Layers of Fear 2

About Layers of Fear 2

Layers of Fear 2 was made by Bloober Team, the Polish studio behind Layers of Fear, Observer and The Medium, and came out in May 2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a Switch version in 2021. Steam now lists it as Layers of Fear 2 (2019), since the 2023 Layers of Fear remake retells both games together; this is the original release. Arkadiusz Reikowski wrote its score.

You step into the shoes of a Hollywood actor called to an ocean liner by a director with unsettling intentions. His voice guides you through the ship and its film sets, and gives you scenes to play. Whether you go along with his demands changes how the story is told and how it ends.

The game is mostly walking and looking, in first person, and its fear comes from never being sure what is real. Corridors loop and rebuild themselves when you turn around, much of it is shot in black and white like an old film, mannequins stand where they should not, and props from past performances come back as threats. The store calls it a story of what you are willing to sacrifice for the perfect role.

It suits players who liked the first Layers of Fear and want slow, shifting psychological horror built from film history, rather than fights or survival.

How to play Layers of Fear 2

1. Explore the ocean liner in first person, opening doors and examining what you find.
2. Follow the director's voice through each act and the scenes it asks you to play.
3. Collect film reels and other items that tell the story of your past.
4. Solve the puzzle in each set to move on, and choose whether to obey the director when he asks.

Tips

• Turn around often; rooms change behind you, and some paths only appear that way.
• Read and listen to everything you pick up; the story is told in pieces.
• Your choices at the director's key scenes shape the ending, so play a second time to see another.

Questions