Layers Of Fear Review
By Edwin Velez
In The Eye of the Beholder
“If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
Remember this as you walk through the eerie halls of Layers of Fear, as it sadly is the complete opposite for the poor protagonist artist. Layers of Fear has seemingly coined the term “psychedelic horror” for its genre, and appropriately so. For the most part, Layers is like nothing I have ever played before. Alone and on the verge somewhere between madness and sanity is your character, the artist. Plagued with doubt about your artistic abilities, you have one goal: finish it. Finish your Magnum Opus, the piece you will be remembered for. But what you soon come to realize in your mansion is the mind can play horrible tricks on itself when pushed to the brink, and the player soon falls victim to its tricks.
In essence, Layers is an immersive experience. There is no fighting to survive or solving of deadly puzzles, but more of a roughly 5-6 hour long trip through an intense haunted house. This is not a bad thing though, as I grew up with hands-off horror experiences. One of those experiences that most closely mimics the one you’ll find in Layers is an older title simply called D. I have never met many people who had the chance to play it, but it was a similar title where you explored a desolate building with collectibles and puzzles in mind. Memories of that game still give me chills today, and Layers delivered to send those same chills up my spine time and time again. Though I could have used more puzzles to give me a sense of involvement, the team at Bloober put forward a really cool take on traditional immersive horror games.
-Vincent Van Gogh
Remember this as you walk through the eerie halls of Layers of Fear, as it sadly is the complete opposite for the poor protagonist artist. Layers of Fear has seemingly coined the term “psychedelic horror” for its genre, and appropriately so. For the most part, Layers is like nothing I have ever played before. Alone and on the verge somewhere between madness and sanity is your character, the artist. Plagued with doubt about your artistic abilities, you have one goal: finish it. Finish your Magnum Opus, the piece you will be remembered for. But what you soon come to realize in your mansion is the mind can play horrible tricks on itself when pushed to the brink, and the player soon falls victim to its tricks.
In essence, Layers is an immersive experience. There is no fighting to survive or solving of deadly puzzles, but more of a roughly 5-6 hour long trip through an intense haunted house. This is not a bad thing though, as I grew up with hands-off horror experiences. One of those experiences that most closely mimics the one you’ll find in Layers is an older title simply called D. I have never met many people who had the chance to play it, but it was a similar title where you explored a desolate building with collectibles and puzzles in mind. Memories of that game still give me chills today, and Layers delivered to send those same chills up my spine time and time again. Though I could have used more puzzles to give me a sense of involvement, the team at Bloober put forward a really cool take on traditional immersive horror games.
Where the game goes from spooky to terrifying is in the mansions transitions from normal to twisted. This is a hard concept to define verbally (I recommend taking a look at the screens/video below). Let me paint you a picture, for lack of a better phrase. You are walking down a narrow hall, and into a room that has no exit. You turn around to exit that same door you just came through, and gone is the hall you just traversed, and now you are in a burnt master bedroom. Or better yet, you explore a large tidy great room, and after turning around at random come to find everything has been trashed. Its transitions like these that thoroughly impress, not only for their scare factor but for their smoothness during transitions. I do not think I ever noticed any slow down or pauses during these moments of travel, and that is praiseworthy in a horror game that needs to keep you grounded in the immersion.
In addition to the transitions, the general atmosphere is terrific. The game is dark, both in tone and quite literally. There is a thickness and depth to the darkness that surrounds you, giving a realistic feel when you see shadows of figures in the distance. The player is really put in the shoes of the artist so to speak, and it helps keep you reeled in. At standstills, you can notice his head bobbing ever so slightly. When walking, you’ll notice an apparent limp that he carries, and it shows even more when traversing steps. I cannot recall any other title that has done this with a way a first person character carries themselves. It is a fantastic way to feel like part of the game. The sound cues bring the whole package together, whether it is the echoes of a crying baby, pianos playing with no piano in sight, or thunder cackling just outside the windows, every bit of detail makes the experience more gripping. I only wish that the artist’s voice had some range, because he is sadly very dull when narrating collectibles and memories. Visually the game is impressive as well. The lighting of scenes is amazing, and the ghostly movements of objects is seamless which is haunting. There are some texture imbalances though. Things like furniture and paintings look great, but fruit and fires look blocky and dated. That in addition to some screen drags take away from what is otherwise a visually striking game.
In addition to the transitions, the general atmosphere is terrific. The game is dark, both in tone and quite literally. There is a thickness and depth to the darkness that surrounds you, giving a realistic feel when you see shadows of figures in the distance. The player is really put in the shoes of the artist so to speak, and it helps keep you reeled in. At standstills, you can notice his head bobbing ever so slightly. When walking, you’ll notice an apparent limp that he carries, and it shows even more when traversing steps. I cannot recall any other title that has done this with a way a first person character carries themselves. It is a fantastic way to feel like part of the game. The sound cues bring the whole package together, whether it is the echoes of a crying baby, pianos playing with no piano in sight, or thunder cackling just outside the windows, every bit of detail makes the experience more gripping. I only wish that the artist’s voice had some range, because he is sadly very dull when narrating collectibles and memories. Visually the game is impressive as well. The lighting of scenes is amazing, and the ghostly movements of objects is seamless which is haunting. There are some texture imbalances though. Things like furniture and paintings look great, but fruit and fires look blocky and dated. That in addition to some screen drags take away from what is otherwise a visually striking game.
The story could use a bit more hand holding in my opinion. Most of the story is told through collectibles you find like letters, newspapers, and objects that have memories attached to them. A lot of my time with the game was spent not knowing what is going on. Don’t get me wrong, mystery is fine and dandy but the narrative could have used some structural support all the same. There seems to be plenty of collectibles, but many revealed similar aspects into the life of the artist and his estranged family. All of this hurt and emotion plays into the torment that follows him on his path to finishing his last piece, but overall a richer narrative would have made for a less confusing experience.
I really enjoyed my time with Layers of Fear. It was creepy and cool, and overall just hit everything I want in a horror setting. The conclusion of the game was awesome, albeit a little brief, but had one of those great “whoa” moments that makes you consider everything you just did. I really hope at some point this title gets translated to a VR experience because the framework is clearly there. Though the story lacked depth, the setting and sheer cool factor of the game sold me. I’m ready for another run through the halls to snag everything, and take in this work of art.
*Note: A copy of the game was provided for the purposes of the review
I really enjoyed my time with Layers of Fear. It was creepy and cool, and overall just hit everything I want in a horror setting. The conclusion of the game was awesome, albeit a little brief, but had one of those great “whoa” moments that makes you consider everything you just did. I really hope at some point this title gets translated to a VR experience because the framework is clearly there. Though the story lacked depth, the setting and sheer cool factor of the game sold me. I’m ready for another run through the halls to snag everything, and take in this work of art.
*Note: A copy of the game was provided for the purposes of the review
FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10
|
+Fantastic Setting and Environment
+Truly Chilling Scenes +Seamless Transitions |
-Some Technical Downfalls
-Poor Story Structure |
Release Date: 2/16/2016
Developer: Bloober Team
Publisher: Aspyr Media
Developer: Bloober Team
Publisher: Aspyr Media