Reader reviews for Layers of Fear: Your Fears Will Return

I really enjoyed the original Layers of Fear and was excited to get my hands on this new version. The visuals were stunning back then and they’re even more impressive now, with some incredible displays of creativity and imagination.

Each room is a masterpiece. Unfortunately, they appear rather fleeting and disposable as you pass through them. And there in lies the problem with this game. It feels like you’re constantly rushing through to the next section without much contemplation.

The thin and cliched narrative is thrown at you in audio and text snippets, which feels rather lazy and didn’t engage me at all.

There’s not much in the way of playability either. It really is more of a walking simulator and behind the fascade of these breath-taking visuals, is a shallow experience.

The frustrating part is that these visuals and this engine could have been used for so much more, and would have greatly benefitted from some puzzle elements or a strong narrative.

Admittedly, I didn’t play far into the actor chapters of the game. I assume they’re based on Layers of Fear 2, which didn’t hold my interest.

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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Very Easy