8/17/2023 0 Comments Layers of fear 2 safe codeScares fall flat by feeling too scripted.A story worth decoding which spills out in metaphor.Puzzles that feel challenging, but never obtuse.No horror game is quite like this one, and while it's sadly underwhelming as a scare tool, it is salvaged by its use of horror concepts and imagery to tell a terrific human story. The story cleverly ties in these subtler nods so they never feel invasive and actually feel like relevant supplementary material. There are also many homages to past film icons, so even while it's not so scary itself, Layers of Fear 2 does proudly stand on the shoulders of giants such as Nosferatu, The Shining, and even The Wizard of Oz. How much you understand the deliberately vague story will largely depend on how much you involve yourself in the game's many collectible pick-ups which flesh out the world that existed before your arrival. Mired in metaphor, shrouded in symbolism, Layers of Fear 2 goes for a sort of high concept art derangement and once again nails it, even more so than its predecessor, in fact. There's still an audience for Layers of Fear 2 despite its scare factor shortcomings because of not just the aforementioned stellar sound and visuals and enjoyable puzzles, but also the story.Īgain, like its predecessor, Layers of Fear 2 happily obfuscates what exactly is going on up to, and even in some respects, past the end credits. It’s detail-oriented and built to support the game's often quite meta theme of the price of creation. They're explained just enough to a keen eye without ever feeling too easy or too difficult. They hardly ever repeat, and like the environments, when they are reused, they're presented so differently that they may as well be something new. The puzzles can range from things like finding a lock code to imitating shadows on the wall and much more. You'll always know you're in the right area to solve a puzzle, which eliminates aimless wandering and keeps the pacing perfectly in order. For the same reasons the horror moments fall flat, the puzzles actually succeed greatly. As this is more horror-adventure than survival-horror, the designers would be remiss not to slow players down with countless brainteasers. The other major tentpole of the game is its puzzles. Horror thrives on vulnerability, and Layers of Fear 2 never allows players to feel vulnerable. Whereas the environments can regularly be so disorienting, the game somehow abandons that sense when the pressure is really on and you're being pursued by a shapeless monster. Even as this time around several fail states can be attained and there are many chase sequences, the game has a way of telegraphing precisely where you need to go to a fault. Layers of Fear 2 is sadly just like that. It can be spooky, but it fails to ever immerse players enough to get them to forget the "rules" of engagement. Whereas the first game was more like a horror museum, leaving players safe virtually from start to finish, Layers of Fear 2 plays more like a haunted house attraction one may find around Halloween season. All Flair, No FearĪll of this high praise makes Layers of Fear 2 a marvelously designed game in some respects, but it fails to make it a scary one. The art department deserves the highest praise. There were simply so many sights and sounds worth stopping and appreciating. I took more screenshots with this game than any other during a review period. ![]() Combined, the audiovisual experience in Layers of Fear 2 is nearly in a league of its own. The audio complements the game's stunning visual style thanks to Bloober Team's spatial, binaural audio that puts players directly in the room (seriously, use headphones). Back in the developer's repertoire is a clever use of hallways that change when you look away, but this time their tricks go well beyond that to include other mind-bending effects like regularly rinsing the world of all colors, distorting your view to look like you're living in an old film, flipping your world completely upside-down, and using some supremely effective color palettes that make every room, every hallway, and every scene feel unique. The visuals are unceasingly stunning as the game toys with your perception of reality in more ways than the already bizarre original did. The disembodied voice of Tony Todd of Candyman fame serves as the untrustworthy narrator in your head as players are left to solve puzzles and fall deeper into one of gaming's most gloriously twisted rabbit holes, all the while seeking to "build the character." Whereas the original Layers of Fear focused on an artist exploring an ever-shifting mansion, Bloober Team's sequel puts players aboard a huge cruise liner where they play the role of an unknown actor. This ends up really hurting Layers of Fear 2 as a true horror title, though it does leave it as a memorably dark and psychedelic story worth unraveling.
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