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| A worthwhile experience - especially when played after dark. 7/10 |
With a crackle of thunder echoing through the air, and a trickle of rain streaming down every window, Layers of Fear starts down the list of horror cliches straight from the off. But that's not to say this psychedelic first-person horror game doesn't offer anything unique. Its seemingly empty 19th-century mansion setting sets an unnerving tone to begin with, and the central narrative of an artist who has completely lost his mind makes Layers of Fear even more unsettling.
While it's forgivable to consider Layers of Fear’s concept unoriginal, it’s wrong to assume that it's a carbon copy of P.T. Yes, the isolated house and its spooky goings-on are similar to Hideo Kojima's well-received Silent Hills demo, but Layers of Fear is a significantly more engaging tale. The descent of the main character as he descends into madness attempting to complete his masterpiece is intriguing: the more you dive into his mind, the further detached from reality you become yourself. You're never sure if what you see inside the mansion is real, or simply the hallucinations of the delusional painter. This aspect of Layers of Fear is enthralling.