Layers of Fear
| Layers of Fear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Bloober Team |
| Publisher(s) | Bloober Team |
| Programmer(s) | Eryk Dykiel |
| Composer(s) | Arkadiusz Reikowski |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) |
Linux Microsoft Windows OS X PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Psychological horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Layers of Fear is a psychological horror video game developed and published by Bloober Team for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
In Layers of Fear, the player controls a psychologically disturbed painter trying to complete his magnum opus, as he navigates through a Victorian mansion, with disturbing secrets about the painter being discovered. The gameplay, presented in first person perspective, is heavily story driven and revolves mostly around puzzle-solving and exploration, as the game intensifies after each level while jump scares occur often.
Gameplay
The player takes control of a painter who has returned to his studio. His initial goal is to complete his masterpiece, and it's player's role to figure out how this task should be accomplished. The challenge comes from puzzles which require the player to search environment for visual clues. The house appears straightforward at first, but it changes around the player as they explore it in first person. These changes in the environment provide scaffolding for the puzzles and provide unique alternatives to the jump scares common in other games of the genre.
The game is divided into six chapters with various items for the player to find in order to complete his work. The game is heavily dimmed, and there are objects that uncover certain aspects of the painter's history. While completing the painting, there is a letter that is slowly pieced together, which shows the origin of his masterpiece, and objects which explain the secret of the painter through dialogue flashbacks.
Plot
The painter tries to complete his work by locating six items; each item explores another level (or layer) of the painter's evident insanity. In the introduction the player is informed of some kind of on-going court case involving the painter. The letter from the character's lawyer tells the painter to stop pretending to be insane; however, in a later letter, the lawyer shows genuine concern for the painter's well-being and suggests he receive some help. On one level a rotating child's toy shows a series of drawings on the wall depicting a family of three, but with a few rotations it shows the mother in a wheelchair and the father in anger with the child in despair. With another rotation the family appears disrupted with the mother removed and the child disfigured. A later letter reveals that the painter's wife burned one of his works: 'The lady in black', which once depicted her. In a later level there is a flashback of the painter finding his wife locked in the bathroom in some kind of peril; likely drowned, or with her wrists cut. The source of the painter's insanity is hinted as his attempt to finish his painting with dismembered parts of his dead family. Due to the symbolic style of the game, much is left open to interpretation.
Reception
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Layers of Fear received "mixed to average" and "generally favorable" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[7][8][9] Matt Whittaker of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 3 out of 5 saying, "Bloober Team should feel proud that it was able to turn its fortunes around with Layers of Fear and this release is something to build upon, but it manages to miss the mark just enough to feel somewhat forgettable."[5] Matt Thrower from GameSpot rated the game a 7/10 saying, "Stacked up like the rickety tiers of a gothic building, Layers of Fear proves aptly named."[1] Leon Hurley praised the game in a GamesRadar review, stating "it’s one of the best horror games I’ve ever played and literally creates a new tool set for interactive scares." He complimented the game's art and the "unease from a horror experience" it provides, giving it a maximum score.[2] Nick Monroe recommended the game in The Escapist, noting that "Layers of Fear achieves its goal of making you scared as a player, instead of just existing as something scary", but warned that the game is not recommended to gamers who are seizure prone.[4] Chloi Rad from IGN called Layers of Fear a "paint-by-numbers horror game that can't capitalize on its concept" that "lacks the surprises and subtlety needed to keep things interesting all the way through".[3] Tom Chick gave the game 1 out of 5 stars, calling it a one-trick pony and stating that "Layers of Fear was made specifically as Let’s Play fodder" and that "[t]his is what Let’s Plays have done to game development."[6]
References
- 1 2 Thrower, Matt (14 February 2016). "Layers of Fear Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 Hurley, Leon (14 February 2016). "Layers of Fear Review". GamesRadar. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 Rad, Chloi (14 February 2016). "Layers of Fear Review". IGN. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 Monroe, Nick (14 February 2016). "Layers of Fear Review - Art is the Struggle". The Escapist. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 Whittaker, Matt (14 February 2016). "Review: Layers of Fear". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 Chick, Tom (15 February 2016). "Layers of Fear is what happens when a one-trick pony repeatedly lunges at you". Quarter to Three. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- 1 2 "Layers of Fear for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 "Layers of Fear for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- 1 2 "Layers of Fear for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 February 2016.