| 3DNews |
Денис Щенников |
8 / 10 |
06-17-2023 |
Layers of Fear (2023) is the best way to experience the series and has enough new content to revisit it. |
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| BaziCenter |
Omid Sedigh Imani |
9 / 10 |
06-14-2023 |
The new release of Layers of Fear is one of the best and most complete packages in the horror genre; one that improves the first game substantially and takes its story further forward with new DLCs. More work could have been done on the second game, nevertheless, this package is the best way to experience the whole franchise and is definitely recommended to any fan of the genre. |
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| Bazimag |
Matin Nasiri |
5 / 10 |
06-27-2023 |
The changes made in Layers of Fear 2023 have mostly damaged the overall experience of the original games. And the new additional content does not add anything meaningful to this package, whether story-wise or gameplay-wise. We recommend that instead of this buggy remake, you would play the original Layers of Fear 1 & Layers of Fear 2. |
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| But Why Tho? |
Mick Abrahamson |
6 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear (2023) has new gameplay elements that breathe life into the older games, but the new story additions just feel tacked on. |
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| CGMagazine |
Zubi Khan |
8.5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear (2023) is Bloober Team’s magnum opus and a must-play for atmospheric horror fans who have yet to play the originals in the series. |
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| Checkpoint Gaming |
Victor Tan |
7.5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear is a great finale to a frightful series, tying together all loose ends and scaring you at every turn. The staggered story structure is confusing at first, but pays off when the game finally ends. Unexpected jump scares and a dark environment terrify even the most experienced horror veterans. Learning the backstories of each character and choosing different endings gives you control of the narrative. It’s also easy to replay stories if you want to see different endings. The note-based storytelling and navigation difficulty can turn away players looking for a simpler experience. But for a psychological game that chills you to the bone, it’s hard to find something as good as this. |
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| COGconnected |
Lou Sytsma |
80 / 100 |
07-06-2023 |
This is the definitive version of the game and it brings all the previous Layers of Fear content together in a cohesive whole. Fans of the original game will enjoy revisiting these games in this tightened and polished version. New players who are horror fans should also find this a worthy experience. |
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| Cultured Vultures |
Jimmy Donnellan |
7 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear 2023 really isn’t the most necessary remake ever and those who didn’t like the original games certainly won’t be converted, but this is a pretty compelling package for psychological horror fans. |
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| Everyeye.it |
Riccardo Cantù |
8 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Bloober Team has paid homage to its series with an updated and extended package, both from a playful point of view and in terms of visual presentation. |
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| Expansive |
Brad Baker |
5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear is one of the most visually impressive games this generation, most certainly the most stunning horror game ever made. It’s a smart, creative approach to a remake by mixing up puzzles as well as incorporating a new storyline which links everything together with compelling, haunting writing. However, it is product of its time, with slow, aimless walking, constantly retreading familiar steps and cheap scares at almost every turn. The definitive way to play Layers of Fear but also a cautious reminder the substance is mostly at a surface level. |
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| Game Rant |
Dalton Cooper |
2.5 / 5 stars |
06-15-2023 |
The 2023 Layers of Fear is definitely the best way to experience the Layers of Fear games, but they were never particularly good to begin with. While Layers of Fear is what put Bloober Team on the map, the studio has put out significantly better games since then, like sci-fi horror game Observer, the Blair Witch game, and the Silent Hill-inspired The Medium. Horror fans should consider checking those out before taking a chance with Layers of Fear. |
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| Gamefa |
Mostafa Zahedi |
7 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear shows no sign of creativity or ambition and it delivers a familiar walking simulator experience in horror genre. That being said, if you’re a fan of psychological horror games, you’re going to love its atmosphere and story. |
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| GameGrin |
Alana Dunitz |
9 / 10 |
07-01-2023 |
Layers of Fear is truly a disturbing experience that even players of the previous titles need to check out. With the gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 graphics and the amazing binaural sound, this is a game that has to be played. |
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| GameMAG |
Unknown |
7 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
All the tweaks and cosmetic improvements are clearly not enough to consider Layers of Fear 2023 a completely new game. If you were not familiar with the original releases, then be sure to try the compilation. But apart from the main plot, the writer’s storyline is clearly not worth the money. |
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| GameSpot |
Mark Delaney |
5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Bloober Team’s horror series is reimagined from the ground up, but the foundation still feels shaky. |
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| GameWatcher |
Neil Bolt |
8 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
An impressive remake/reimagining of the series from a technical standpoint, and there are some welcome changes to the way each game plays. It’s unfortunate that efforts to tie the individual stories together don’t always land, but it generally does the trick. |
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| GamingBolt |
Shubhankar Parijat |
6 / 10 |
06-16-2023 |
Layers of Fear is gorgeous to look at, but its beauty is skin deep. From rudimentary, repetitive gameplay to predictable attempts at scaring you, this definitive reimagining of Bloober Team’s horror franchise stumbles too often to be able to make a meaningful mark. |
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| GamingTrend |
Henry Viola |
85 / 100 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear 2023 stylishly combines Bloober Team’s flagship games into one beautifully terrifying definitive edition. The reimagined and drop dead gorgeous visuals built entirely from the ground up alone are reason enough to revisit these titles, but the added cherries on top are the brand new chapters that wrap all the narratives together. It’s a must play for anyone into psychedelic and psychological horror experiences, but may come off a little underwhelming for anyone looking for something truly scary. |
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| Generación Xbox |
Alejandro Serrador |
7.5 / 10 |
06-19-2023 |
In the end, Layers of Fear (2023) is all that, a place where darkness and enigmas invade everything. The first part of the experience consists of a tunnel of terror with very few mechanics to its credit, in which the setting, light and sound effects are present in each car. In the second, we will have to defend ourselves from elements that only inhabit our worst nightmares … A cast that will be responsible for making it difficult for us and that promise a macabre journey to the depths of terror. |
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| God is a Geek |
Chris White |
8.5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Much like the painter’s quest for creating a masterpiece, Bloober Team and Anshar Studios have almost done so with Layers of Fear. |
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| Hey Poor Player |
James Davies |
3 / 5 stars |
06-19-2023 |
The return of Layers of Fear is a welcome one thanks to the power and immersion provided by Unreal Engine 5, meaningfully evolving Layers of Fear in a way you simply won’t ever want to look back from. The environmental details and subtleties are undoubtedly impressive and worthy of kudos. However, save for the overhauled ambience and a decent new chapter, the gameplay remains disappointingly unchanged and overly tedious. Though the atmosphere is suitably spooky, the genuine scares never come. To its credit, it does try to get you when you’re unaware, but it’s hard to feel the jolt of the jump scares on offer because they aren’t set up well enough to surprise you. As a polished reworking of Layers of Fear, this latest entry is aesthetically pleasing, it just needed to be a scarier game. |
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| Hobby Consolas |
Daniel Quesada |
82 / 100 |
06-15-2023 |
Thanks to the right changes, the atmosphere remains fresh and as fearsome as in 2016. Even with its imperfections, it will hook fans of the most abstract horror. |
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| IGN |
Tristan Ogilvie |
6 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear is an atmospheric tour through the shattered psyches of some seriously tortured artists, but predictable shock tactics fail to provide more than a handful of genuine scares, let alone layers of them. |
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| IGN Italy |
Alessandra Borgonovo |
6.8 / 10 |
06-24-2023 |
The game flexes all the muscles with the excellent use of Unreal Engine 5 but is undermined by obsolete tricks to create tension. |
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| Impulsegamer |
Nathan Misa |
3.1 / 5 stars |
06-19-2023 |
Layers of Fear 2023 re-packages the first two games with better visuals and sound, but gameplay is a miss. |
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| INDIANTVCZ |
Barbora Hykšová |
7 / 10 |
07-29-2023 |
If you’re a fan of slower horror movies with an exciting story that will stick in your head for a week after finishing it, this is the one for you. It took me about 14 hours to complete the base game with the added chapters, and I think any psychological horror fan will enjoy it. Of course, provided you know that the game is primarily a walking simulator. But he can handle it really well. |
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| Kotaku |
Ashley Bardhan |
Not Recommended |
06-15-2023 |
Whereas something like Faust satirizes the tortured artist, conveying that creative people aren’t necessarily special people, that they can be as bad as anyone, Layers of Fear seems to say that art is uncontrollable. It’s a hungry, magical force, and if a wife, or a sister, or a daughter are caught and bloodied in its insatiable mouth then, well. So be it. I find that difficult to accept. I think it’s damaging, too, to contextualize art as something dangerous and wild, however reverentially Layers of Fear phrases it. Art isn’t the boogeyman. It’s not the problem—people are, usually. Blaming a monster, like the Rat Queen, feels too easy to me. That’s a narrative issue I’ve had with Layers of Fear since the beginning, and the new Writer and Musician stories have unfortunately made it snowball. |
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| MonsterVine |
Samantha Lienhard |
4 / 5 stars |
06-15-2023 |
If you’re hoping for something new with Layers of Fear, you should be aware that the majority of your time will be spent on the original Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2. At the same time, if you just want to replay those games, keep in mind that the new structure means it’s not as simple as that. But for fans who want to experience the games in a new way or newcomers to the series trying it out for the first time, the new Layers of Fear keeps the games largely true to the originals’ themes while also making some notable improvements. |
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| NoobFeed |
Jacob Cowsert |
50 / 100 |
06-15-2023 |
It certainly feels like the type of game built for people who love YouTubers that play horror games, as it is easily accessible and not a very difficult game to get through. It is a game built to get a reaction from the audience and not much else. Layers of Fear (2023) just doesn’t seem to scratch that itch that many will be looking for when searching for a game to play. It does do many things right in the sense that it does feel like a scary game, but it certainly isn’t for everybody. |
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| Oyungezer Online |
Anton Semchenko |
8 / 10 |
07-03-2023 |
It’s a good game that everyone who doesn’t hate jumpscare and loves psychological horror should give it a chance. |
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| PC Gamer |
Lewis Parker |
90 / 100 |
06-15-2023 |
Beautiful, horrifying, and impressively updated through the power of Unreal Engine 5, Layers of Fear is a deft upgrade for two horror gems. |
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| PlayStation Universe |
Timothy Nunes |
9 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
There’s no better way to play this series than the PS5 release of Layers of Fear, combining both stories under one cohesive umbrella. It also shows fantastic early potential in Unreal Engine 5, showcasing exactly what it can offer the rest of the gaming industry. |
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| Press Start |
James Berich |
7 / 10 |
06-16-2023 |
Layers of Fear impressively goes beyond the call of duty of updating both games for modern hardware. It’s a remake with significantly enhanced visuals and a strong dedication to creating an immersive atmosphere, while also introducing new content. However, it’s regrettable that the newly added content feels lacking in substance and significance. Nevertheless, Layers of Fear remains the definitive way to experience the Layers of Fear series, warts and all. |
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| Prima Games |
Grant Testa |
7.5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Despite my personal enjoyment of the new horror title and its previous games, objectively, Layers of Fear’s superficial gameplay will likely scare off players who want more than a story-driven walking simulator. |
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| PS4Blog.net |
EdEN |
9 / 10 |
07-03-2023 |
The definitive Layers of Fear experience revamped for PlayStation 5 |
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| PSX Brasil |
Rui Celso |
84 / 100 |
06-27-2023 |
Layers of Fear is a psychological horror game that is really scary, but as time goes by you start to miss something. That doesn’t make it bad, mainly because it contains extra stories to entertain the player. However, a little more action here wouldn’t hurt anyone. |
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| Push Square |
Graham Banas |
8 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
The updated version of Layers of Fear is incredibly impressive. In addition to offering high-quality remakes of the entire series, this version goes a step forward and creates new material with the explicit purpose of bringing all pre-existing content of the series under one umbrella. The exceptional visual overhaul, fascinating transforming environments, and great sound design ensure this horror series has done a phenomenal job of making sure it continues to be an experience worth having. |
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| Screen Rant |
Joanna Koziol |
4.5 / 5 stars |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear is a game that will strike a chord with players, in one way or another. Bloober Team and Anshar Studios take what strong foundation had already been laid with the first three titles, and improves upon it substantially with fresh, impactful mechanics, excellent visuals, and a brand-new, overarching tale that spans the length of all artists’ stories. For both new and loyal fans alike, Layers of Fear is a worthwhile venture back down the rabbit hole. |
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| SECTOR.sk |
Matúš Štrba |
8.5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
It is not a remake, it is not a sequel. However, it is a proper bundle of horror experiences. It is one game that actually offers up to 5 of them. Some of them you may already know, others are completely new. Nonetheless, it is something that horror game fans should reach for, even if they have already played the previous Layers of Fear games. |
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| Shacknews |
Larryn Bell |
7 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Though it is not without its fair share of flaws, the revamped Layers of Fear contains everything that fans enjoyed about the original series and elevates them with improved visuals and new gameplay mechanics that help alleviate some of the monotony. The writer’s story offers an intriguing through-line that sensibly ties together each narrative thread. Technical hiccups aside, Layers of Fear wraps up the series in a graphically enhanced package that is easily the best way for players both new and old to experience the franchise. |
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| SomHráč.sk |
Adam Hambálek |
75 / 100 |
07-10-2023 |
Layers of Fear is a fine choice if you haven’t played the first two games, but if you did, it doesn’t really offer anything too interesting apart from the two new stories. |
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| SpazioGames |
Domenico Musicò |
7.5 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear is not a new game, nor a remake. it seems like a sort of definitive edition that includes the old games of the series and a new section that ties the two stories together. The passage to Unreal Engine 5 and the mild gameplay tweaks are not so relevant and add nothing to the game experience. |
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| The Escapist |
Michael Cripe |
Not Recommended |
06-15-2023 |
Video Review |
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| The Games Machine |
Daniele Cucchiarelli |
8.1 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
A very special compilation, collecting the remakes of the two main stories of Layers of Fear, along with the DLCs of the first chapter (one of which previously unreleased) and a new adventure that acts as a glue to the whole. The Unreal Engine 5 gives us genuinely terrifying settings and atmospheres, and the “package” guarantees hours of thrills but also manages to arouse other emotions than simple fear. |
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| The Outerhaven Productions |
Andrew Agress |
4 / 5 stars |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear serves as a kind of director’s cut for the horror series. With lavish visuals, new content, and a new framing device, it proves the definite way to experience the series. Those who’ve already played the games won’t find much they haven’t seen before, but The Final Note chapter adds a fun, spooky new layer. |
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| ThisGenGaming |
Justin Oneil |
9 / 10 |
07-14-2023 |
Layers of Fear (2023) is the definitive way to experience this series. The new narrative content helps tie together these previously released titles more effectively, the Unreal Engine 5 visual overhaul is very impressive, and the sound design is top notch. |
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| TrueGaming |
Unknown |
7.5 / 10 |
06-25-2023 |
Layer of Fear looks great visually and the way it plays with the environments and lighting makes use of that graphical presentation. It adds new content and a few new mechanisms but maintains the same mistakes the original games made. |
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| Twinfinite |
Dylan Chaundy |
3 / 5 stars |
06-15-2023 |
All told, when Layers of Fear (2023) is firing on all cylinders, it feels like a genuinely mind-bending thrill ride as pathways behind you twist and contort in the blink of an eye. These qualities are best exemplified in the lithe and tight debut title. That said, what truly flies in the face of the collection’s overall charms is its uneven storytelling, repetitive puzzles, and buggy technical performance. In essence, much like the fractured psyches of the artists that form the soul of these vignettes, Bloober Team’s latest collection is simultaneously beautiful, fascinating, and deeply, profoundly… aggravating. |
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| Use a Potion |
Unknown |
8 / 10 |
06-16-2023 |
Layers of Fear brings plenty of new additions and refinements to each game, ensuring it is the definitive way to experience the series. The visual upgrades look absolutely outstanding, whilst the new story content fleshes out the narrative in an intriguing and cohesive manner. The refinements to the to the gameplay help streamline the experience too, and whilst some of the changes are better than others, it helps ensure that the haunting gameplay feels fresh and intriguing. |
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| VG247 |
Kelsey Raynor |
Not Recommended |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear (2023) starts out strong with the story of The Artist, and loses itself amidst its own ambition during the story of The Actor. Bloober Team’s once meaningful exploration of a character’s descent into madness quickly becomes redundant amidst a sea of film references and blurred storytelling. Layers of Fear is certainly a cohesive remake that brings the original games together, and there’s no denying that it looks great, but its second act feels incredibly lost when contrasted against such a strong start. Layers of Fear (2023) is one major case of whiplash, that’s for sure, but it does showcase Bloober Team’s potential to do good if it can nail down the focal points of the stories it tells. |
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| WayTooManyGames |
Kyle Nicol |
6 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
Layers of Fear’s ambition was to bring the whole series into one cohesive package, with some additional content. In concept, the premise was interesting. Unfortunately, as horror titles, they really don’t stand up at all, being completely devoid of any scare factor. Bloober Team just doesn’t make the most of some of the more unique and interesting concepts that pop up throughout. |
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| Wccftech |
Francesco De Meo |
8 / 10 |
06-15-2023 |
They say an artist’s work is never truly done, but with Layers of Fear, Bloober Team and Anshar Studios have completed the Master Opus started back in 2016. With superb UE5 powered visuals, improved writing and some new gameplay mechanics, these journeys into the darkest recesses of the human mind have never been so immersive, although some issues prevent Layers of Fear from being an absolute masterpiece. |
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| WellPlayed |
James Wood |
4.5 / 10 |
06-16-2023 |
Layers of Fear is an admirable remaster that uses the fresh coat of paint to bring the series’ art direction up to modern standards but the bones of the experience remain fractured. Tedious and exhausting gameplay loops and tasteless writing make even this package a nice frame on an ugly painting. |
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| Windows Central |
Zachary Boddy |
3.5 / 5 stars |
07-02-2023 |
Layers of Fear (2023) makes full use of Unreal Engine 5 to elevate its visuals, lighting, and environments to all-new heights, reimagines the original Layers of Fear, and features brand-new DLC content to tie the entire story together. Layers of Fear 2 still struggles to compare, however, and scares often fail to land. |
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| Worth Playing |
Andreas Salmen |
7 / 10 |
09-21-2023 |
Layers of Fear really brings a lot of improvements that amplify the game’s strongest aspect: its immersive atmosphere. Audio and visuals are almost impeccable in this release, and they’re truly worth experiencing. That said, playing through all of the content on offer in this remake/remaster collection does stretch the gameplay a bit too thin over its runtime, and it slowly wears out its welcome. What remains is a repetitive and sometimes tame horror adventure game that’s worth experiencing for its presentation alone. |
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