saga that took them years later to develop important games like Blair Witch or the fantastic The Medium. So what exactly is this game that bears the same name as that title released in 2016?
3 games for the price of 1
The first thing is to say no, here we are not dealing with a remastered version of the 2016 Xbox One game or a remake. This Layers of Fear is a modern reimagining that seamlessly compiles previous Layers of Fear titles.. It includes all of the content from Layers of Fear (2016), the Layers of Fear Inheritance DLC, and Layers of Fear 2, while adding all-new material that ties all the installments together. So, if we had to define this delivery we are faced with: 2 full games, 1 DLC, plus new content.
While in the first title you put yourself in the skin of a painter wrapped in the middle of a personal dramain the Inheritance expansion you played as the painter’s daughter and in the second you adopted the role of an actor. This new version of Layers of Fear introduces a new character: the writer, as the final protagonist. This character appears in the new chapter of the game dedicated to the lighthouse, which ultimately serves to tie the story together. He also adds a chapter of unreleased downloadable content titled the final notein which you play from the perspective of the painter’s wife from the first game, which allows you to have a complete view of the story. Definitely, This is the ultimate package for the Bloober Team’s magnum opus.
The horror is in your own head
If you’ve played any of the previous Layers of Fear games, you probably already know what kind of game to expectBecause not much has changed. You will spend most of your time walking through spooky environments, interacting with various objects, reading documents, and solving puzzles. The game can be quite unsettling and confusing at times, especially with how much it tries to trip you up with unexpected jump scares and crazy environment transitions. Whereas in the original games you were completely defenseless, this new version provides you with a kind of flashlight that allows us to burn the entities that stalk you. This is not a new combat mechanic introduced at all, since you will not be able to kill the ghosts, but rather It will serve to give us a break and be able to escape. The flashlight obviously also has a practical purpose, allowing more illumination during the exploration (which will become very necessary at many times).
In this new version many improvements have been included in the quality of life, among which stands out the handy chapter selection screen. The first two Layers of Fear games offered three different endings depending on the selfish or disinterested decisions you made during your game. The chapter selection screen allows you to jump to any chapter of the game to make different decisions without having to play the entire game again if you want to get a different ending. Also, it allows you to return to any section of the game if you wish. Completing the full game will take us between 12 and 15 hours.
But is the game scary? The truth is, no. Yes, the game is marketed as a psychological horror title and on more than one occasion it will put us in tremendous tension. The game is quite disturbing for its cool atmosphere, however, never puts us in a situation where you need to stop playing for a moment (as if they have done many other titles), not even when there is the occasional chase sequence. There’s virtually no threat for most of the game, which is more or less a walk-through sim. Even if you die, auto checkpoints are more than generous . The fact that it didn’t scare me doesn’t mean it won’t scare you, because Layers of Fear knows the rules of horror movies very well. The cool atmosphere set does a great job of telling a focused story on issues related to mental health.
Unreal Engine 5 at its best
Layers of Fear runs like a charm on Xbox Series X with gorgeous graphics and very smooth performance. Load times are almost instant when starting the game and FPS are stable at all times. Two modes are offered: Graphic, with 4K Ray Tracing at 30 FPS, or Performance, with 60 FPS.
Here the true potential of Unreal Engine 5 is put into practice, especially with the Lumen system, which offers dynamic lighting and reflections. You have to know that this game has been created from scratch with Unreal Engine 5 and that it is one of the first of its kind. The environment elements look more than photorealistic, with highly detailed textures and particle effects, to the point that I have to constantly remind myself that I’m playing a video game and not watching a movie. To say that this game looks great is an understatement, because it’s certainly one of the most visually impressive feats out there, period.
Creepy sound section
Each character has his voice in English and subtitles in Spanish, with high-level dubbing actors that give packaging to the story. The soundtrack is haunting and emotional, with many violin and piano themes playing in the background. Eerie sound effects, like a baby crying in the other room or a woman screaming in the distance, will be a daily occurrence in the game, making the hair stand on end. The overall sound design, combined with the gorgeous visual presentation, makes for a very good experience.
conclusions
Layers of Fear beautifully combines Bloober Team’s flagship games in a definitive edition that will delight horror fans. The new additions and a high-level graphic section are reason enough to play these titles again, but the icing on the cake is a very competitive price of €30 and the new chapters that cover all the stories.
Layers of Fear
29,99€
Pros
- Visually stunning thanks to Unreal Engine 5
- Brilliant use of settings and their sudden change
- Setting and atmosphere very successful
- The new content is well worth it
Cons
- It is a horror game that is not scary
- Moments of confusion when not knowing where to go
- It does not pose any challenge
#Analysis #Layers #Fear