Faisal Ghaffar 
It was in 2016 that Layers of Fear was first released, but the psychological horror game released in 2023 is its sequel and nor is it a remake of the original. Instead, you will find that it combines the first installment, the follow-up that came in 2019, the downloadable content released previously and a number of new playable stories. This results in Frankenstein’s monster and while the game is undoubtedly the most extensive form of disturbing stories and the best looking, it does not really offer anything worth noting, as it is only able to offer a few surface-level scares.
The plot
Taking a lot of inspiration from Hideo Kojima’s P.T., you will find that Layers of Fear puts you into the tortured minds of a number of artists, which include a writer, an actor and a painter. You have to put together their tragic stories by going through newspaper clippings, looking for handwritten notes in every surreal setting and other evidence of any trauma they might have inflicted or endured in the past.
To make things unsettling, Layers of Fear has used a wide variety of tricks. The haunted houses have graffiti scrawled on their walls and every step you take within them comes with the sound of distant screams or sudden thunderclaps. You will also see flickers of different shapes in the shadows and the furniture seems to dance around you.
Some tricks are truly impressive, like when you turn your head, the entire floorplan has been completely rearranged while your back was turned.
The problem
However, there is one problem in Layers of Fear that existed in the original back in 2016. The geometry-jumbling techniques are used so frequently that you will eventually start to anticipate them, which diminishes their shock value rapidly. This problem also exists in the latest installment and it is further worsened due to the pace of the game. It moves so quickly that it does not leave any time for you to feel any real dread.
Another issue in bridging the events of the original Layers of Fear and the second one is that the latter has a longer and weaker story. Therefore, when you play this Layers of Fear, you will that the story reaches its peak within the first half.
The changes
Even though there has not been a lot of improvement in terms of balancing the tension and release, Layers of Fear has certainly made some enhancements to lighting and textures. There are some striking scenes in each story and you can see a lot of detail that makes things appear realistic. Not only does the better lighting makes the environment richer, but it also has an impact on how you interact with it.
There is also a new flashlight that you can use for some stimulating things other than just opening doors and going through drawers. For instance, you can use it for stunning enemies that you occasionally come across in the stories.
The Verdict
While the atmosphere and the flashlight are some good additions to Layers of Fear, the tricks are still too predictable and telegraphed to scare you a lot. Nonetheless, the game will come off as mildly creepy and is worth a shot.
