The score is ominous, utilizing string instruments to send a chill down your spine. Rating: 4.5 out of 10. Early 1900s-style films play at the end of each act and a chalkboard marks your progress in your room similar to the painting in the original. On a moment-to-moment basis, I never knew what to expect. Some suggested nudity and partial nudity of mannequins shown. One of the best parts of the game is the puzzles. The pristine corridors you walk through in one act can turn unkempt and decrepit in later sections. The narrative is well-written and engaging, and there are multiple endings to boot. How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, Get fun, free Holiday Gratitude activities from Wide Open School, Online Playdates, Game Nights, and Other Ways to Socialize at a Distance, Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning, Excellent, Powerful, and Inventive if not particularly scary first-person adventure, 10 Most Violent Video Games of 2014 (and What to Play Instead), Games That Support Kindness and Compassion. And then there’s the tale of you, the actor, who somehow wound up on this ship for this strange role. 2019-07-07. Why do you like being scared, or do you not like scares at all? 9. Disclosures: This game is developed by Bloober Team and published by Gun Media. Voices can be heard talking behind closed doors, whispers fill the room randomly, metronomes tick back and forth, the static of a radio sifts through a darkened hallway. Unique horror focuses on mental illness, disturbing imagery. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. Layers of Fear 2 Review: A Terrifying Journey into the Subconscious. Players control a Hollywood actor who heeds the call of an enigmatic director to take on the lead role in a film shot aboard an ocean liner. One of the main storylines follows Lily and James, siblings who pretended to be pirates on the ship. Layers of Fear is available for PC VR on Steam and the Oculus Store for $19.99. What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Check out new Common Sense Selections for games, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews, Practicando la gratitud durante las fiestas, Which Side of History? Header art by Redline XIII. Far too many games rely on shock-gore or cheap jump scares, and Layers of Fear 2 feels like a step above all of that. Your privacy is important to us. 0. Reading Time: 3 minutes. Using classic film and a descent into madness as its anchor, its rich ocean liner setting changes at every turn, producing constant unease in just the right way. The monster chases you, forcing you to run, shut doors behind you, and wait for the pursuit to stop. Each of these superb arcs entwine to create a whole that is both disorienting and, yes, satisfyingly layered. The Layers of Fear 2 presentation also serves the game's main focus well. The ocean liner is more of a central hub than a confining setting, and visiting other locations keeps it from becoming too familiar. Your Score 0 Summary: Layers of Fear 2 is a first-person psychological horror game with an emphasis on exploration and story. Or the wackiest hallucination scenes -- possibly -- ever seen in gaming. But what makes this world so interesting is that, like the P.T.-inspired original, Layers of Fear 2 kept me on the edge of my seat by constantly toying with environments the moment I looked away. Layers of Fear 2 has a way of absolutely throwing you off kilter at every turn and when you actually start adapting, it changes up the rules again. The prospect of being chased keeps tension high, dream sequences provide much-needed weirdness, and the gravelly narration by Tony Todd (of Candyman fame) is sure to get horror fans' hearts racing. Layers of Fear 2 is a stirring horror adventure with incredible writing that consistently subverts expectations. Share Share Tweet Email. Layers of Fear 2 is a first-person, psychological thriller, horror video game with an emphasis on exploration and story. Be that for the photo-realistic house of horrors Bloober had lovingly crafted. The story will feel like a bit of a re-tread too. I really enjoyed the first game, and I adore Observer and think it was one of the best games of 2017. Layers of Fear 2 is the awaited sequel to Bloober Team’s first game: Layers of Fear. Layers of Fear 2 swaps the mind of a tortured painter for one of a tortured actor, setting sail for the high seas in a sequel that disappoints. Layers of Fear 2 Review – Ready, Set, Horror. It was around four hours long and the scares came so thick and fast, even that short play time began to wear out its welcome… Yet Layers of Fear also made an impression for its occasionally disappointing nature. Share this: Horror games have always been a favorite genre of mine. These, along with references to classic horror movies and the use of all-too-adult themes regarding blame, regret, guilt, and shame make this a memorable psychological horror adventure that's well worth the experience. All too soon, it's hard to tell the difference between reality and nightmare. When the original Layers of Fear released in 2016 it made a big impression. More action-oriented sequences have you avoid a spotlight or duck behind set pieces as raging flames fill the screen. Like the original, Layers of Fear 2 uses the “artist gone mad” concept. By Robert Zak 24 May 2019 Comments Amazing. Merc Thanatos. Without spoiling anything, let's just say it involves a specific kind of disaster and the workings of a highly dysfunctional family. The game is a sequel to 2016's Layers of Fear, and casts players as a mentally disturbed actor suffering post-traumatic stress as a result of childhood abuse. Blackgame is a gaming news site. A door that you just walked through may be gone when you turn around, revealing a new corridor in its place. Families can talk about why the horror genre exists. Each area has a remarkable attention to detail, which makes the illusions all the more stunning. Sound is equally as important as sight in producing effective horror, and Layers of Fear 2 uses it masterfully. Layers of Fear 2, the latest game by Bloober Team and the sequel to Layers of Fear, is another first-person horror-themed walking simulator that takes cues from P.T. Verdict Layers of Fear 2 is an enjoyable horror adventure, but rarely does anything new with the genre. Layers of Fear 2; Layers of Fear 2 Review (PS4) Be my victim. Steeped in such madness, it’s no surprise that a significant portion of the dialogue borders on the nonsensical. Back in 2016, I stumbled upon just such a game, Bloober Team’s, Layers of Fear — A game that felt as if the player themselves were having a mental breakdown into absurd … Beyond this, the general tone of the game ranges from low-grade tension to outright horror, with thick darkness, frightening imagery, and frequent jump scares. Add to that a compelling narrative, and Layers of Fear A couple play with the shifting environments, requiring you to make certain movements to reveal doors or safe pathways to avoid the monster. Given … Keeping with the film theme, creepy mannequins are scattered throughout the ship as if they are acting out scenes. Can you name things that happened to you in the past that made you who you are today? Layers of Fear 2 is a rare example of genuine fear in the horror game genre. Layers of Fear 2's cryptic story is filled with film references and well-earned scares, making it the perfect digestible game for any horror buff. We provide the latest gaming news, gaming reviews, and trailers for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC. On multiple occasions, I loaded the most recent checkpoint to listen to the words again to try and fully absorb their meaning. 2019 Under Article , Reviews Layers of Fear 2 Review – Mannequins, Monsters, and Monotony This is a ship you might want to sink. Psychological thriller raises goose bumps, unique scares. Layers of Fear 2 doesn't have many scares to offer, but visual panache and a multitude of classic film homages make for an extraordinary adventure—for the right person. Coupled with Lily’s doleful lyrical poetry and the earnest performance of her younger brother, Layers of Fear 2 has some of the sharpest writing I’ve seen – not just in horror games, but across all genres. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. This time it’s your movie’s director, whose chilling voice fills the lifeless ship throughout the five Act adventure. The changing environments and story can result in multiple endings, which can encourage multiple playthroughs. There’s usually only one place to go to advance the story, but I still felt like I was exploring a much more open space thanks to its shifting architecture. Parents need to know that Layers of Fear 2 is a downloadable survival horror game for Windows PCs. The tale and structure of Layers of Fear 2 though is far too reminiscent of the original.. Layers of Fear 2 is a first-person, psychological thriller, horror video game developed by Bloober Team and published by Gun Media. The more doors you open and clues you find, the stranger things get. Short yet spooky adventure in dark psychological landscape. August 09, 2019 Justin Celani 0 . The ultimate message (from one of several endings) can be redemption for past misdeeds. Read Common Sense Media's Layers of Fear review, age rating, and parents guide. Searching for streaming and purchasing options ... Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. But unlike the original’s story, which ironically lacked layers, the sequel has more moving parts to decipher, each of which excites and enlightens. Add to that the prevalence of darkness, things jumping out from the dark, scary, sometimes moving mannequins, and sprays of blood, and this is not a game for younger kids.) Layers of Fear 2’s clever environment-changing design remains remarkable throughout the roughly eight-hour story. The Bottom Line on Layers of Fear 2. “Layers of Fear 2 is a brief, electric bolt of terror, a game that begs to be played in the dark and on the biggest screen possible and with a pair of sound-canceling headphones.” 4/5 – Bloody Disgusting Fragmented cutscenes, areas, and objects that occupy these spaces come together to form a whole, filling the shrouded frames of the film reel. See something that needs to be addressed? Long-locked doors you’ve passed by several times now open, revealing entire new sections of the vessel. Layers of Fear 2 also has more traditional scares than the original. With Tony Todd, Coco Lefkow, James Watts, Laurel Lefkow. 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. review by Liam Croft Mon 27th May 2019; Share: 23; ... Layers of Fear 2 is an intense riot. The ocean liner is extremely well done, filled with detailed objects that make it feel like a real-life location. We won't share this comment without your permission. Occasionally, a bizarre, bubbling monster appears, sometimes taking the place of a mannequin, sometimes moving in ways that make clear references to other horror movie monsters. Common Sense and other associated names and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 41-2024986). Objects you can interact with help shape the story between scripted moments, but even the stationary pieces, the ones that do not shift at all, feel carefully placed to add context the story. 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