![]() ![]() There even exists a bridge of light, ripped straight out of the joke from The Killing Joke, which was just a little too on the nose.Īs much as I enjoyed my time with Layers of Fear 2, it doesn’t come without its flaws. That made it feel a little anachronistic when I found myself reenacting scenes from Fight Club or Se7en. The game itself hints that you’re walking through the ship sometime in 1913, if a newspaper announcing the swear-in of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, is anything to go by. I’ll admit though, at first it seemed somewhat out of place to suddenly come upon familiar movie sets. However, the game, steeped in Hollywood tones, uses popular films and other media to provide insight. Usually, it’s the director or a discovered movie reel extrapolating some philosophical quandary or another. Philosophy and psychology are indeed prevailing themes of this game. The director in Layers of Fear 2 enjoys interrupting your travels to taunt you or wax philosophic - the latter, however, is not unusual. Warning: Possible, minor spoilers ahead in this section. I didn’t, though, because I’m tough, and you can’t prove otherwise. But later, as you get on a creaky elevator and turn to find six of the things - which weren’t there before - standing behind you restlessly wobbling, I won’t blame you if you squeal a little. Slowly at first, as if your mind only imagined the gentle motion. Naturally, since this is a horror game, you expect them to start moving around at some point. They’re used as movie props or stand-ins for actors. Here, mannequins are everywhere, which is just wonderful. I haven’t been a fan of them since I screamed my way through the mall in Condemned. However, I should say something about the mannequins. Of course, some doors lead to a harmless bathroom (I flush basically every toilet I find in games as if it was a hobby). Instead, it keeps you on the edge, fearing what may be around every corner or behind unlocked doors. ![]() But the game doesn’t lean on shouting “BOO” every five minutes, so that earns a vote from yours truly. There are some jumps here and there, mostly from a shapeless creature that pops up every so often to chase you. Layers of Fear 2, thankfully, shares my disdain, at least somewhat. I’ve never been a fan of cheesy jump scares in horror games. However, not much time goes by before you realize there’s something terribly wrong.ĭespite its finesse at elevating your anxiety, Layers of Fear 2 doesn’t rely too heavily on cheap tactics. The scattered film equipment and chalk marks on the floor you eventually find in various rooms would clue you in as such. You’d be forgiven for believing that you’re there at the behest of your agent in order to shoot a big Hollywood production. In Layers of Fear 2, you take on the role of an actor, brought aboard the ocean liner Icarus Transatlantic. The original game placed you in the shoes of an alcoholic painter who stopped at nothing to create his magnum opus. The Layers of Fear games are all about good art gone bad. And don’t worry about messing things up you may get a second chance. Oh, be sure to listen to the director’s instructions, but you are free to improvise if the inspiration strikes you. The ship sways and sighs as waves crash against its hull. Around you are clues, forgotten artifacts whispering of a life deserted - then rebuilt, time and again. Glancing inside the various rooms, you see discarded clothes and belongings. You stand alone in a long hallway of a seemingly derelict ship. Your motivation: discovering and, perhaps, accepting the tragedy of your past. ![]()
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