![]() ![]() For me, the horror became less about the formless, ghoulish monster chasing me through the cargo holds, and more about the fate of these two children trying to overcome personal trauma. The relationship between the two is written extremely well and, what begins as a cute aside, later delves deeper into a very human tragedy.Īround halfway through my five-hour playtime, I began to care less and less about the main character and the director, simply wanting to learn more about Lily and James – to which the narrative obliges. ![]() This story focuses on two children, Lily and James, stowaways on the ship and playing at pirates under orders from the older, more confident Lily. But the story you slowly stumble on, through environmental notes, left-behind objects, and flashback narration, is the story that takes centre stage. The main mystery and premise is to find out who you are, and what’s going on with this movie and its director. In that sense, you could say that it works best when it’s not actually trying to be a traditional horror game. ![]() Layers of Fear 2 is at its best when it trusts itself to tell an abstract story in its own creative way. Obtuse, vague puzzles will completely halt the flow of an act, while trial and error chase sequences are more frustrating and annoying than scary. As a first-person horror game, it seems shackled to some cliches and tropes you just wish had been removed completely. ![]() There are times, though, that the expert build-up of tension is spoiled. When everything clicks like this, Layers of Fear 2 is a special horror experience. The way the visuals and sound design come together really do feel like the direction of an auteur. Sometimes it brings on a tense fear, other times it can be a source of comfort. The refrain of the main theme is of particular note. Repetitive clanging, your footsteps, and the constant click of doors locking up behind you all of these combine with the original score to establish a lonesome, threatening tone. At times you can hear elements of the 1920s ship creaking and rattling around you. Sound design, too, is equally impressive. There are acts which take place almost entirely in black and white – which took my eyes some getting used to – while others saturate colour to evoke specific feelings and themes. At times, you’ll be presented with stunning imagery, largely dictated by clever lighting choices and composition, which will make you stop in your tracks to appreciate it. Not only are the environments detailed and authentic, but the lighting is spectacular. At first, it feels like an elaborate exercise in method acting, but as you navigate through dim corridors (which will change and reshape at a moment’s notice), solve puzzles and read snippets of backstory to learn more about the setting, the sense of unnerving dread seeps in.īloober Team have done some fantastic visual work. The deep, gravelled voice of the director guides you from time to time on your quest to ‘build the character’. Shot on set aboard a luxury cruise ship, you’re constantly on edge. You play the role of a troubled, famous actor, chosen as the lead in a reclusive director’s final work. Switching the Victorian mansion setting of the first game for a mannequin-filled cruise liner in the early 20th century, the five acts of Layers of Fear 2 drip with creepy imagery and haunting tableaus. Layers of Fear 2 does some fascinating things in terms of abstract storytelling, using its constantly unsettling atmosphere to tell a surprisingly emotional, engaging tale. ![]()
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