Layers of Fear 2

Layers of Fear 2 is a stirring horror adventure with incredible writing that consistently subverts expectations.

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.

A slick psychological horror plagued by poor pacing and infuriating instakills

In expanding on its predecessor, Layers of Fear 2 sinks into a state of deep confusion.

Surprising moments succeed at sending occasional shivers down your spine, but the game doesn't bring you deep enough into its world to inspire fear

It’s a pity that the game fails to take advantage of these analogies and delve into their immense potential. Instead, it’s too fixated on traditional jump scares to embrace the twisted, palpitating gut of its story about a flawed protagonist and his struggles with inner demons.

I'd still recommend Layers of Fear 2 to fans who enjoyed the original game's atmosphere enough to want to see it realized on a grander scale, but don't feel like you need to rush to play it at launch.

Layers of Fear 2 falls short in one too many areas for us to consider it a classic, but the experience that remains is still well worth your time. Predictable horror conventions aside, spectacular visuals, a haunting atmosphere, and impressive shape-shifting environments are sure to keep you up at night.

Layers of Fear 2 is a rather disappointing follow-up to 2016's interesting and effective psychological horror effort. There's a decent premise here, a strong setting and an opportunity to tell an interesting tale, but it feels wasted for the most part. Despite looking and sounding great, predicable scares, repetitive gameplay, disappointing puzzles and a story that just never makes a decent connection result in a game that's pretty hard to recommend overall.

Layers of Fear 2's production is without peer, but the continuously frustrating design decisions confuse.