Sometimes I put my foot in my mouth, and have to admit that I’m wrong. Now is one of those times. Just yesterday, in the catch-up, I was musing over whether or not Layers of Fear would be delayed since it was due out in June but there was no set launch date yet. Well, I was wrong, and Bloober Team announced a specific June release date today.
Layers of Fear combines both Layers of Fear games into one, adding a writer character to make it all make sense. It’s been… remade? Remastered? Either way, it’s been made to look very very pretty on current-gen consoles: it supports Ray Tracing, HDR, 4K resolution, Lumen illumination (dynamic lighting), Niagara visual effects (particle effects), and Action System Controls (gameplay optimization). The original game was already stunning on last-gen consoles (read my review of the first game here, and Matt’s review of its sequel here). This version of the game includes not only the first two games in the series, but also all DLC.
Here is the cinematic intro trailer I shared yesterday, so you can see what I’m talking about when I say it looks pretty:
“We are thrilled to announce the release date for Layers of Fear and to bring this definitive horror experience to players on [Xbox Series], PlayStation 5, and PC, on June 15th,” said Piotr Babieno, CEO of Bloober Team, via a press release. “With the power of Unreal Engine 5, we’ve been able to create a game that visually surpasses our previous works, delivering an unforgettable journey into the minds of tormented artists. We are excited for both new and returning players to jump in.”
Layers of Fear is horror through art, which is still a wonderful game idea. It follows three different stories of craft-obsessed protagonists (The Painter, The Actor, and The Writer), which are now interwoven to create a a more gripping storyline. The first-person psychedelic horror game focuses on tense exploration, puzzle-solving, and immersive storytelling. What lies in the depths of the human psyche?
Developed and published by Bloober Team, Layers of Fear will be released for PC via Steam/Epic, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series on June 15.
