Much like its predecessor, Layers of Fear 2 is a trippy psychological horror experience. Fans of the helpless horror genre will find many similar features, but with a fairly unique atmosphere and story. It’s available on PS4, X-Box One, PC and Nintendo Switch, where I played it.
PLOT:
The plot is one of Layers of Fear 2’s greatest strengths. Ostensibly, it follows an actor shooting a movie on a cruise ship. Initially it seems like the protagonist is trapped on the ship with a supernatural threat but the game gradually steeps the player further and further into surrealist psychological horror that makes it clear nothing should be taken for granted. Even the basic premise of being stuck on the ship quickly comes into question. This uncertainty is what makes the game work, every moment, line of dialogue, event, and collectable is up for debate. Is it a symbolic manifestation of the protagonists’ psyche? Is there something supernatural at play? Is the whole game a dream? All of these theories are viable and the multiple endings, support this type of thinking. The fact that the game is constantly working on all of these levels is a truly impressive feat.
While the game has a very small cast, most of whom appear mostly as disembodied voices that, again, may or may not be real the characters are fairly interesting. The most omni-present (aside from the mostly silent protagonist) is “the director” who serves as the narrator of the game. Like everything in this game, his role is unclear, but whatever his motivations he is there to guide you through the game, in particular the critical choice moments that will determine which ending you recieve. Which of these endings you recieve is based on whether or not you obey the director’s orders during these moments. The other notable characters are Lilly and James, a brother and sister who stowed away on the cruise ship and are playing pirates despite being in clearly dire situations.
GAMEPLAY:
Fans of the helpless horror genre won’t find much new in the mechanics of Layers of Fear 2. Most of the game is spent wandering through the ship, picking up collectibles that often reveal more about the story and solving the occasional environmental puzzle. These moments are broken up with chase sequences (which can be turned off in the settings, a nice accessibility feature). These mechanics are all workable, if a bit generic.
What makes the game interesting is the mind-games it plays with you. Hallways are constantly shifting behind you, the director is a blatantly unreliable narrator, and the environmental horror is great at creating an uneasy atmosphere. All of this gives the game a nightmare logic vibe that really works.
PROS:
In terms of gameplay Layers of Fear 2 is at its best when it’s at its simplest. The atmospheric horror and mind games it plays on the player are truly phenomenal. Mannequins are constantly appearing or moving strangely. Hallways and rooms are constantly changing behind you, adding to the game’s nightmare logic vibe. The world around you is filled with mystery and menace at every turn. As a result, my favorite moments all came from just wandering around the environment with no puzzles to do or monsters to run from.
These moments also allow you to slowly piece the story together. In these moments the game feels like a very effective walking simulator, it has a fantastic atmosphere, a compelling story, and a ton of story elements to discover. Layers of Fear 2’s endings really enhance the story as each completely recontextualizes everything that happened in the game in a way that game endings almost never do. While I don’t think any of these endings would have been compelling alone, the fact that such divergent conclusions all make perfect sense for the game and the ways that they reshape events that have already happened makes them fantastic on the whole.
CONS:
As polished as the story and atmosphere are in Layers of Fear 2 is held back by its inability to execute on genre staples. While some of the puzzles are interesting setting-specific environmental puzzles, the majority of them are more straightforward puzzles revolving around finding combinations or keys. These puzzles end up feeling like chores. Chases are similarly disappointing. In most helpless horror games being chased by a monster is a dynamic, intense, horrifying experience. In Layers of Fear 2 these chases are far too linnear for any of that. To survive a chase you must do the exact right set of things before the monster reaches you. The lack of choice made them feel less like running for your life and more like completing a trial-by-error puzzle which sapped these chases of tension and excitement.
The one story element that feel’s off is the big choices at the end of each chapter. As a means to an end, getting the player to the game’s three endings, it works but it’s a bit too on the nose for such a surreal game. I think the game would have benefited from a few more choices throughout each chapter and less emphasis on obeying or disobeying The Director. It would have added to the dream-logic the game so expertly cultivates if some of your more minor choices had an impact on the ending.
VERDICT:
Layers of Fear 2 is an uneven game that does some things exceptionally well that makes the elements it stumbles on more noticeable. It’s one of the best psychological horror stories of this console generation, but it’s bogged down by its gameplay shortcomings. If you’re looking for psychological horror that leans into surrealism Layers of Fear 2 is the game for you, but don’t go in expecting mind blowing puzzles or intense monster chases. If you do decide to check it out, it’s an affordable $19.99 game available on Switch, PS4, X-Box One, and PC.
