Bloober Team have been busy, between handling Konami's Silent Hill 2 Remake and reimagining their flagship series, Layers of Fear. The 2023 release ties all the games and DLC together in one package, with some more additions beyond flashy new graphics. Layers of Fear (2023) also adds some new content and ways the player can interact with their environment and the creatures they may share the environment with.
Whether it's veteran fans returning to revisit an old favorite, or new players looking for a horror experience with a more budget-friendly price, players should be careful to not fall into making some basic mistakes that could dampen their experience.
6 Leaving the Game Brightness Low
As one might expect of a horror game, Layers of Fear is drenched in an atmosphere aided by long corridors, claustrophobic rooms, and ever-present darkness smothering the environments and objects. Though players do have lanterns or flashlights in parts of the game, leaving the brightness on the default could still prove to be a mistake.
The majority of the gameplay will involve players walking through the various environments and having to figure out where they must next venture, or what they must do to progress through the story. As such, the dark lighting could be detrimental to them as they examine their surroundings. Players should boost the lighting but take care to avoid making it too bright as well, or they risk reducing the fear factor of the game.
5 Skipping New Content
Along with repackaging the two previous games and the DLC Inheritance in a new and beautiful coat of paint, Layers of Fear 2023 also brings brand-new content, The Final Note. This puts the player in the role of the wife of the artist, painting a bigger picture of the tragedy of the family, while offering extra gameplay set in the same, familiar house.
Layers of Fear puts control directly in the player's hands of how they experience the collection, allowing them to select what chapters to play. This gives them the chance to revisit old chapters without starting over to find any collectibles they might have missed, while also letting them skip over certain sections. While it might be tempting for players who just want to play through old content, the new content is the main draw for returning veterans and skipping over it will rob them of the chance to experience new tragedies and terror.
4 Not Increasing the Mouse Sensitivity
Though its minor, the mouse sensitivity is still a small quality-of-life change that should not be overlooked. Players will find themselves having to turn the camera around quite often in Layers of Fear, as backtracking or turning around to see the room changed are frequent occurrences that Bloober love to employ in their horror walking simulator.
As such, it would be a small error for players to not customize their controls in-game to streamline their gaming experience, especially the mouse sensitivity, as it would make turning easier and quicker. It's a generally good rule of thumb for most gamers that players should experiment with game controls to find settings that work the best for them instead of blindly trusting the default.
3 Expecting Combat
Players who hear tale that 'combat' is a new addition in Layers of Fear 2023 might picture combat akin to other horror games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, and that would be a grievous mistake. The combat Bloober have on offer is very basic and doesn't pit the players in a fight against monsters that will last several minutes, and have them managing finite resources like ammunition and healing items.
Instead, players will merely fend off foes with their light source, or use them in certain sequences to clear a path so they can flee to safety. While this type of combat may seem underwhelming to some gamers, it is in keeping with the tone of Layers of Fear and is the gameplay fans should expect.
2 Trying to Conserve Lighting
Players jumping into Layers of Fear 2023 off the back of other games released around the same time, such as Amnesia Bunker, might be tempted to treat the light as a finite resource, and not utilize it at all times. And while the lantern does have a cooldown preventing the player from using it for a few seconds as it recharges, players don't need to worry about gathering oil or other such items to recharge it.
As such, players should not shy away from making good use of the lantern, as it does have several uses in-game. Players can use it as a general light source to illuminate the environment, allowing them to explore every nook and cranny, as well as fending off hostile echoes that can be fatal to the player, and even interact with areas of the environment that will allow them to progress.
1 Rushing Through the Game
It's a habit that is all too easy for gamers to fall in, and most players know they have been guilty of this in the past. Sometimes, players are just too eager to see what lurks around the next corner and will find themselves rushing through the segments from eagerness.
However, games like Layers of Fear are designed to be experienced at a leisurely pace, so players have the chance to truly soak in the eerie atmosphere and enjoy the aesthetically pleasing visualsLoF is lauded for. As such, players should avoid making the mistake of rushing through the game, and take their time to enjoy it instead.
Layers of Fear is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.