Layers of Fear is a psychedelic horror that will keep you on-edge for the reminder of the game. Delve deep into the mind of an insane painter and discover the secret of his madness, as you walk through a constantly shifting house.

RSS Reviews  (0 - 10 of 12)
10

TheBackPackPlayer94 says

Early access review Agree (1) Disagree

A masterpiece, loved it

7

Dragamyre says

Early access review may contain spoilers Agree (1) Disagree

Layers of Fear is a below average visual clichéd novel falsely labeled as a fantastic horror adventure.

Thankfully, it never exactly fell apart thanks to its music, visual presentation and short length.
However, it loses what little atmosphere and subtlety it had to begin with as soon as the second hunt for a piece of a painting begins. It manages to run out of its ideas very soon and the "Turn around and now the room/hallway is different" or "Walking through a hallway and a painting will jump off the wall, making a loud noise, or something like it" - tricks get old during the first quarter of the game.

The story should be well-written and impeccable in games that are as repetitive and lackluster gameplay-wise as Layers of Fear, and it is certainly not that. From poor voice acting to random hints on the walls, trying to provide some deeper meaning behind this otherwise very simple story, lacking any sense of mystery or intrigue.
Old creepy paintings are actually perfect for a horror game, but seeing the same paintings scattered all over, probably just for the sake of doing so, dismisses their purpose (for me) completely. I would've preferred if they were used as environmental storytelling method; an actual meaning behind each painting, each reflecting some part of the protagonist's life.

Environment interaction is similar to that of Amnesia, but noticeably clunkier and serves very little purpose. Cabinets have rarely anything worth finding in them and most doors are locked or will be locked after entering a new area. After going through a door, there's no going back since the game locks the door behind you and ditches the room/hallway you previously were in. If the player missed something "crucial", loading the latest checkpoint is required. Also escaping from "the enemy" (who is not a threat whatsoever) can be easily done by entering the next area, although occasionally the doors stay open but the areas disappear nonetheless, making the enemy de-spawn with them.

It has very good music and graphics, despite its inconsistent lighting and anti-aliasing issues back when I played it. It can look very pretty at times and very murky at times due to its lack of colors and the darkness is more of an annoyance. The game's pitch-black darkness is only good at hiding the jagged edges. As for the anti-aliasing, it didn't outright work about eight months ago. Not sure whether they've fixed it or not.

Just like in any other first-person horror game, exploring is a key-activity in Layers of Fear, but lasts only for a moment. As soon as the protagonist goes crazy and the "old spooky house filled with paintings" starts to change, it loses its appeal, especially considering how the hallways and rooms that appear out of nowhere have no significance. Far too often the game insists on playing by its rules, with no real player activity. Too much recycling of the same tricks and too much wandering around aimlessly, not knowing where and when will the next area appear/unlock.

I played through the game multiple times, trying to find all the collectibles and get all the endings. It takes about two hours or less to finish, which is absurd considering the 20$ price tag. I got 10 hours out of it, with no real regrets. Still, not great, or even good.

10

TanakaTakeshiTetsuo says

Early access review Agree Disagree

exciting

10

Super_Fantastic says

Early access review Agree Disagree

Very good horror

8

AirMonster says

Early access review Agree Disagree

ss

3

fiuuuuuuh says

Early access review may contain spoilers Agree (1) Disagree (1)

Layers of Fear is a below average visual clichéd novel falsely labeled as a fantastic horror adventure.

Thankfully, it never exactly fell apart thanks to its music, visual presentation and short length.
However, it loses what little atmosphere and subtlety it had to begin with as soon as the second hunt for a piece of a painting begins. It manages to run out of its ideas very soon and the "Turn around and now the room/hallway is different" or "Walking through a hallway and a painting will jump off the wall, making a loud noise, or something like it" - tricks get old during the first quarter of the game.

The story should be well-written and impeccable in games that are as repetitive and lackluster gameplay-wise as Layers of Fear, and it is certainly not that. From poor voice acting to random hints on the walls, trying to provide some deeper meaning behind this otherwise very simple story, lacking any sense of mystery or intrigue.
Old creepy paintings are actually perfect for a horror game, but seeing the same paintings scattered all over, probably just for the sake of doing so, dismisses their purpose (for me) completely. I would've preferred if they were used as environmental storytelling method; an actual meaning behind each painting, each reflecting some part of the protagonist's life.

Environment interaction is similar to that of Amnesia, but noticeably clunkier and serves very little purpose. Cabinets have rarely anything worth finding in them and most doors are locked or will be locked after entering a new area. After going through a door, there's no going back since the game locks the door behind you and ditches the room/hallway you previously were in. If the player missed something "crucial", loading the latest checkpoint is required. Also escaping from "the enemy" (who is not a threat whatsoever) can be easily done by entering the next area, although occasionally the doors stay open but the areas disappear nonetheless, making the enemy de-spawn with them.

It has very good music and graphics, despite its inconsistent lighting and anti-aliasing issues back when I played it. It can look very pretty at times and very murky at times due to its lack of colors and the darkness is more of an annoyance. The game's pitch-black darkness is only good at hiding the jagged edges. As for the anti-aliasing, it didn't outright work about eight months ago. Not sure whether they've fixed it or not.

Just like in any other first-person horror game, exploring is a key-activity in Layers of Fear, but lasts only for a moment. As soon as the protagonist goes crazy and the "old spooky house filled with paintings" starts to change, it loses its appeal, especially considering how the hallways and rooms that appear out of nowhere have no significance. Far too often the game insists on playing by its rules, with no real player activity. Too much recycling of the same tricks and too much wandering around aimlessly, not knowing where and when will the next area appear/unlock.

I played through the game multiple times, trying to find all the collectibles and get all the endings. It takes about two hours or less to finish, which is absurd considering the 20$ price tag. I got 10 hours out of it, with no real regrets. Still, not great, or even good.

10

Yldrania says

Early access review Agree Disagree

Game Review: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
What to say about this game... I'm not even really sure where to begin. The game started out so nice and calm and then suddenly turned into a living nightmare - just the way we horror freaks like it.

Layers of Fear is a first person atmospherical horror game that takes psychological horror to a new level. Each part of the game is scarier than the last, reaching from a relaxing and nice atmosphere to a nightmare one just wishes to escape. I'm partially sad and happy that I've completed the game for this exact reason.
The various and often unexpected jumpscares really hit the spot and with the atmosphere and the great use of silence as a source of anxiety one responds severely even to things that aren't in any way frightening under different circumstances.
The story is addictive and well written, yet confusing. One somewhat finds out what's going on but what's truly the matter remains unknown... to me anyways.
The graphics are absolutely great. Nothing more to say to that.
The sounds and atmosphere was extremely intense.
The gameplay took some getting used to for me, but it was alright once I'd figured it out a little.

Bottom line: I'll definitely play Inheritance and can only recommend this game to any horror lover.

For anyone interested, here's my full playthrough (link to playlist): Youtube.com

1

Tashab says

Early access review Agree Disagree

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10

Zaid-A.Asmaida says

Early access review Agree Disagree

I Played This Alpha Game And I Have Some bugs.
But The Game It Self Is Awesome
Sometimes when i want to open it it dosent and i have to go to the steam files and lunch it As Admen And My Windows user option is Admin WTF !!!
And Can You Add Some lower Screen Resolution Than 720p And Thanks.

7

KiraImmortal says

Early access review