Layers of Fears, to give the new experience its official (and faintly ridiculous) name, has been co-developed with Anshar Studios, and sees the original Layers of Fear, its Inheritance DLC, and Layers of Fear 2 rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5 to form what Bloober is calling a “psychological horror chronicle” - complete with new visuals, gameplay, and expanded plot lines. Bloober says these new story elements will “cast a new light on the overarching narrative” as players face “spine-chilling madness that extends over generations.” It’s not entirely clear how all this will play out just yet, but the trailer suggests Bloober has rejigged the events of Layers of Fear 1 and 2 to give the previously distinct games - the first dealing with a painter on the verge of completing his masterpiece and the second following an actor making a movie onboard a labyrinthine ocean liner - some connective narrative tissue. And as for the mysterious woman narrating proceedings, trapped in the house from the first instalment, could that be an adult version of the unseen artist’s daughter from the Inheritance DLC given a considerably more prominent roll? As a big fan of Bloober’s distinctive brand of disorientating psychedelic horror, particularly in the Layers of Fear series (despite its flaws), I’m certainly intrigued to learn more about Layers of Fears ahead of its “early 2023” release on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
