Maybe I’m just too stupid to understand what the developers were trying to convey, but as I managed to enjoy their previous game which involved fine art, something I know nothing of, I hope that is not the case. You get a vague idea of the story by the second act, but even then a lot of the game is trying too hard to be mysterious. You are on the ‘ship’ and then weird stuff starts happening. Not because it was difficult – you are just walking from room after all – but because there is no introduction, no back story. The game is split in to five acts, the first of which was one of the most arduous slogs I have ever encountered in a video game. Like the first game you don’t have to do much other than make your way to the next area and as there’s only one path for you to follow, this allows developers Bloober to script in jump scares and set pieces. That lasts all of two minutes before every rule is thrown out of a porthole and we descend into madness, opening doors to find forests, mazes, and things scuttling around in your peripheral vision. The game is superficially set on an ocean liner where the unnamed actor is about to start filming, with Candyman star Tony Todd playing an unseen and malevolent director, berating and belittling the star. It might be about a childhood trauma, an abusive father, a split personality, or an evil director, but unfortunately the voice overs and imagery are so obtuse and pretentious, it’s almost impossible to work out exactly what is going on. In a similar way, Layers of Fear 2 uses cinema to explore the psyche of an actor searching for a character. 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.Art was at the heart of the horrors of the first Layers of Fear, as you journeyed into the dark recesses of a painter’s mind and his struggles with alcoholism. 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. Still, despite covering some fairly familiar ground, horror fans will enjoy when the game makes them tip-toe. 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.) Players on the Switch may also want to use the Pro controller instead of the analog nubs, which aren't the most precise when it comes to shooting sequences or the quick reflex moments were analog drift can result in restarting a section all over again. (Note: along with disturbing dialog, visuals suggest and show kids in serious peril. Without spoiling anything, let's just say it involves a specific kind of disaster and the workings of a highly dysfunctional family. The story will feel like a bit of a re-tread too. Fans of the first game will anticipate the jump scares fairly easily, and that lowers their impact. While this kind of gameplay's expertly done, the problem is that scares aren't scary when you know they're coming. All too soon, it's hard to tell the difference between reality and nightmare. The more doors you open and clues you find, the stranger things get. Clues to your outer and inner lives pop up in the form of messages from your agent and notes to yourself. As in the original Layers of Fear, the main character's got some issues that need working out. This survival-horror sequel does a fairly good job of walking the tightrope of familiarity and innovation, but lacking the surprise of its predecessor, could feel like “too much of the same.” There's something inherently spooky in Layers of Fear 2 about cruise ships, especially the Art Deco ships of the 1930's, and the claustrophobic hallways, moody lighting, and cage-style elevators set the stage for horror.
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