Ni remake, ni remaster: Layers of Fear es the masterful restoration of a work of great depth that, through the Unreal Engine 5 and cutting-edge technology, amplifies its successes and intensifies the emotions projected to the player. Emotions derived from suspense and terror, it would be missing more, but also providing new nuances to exploration, discovery and, ultimately, the progressive fall from grace of each of its protagonists. The already known and a new condemned soul that, for all intents and purposes, he will tie up all the stories and put his signature on them.
Why Layers of Fear, the game of 2023, is the definitive anthology of the saga. And beware, anthology is not the same as compilation. It’s a powerful storytelling experience that takes the original 2016 game, widely considered a new psychological horror classic, and puts it in a unique context with its sequel and all the stories created for this universe. In other words: as a work it resoundingly refuses to be considered a collection of single installments. Not only because of the way in which each story is presented and enriched, but also because of how the whole has been assembled. towards something greater.
And it is that carrying the psychological terror of Layers of Fear to extreme realism ends up being a brutal experience. shocking. Not because of the degree of detail that we can see in each scenario, which is an achievement in itself, but because of how the opportunity is taken to make an impressive first-person X-ray of the tormented soul of artists whose decadence ends up consuming them. Making their dark fears, passions and thoughts materialize in the game.
That, in a genuine way, the confusion and the escalation of suffering that the painter, his daughter, the actor and the writer they experience are perceived as ours, and that the torment they suffer is experienced as our own. Something that had already been achieved in previous games and that now manifests itself in its greatest greatness. With its captivating first-person narrative and bringing new tones and more strength to the suspense generated. To the uncertainty of something as simple as crossing a simple door. To what causes giving a simple brushstroke more to a painting.
But, as we discussed, the new Layers of Fear It is not a remake of the two installments made in Unreal Engine 5: it is both the restoration of the entire saga and the definitive way to experience it
Layers of Fear: beyond the obsession with art
A canvas that will consume our soul. A scenario that will witness our fall from grace. A work that possibly should never have been written. Although technically Layers of Fear We can start from any of the previous stories or play them independently, when starting a new game we will put ourselves in the shoes of the writer, the protagonist of the new horror story created for the occasion.
And it has its reason: intrigued by the opportunity to give shape to a series of mystery stories confined in a lighthouse -with too many closed doors- by giving free rein to her dark and twisted imagination, the writer makes her typewriter The nightmares of the painter and the actor are sprouting. She simultaneously serving as a link between both horror stories and, progressively, becoming the protagonist of one of them.
In all cases, Layers of Fear is a first-person psychological horror game with a very powerful narrative that is not based on the gameplay, but on the perception that each protagonist has of the environment.
With substitutes -o jumpscares– which gradually escalate into moments of enormous tension, anguish and, later, consummated threats as we are immersed in the nightmare that surrounds us. Slowly normalizing what an hour ago was only a bad omen and, as we face the truth, facing and witnessing the martyrdom of each protagonist.
The way of interacting, or taking part in the events, in fact plays completely in favor of the whole: what at first insinuates to be a very well planned walking simulator in search of references that place us in the story, the context of the characters or our own motivation leads to a kind of desperate escape route in which when we turn around the path from which we came will disappear.
Environments in which there is an emerging danger and in which we are not guaranteed to return to the previous room when crossing a door, either because it is blocked or because it is another room, and in which atmospheric terror ends up taking total control of the room. departure. Especially with the cutting-edge technical section of the new Layers of Fear.
The restoration of two classics: what has changed from the originals
Layers of Fear It is not the first video game to make use of the Unreal Engine 5, but it can currently boast of being one of its best exponents: Anshar Studios and Bloober Team have rebuilt the original games and the result is hat-off: the atmosphere, the setting of each of the stories and the way in which technology is used in the service of the narrative itself is shocking and, at the same time, amazing.
A succession of milestones that has not been achieved simply by redoing the environments: lighting, reflections, the use of Ray Tracing… Anshar Studios and the Bloober Team have put all the resources at their disposal at the service of each work. so that the player’s immersion in each story is total and utter.
Taking advantage of crucial elements such as HDR so that the dark is denser and spatial sound so that the nightmare that each protagonist lives and the fear of what is in the next room is totally justified.
That said, and despite the fact that entering the Bloober Team saga implies that we are going to have a bad time, this new version of the stories of Layers of Fearthe definitive revision, is also consistent and takes the opportunity to offer more options for players: there is an option that can be activated from the settings and will notify you when a scare is about to occur, another that will prevent you from being attacked and, in essence, you can manage how much you want to expose yourself to this nightmare.
From here, and continuing with the adjustments, a series of nuances: our analyzed version was that of Xbox Series X and (in the absence of knowing the PC characteristics) we have two visual options: 4K quality and 30 fps or performance at Scaled resolution -and very well achieved- at a pleasant 60 fps. In the end it depends on the preference of each one, but although the ideal is to bet on performance, the amazing degree of detail put into the game will make it a difficult decision.
Of course, and in addition to the lighthouse chapter in which we will take control of the writer, all the content of the original games is present along with their respective DLCs. But it is that, in addition, surprises await us: Layers of Fear de 2023 It offers new puzzles, more dilemmas, new collectibles, and a simple new tool that nicely builds on the set of new features: a flashlight. A light that makes the most of the lighting and the technology used, that adds more nuances to the exploration (we will even see notes written on the walls) and that will even allow us to solve a new puzzle and incapacitate enemies.
Bringing more richness and new suspense to each stretch of each story, and ultimately enshrining Layers of Fear as an essential of psychological terror both for those who were unaware of the saga and for those who know it inside out. Especially for the latter.
iGamesNews’s opinion
Every masterpiece deserves to be reviewed every so often, and despite the fact that the Layers of Fear original is a relatively recent game, its restoration and rethinking together with its sequel and all the original chapters represents the definitive consecration of one of the greatest exponents of modern psychological terror. Not by putting its powerful narrative at the service of Unreal Engine 5, that too, but by making it work now sits (and suffers) with more nuances and a completely renewed feeling of torment prevails.
Layers of Fearthe 2023 game, does not forget those that come from the originals: the feeling of uncertainty is omnipresent beyond the brutal setting, but they have also been able to place new elements that, without going into details, will satisfy that much-needed curiosity to reach the end of each story and, in this almost so specific one, to tie the entire work as a whole into an even greater one.
So, Layers of Fear It is established as a title of suspense and terror with a first-person narrative element speaker A must for fans of the psychological horror genre, but also a masterclass on how and in what way the use of Unreal Engine 5 technology can enrich a medium such as video games. Not in any way, or by applying resources because they are available, but by knowing how and when to use them to intensify emotions that were already present and now we experience in new ways.
And it is that, despite its name, the great milestone of Layers of Fear It is not to add a new “layer of fear” to what already existed, but to definitively establish the work of Bloober Team as one of the best psychological horror experiences of our time. Even beyond video games.
Layers of Fear Price
Layers of Fear is available on PC and Xbox Seies X / S and PS5 consoles for 29,99 dollars launch, which is a success if we take into account that currently only the original (from 2016) costs about 19.99 dollars. Especially considering that this definitive version includes the sequel, the DLCs and a completely new episode.
Much more interesting is the Layers of Fear Deluxe Editionwhich for approximately ten dollars more adds a digital art book and the soundtrack (also digital) to all of the above, as well as a tempting discount for those who already have the original game or the sequel.
Layers of Fear Duration
To finish all the contents of Layers of Fear (the 2023 game) you will need approx. between about 12 and about 15 hours, although it can be extended much more if you want to find all the collectibles. In my case I can tell you that I left several.
The good thing is that the way the game is set up gives you the option to start playing any of the stories directly at the cost of losing the game in progress. And yes, to the above we must add one more layer of mystery: different endings to discover.
Layers of Fear (2023)
Platforms | Xbox Series X / S (reviewed version), PS5 and PC |
---|---|
multiplayer | No |
developer |
Anshar Studios / Bloober Team |
Company | Bloober Team |
Launch | June 15, 2023 |
The best
- The setting in Unreal Engine 5 makes the way to instill terror and suspense spectacular
- A new story, surprises, new puzzles and collectibles and additions that round off the original content
- the definitive version of one of the best modern psychological horror experiences
Worst
- A pity that with everything achieved you have to choose between 4K and 60 FPS on consoles
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