Bloober Team has firmly established itself as one of the premier horror game developers in the entire industry. Before Bloober Team was trusted to remake Silent Hill 2, one of the most beloved horror games of all time, it proved itself with horror games like Observer, The Medium, Blair Witch, and Layers of Fear, the latter franchise being what really put the studio on the map. Bloober Team released the first Layers of Fear game in 2016 and the sequel followed in 2019, but now the two games are being combined into a single package simply titled Layers of Fear.
Game ZXC recently had the chance to go hands-on with the new Layers of Fear game (previously-titled Layers of Fears). The short demo featured the brand-new lighthouse story as well as a couple of segments in the painter's mansion, showcasing the game's incredible graphics and some of the new mechanics that series veterans can look forward to come launch in June.
Layers of Fear starts as new character "The Writer" finds herself at a creepy lighthouse. Many of the lighthouse doors remain locked tight, creating a sense of claustrophobia as players navigate the relatively small area. The Layers of Fear demo doesn't spend enough time with The Writer's story to firmly establish what exactly it's bringing to the table, but it seems like it could be a framing device of sorts for the meatier experiences the game has on offer. The lighthouse being a brand-new location makes it particularly intriguing, and it will definitely be interesting to see what secrets it holds once the full game is out.
Layers of Fear Graphics Are Next-Level
After walking around the lighthouse and interacting with a few objects, the demo shifted to a familiar location: the painter's mansion from the original Layers of Fear. While this should be familiar to fans of the original game, the new Layers of Fear has dramatically improved the graphics. Leveraging the power of Unreal Engine 5, the mansion looks nothing short of jaw-dropping. The game's second-to-none lighting helps tie it all together, creating a genuinely spooky atmosphere that leaves players on edge.
The new Layers of Fear doesn't just have shinier graphics on offer. Unlike the original, the new Layers of Fear gives players a means to defend themselves. Players get their hands on a powerful lantern that is used for puzzle-solving, lighting the environment, and driving back demonic spirits. On one hand, the lantern made the minute-to-minute gameplay a bit more engaging, but the downside is that it made things a touch too easy.
The demo fast-forwarded to a later segment of the game where the goal was to find three gears to solve a puzzle, all while being pursued by a demonic entity. The lantern made such quick work of the spirit, though, that they hardly seemed like a threat. Layers of Fear still manages to be scary despite this, but hopefully the spirit in the final product is more dangerous.
It's clear from playing the demo that the new Layers of Fear is going to greatly appeal to fans of the original game. It offers new story content, vastly improved graphics, and some new gameplay mechanics for good measure. The jury is still out on if it all comes together like it should, but horror game fans will find out when the game launches next month.
Layers of Fear launches June 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
