By: Nate
Can anything prepare you for this psychological trip? Layers of Fear is the highly popular indie PC horror title from 2015 and it brings all of its step-changing environments to the Playstation 4.
In this psychedelic horror game, you play as a painter who must explore a haunted house to find out about his past and finish his painting. A lot of players will find that Layers of Fear is very similar to P.T. aka Silent Hills. I enjoyed the crazy backstory after roaming through the evil home.
As a player you start off in your home and can interact with almost every little item. Eventually, you will find your painting and need to finish it. Through the six steps, you will find yourself in for a crazy trip through insanity in order to piece together the tormented painter’s portrait.
The first person aspect of the game was fantastic. The interactive gameplay along with the great sound effects makes the environments feel eerie. Every turn you make, step you take, or door you walk through will change your environment. Each new layer of horror is unique and different than the last.
How scary is this game? There are definitely some great jump-scare moments and creepy parts in this game. As a whole, the game is scarier than most games that try to be horror. Layers of Fear does not overload you with the same exact element. There are many things I think the game could have added to make it scarier, but it was creepy. I also think it is a terrifying game for children, but maybe not as much for adults. It depends on how easily scared you get.
The puzzles in Layers of Fear are not very scary, but they will get your mind thinking. These are for average puzzle master. I only got stuck with two different areas of the game, but I felt satisfied after completing them and the game kept progressing in a good way.
Overall, the sense of immersion in Layers of Fear is amazing and the horror elements are spot-on. This game provides a unique experience with its psychological horror and exploration. The game has signs of “Silent Hills” written all over it and I cannot wait to see what the creators of this game do next.
8/10 – An excellent horror experience. Better than most horror movies you pay to see at the movies.
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