Layers of Fear 2 (PlayStation 4) Review

From its opening moments to its dying breath, Layers of Fear 2 seeks to flourish in its uneasy atmosphere and layered storytelling. As its mystery unfolds and twists unwind, the plot only grows in strength and is nothing short of a joy to experience. Heavily influenced by early 1900's cinema, it pays homage in both style and substance to cinema's formative years. There are multiple stories that unfold simultaneously and ultimately link in clever ways; first, an actor hired for a film being shot on a massive ocean liner must navigate his director's increasingly warped and morbid challenges in order to form the ideal character. Simultaneously, the tale of two sibling stowaways is uncovered, as well as the circumstances that lead to them running away from home and how the shadow of their abuse follows them.

The scriptwriting here is simply excellent. It's poetic without being pretentious, brought to life thanks to a talented cast. As the protagonist ventures through the dark twists and turns of the morphing cruise ship, the player is tasked with exploring the depths of the horrors hidden within, solving the occasional puzzle, and running away from the formless monster that stalks in the shadows. There aren't very many mechanics beyond navigation and picking up clues along the way, some of which are inconsequential and some of which significantly complement the plot. This is classic survival horror aided by Bloober Team's budding skill at crafting scares.

Aiding the morbid plot is an atmosphere that is absolutely to die for. Jump scares abound, but they are not even the scariest part of this game - it's the chills induced by a radio suddenly turning off when the player looks away from it, or the quiet terror when a mannequin changes position when out of the protagonist's line of sight that truly set Layers of Fear 2 alight. The soundtrack is haunting and fits the rest of the experience like a glove, and there is some excellent and immersive level design in both the tight confines of the ship and the nightmarish plains that sprout herein. Furthermore, the game has three different endings which all drastically change the meaning of the story, and while the choices that lead to these endings are very clear and one-dimensional, the complex variety between the endings more than makes up for it.

The control scheme is simple enough: it is comprised mostly of the basic first-person horror move set but has an interesting quirk: the interaction button is mapped to the right trigger, which works in tandem with the right stick so that directional inputs are built into most interactions. Opening a door requires the right stick to be moved in the direction the door is opening, turning a wheel is a matter of rotating the right stick, and so on. It's a minor detail that considerably heightens the immersion.

However, Layers of Fear 2 is unfortunately not without its faults. It is not as polished as it could have been, and various glitches and bugs abound; assets can randomly disappear at times and the audio periodically sounds as though it's playing underwater. Framerate stutters destroy the carefully crafted atmosphere and the loading times are bordering on overlong.

This reviewer encountered nothing game-breaking, but there are certainly some immersion-busting niggles that could use ironing out. Additionally, many of the scripted scares count on the player facing a certain direction when they go off, which lead this reviewer to miss a few. It can be frustrating when a jump scare twang sounds but only a glimpse of the scare itself is caught out of the corner of the eye.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere is eerie and memorable. Colour seamlessly draining from the screen for environments to become reminiscent of black and white film can instil a sense of dread at what lurks in the shadows. Bloober Team has honed its talent for capturing nightmarish scenarios and warping natural expectations. It is a pity that Layers of Fear 2 is not as polished as it could be, but it nevertheless provides a great horror experience via the marriage of its story and level design.