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Bloober Team and Anshar Studios just released Layers of Fear today for PC, "Apple Silicon Mac", PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. They say that this is one of the first horror games built from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5. They're also saying that this is the definitive way to experience the Layers of Fear games, be you a new player or someone that has played the previous games already.
What is Layers of Fear? Well, Layers of Fear (this release) is kind of a mashup or director's cut of the original Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear 2, all DLCs, and a new chapter (The Writer) all combined into one game. There's going to be a lot of stuff you've seen before if you played the previous games, only now the order might be a bit different, areas might be a bit different, and so on.
That is to say, today's release is if you put in all of the old content, a sprinkle of new content, and some new paint into a blender and mixed it all up. Layers of Fear does have an overarching story that spans across all of the old and new content, which kind of makes this release the "definitive" edition if you were thinking of playing the titles anyway.
From what I'm seeing of reviews, Layers of Fear has a strong start but falls apart in the second half. That first half of the game largely focusing on the first Layers of Fear, which was excellent, and the second half mainly focusing on Layers of Fear 2 events, which wasn't anywhere near as good.
Today's release of Layers of Fear starts at $29.99 (USD). There is an extra 30% discount for anybody that owned some or all of the previous games. This discount is only good until June 29 at whatever 16:00 UTC translates to for your time zone. A general 15% discount for the launch week is also available to new buyers.
Layers of Fear (2023) Key Features:
- The Ultimate Layers of Fear Experience - The series’s crowning work casts an overarching narrative over the entire franchise.
- Horror Reimagined - Everything in the Layers of Fear series melds together into a single experience, including all DLCs, so players can find all the answers they seek.
- Shocking New Looks - Enhanced with Unreal Engine 5’s improved technology. This version offers a more immersive horror experience with the addition of Ray Tracing, HDR, 4K resolution, and the Lumen system.
- Psychological Horror - A grim but gripping first-person psychedelic horror game focused on tense exploration, puzzle-solving, and immersive storytelling. Discover what lies in the depths of the human psyche with this mature, cathartic game.
- New Tricks - New brand-new core mechanics that will be introduced to Layers of Fear and its sequel, as well as additional features, so all the chapters and stories will blend seamlessly
- Horror Through the Many Lenses of Art – Explore the depths of obsession with three different stories of craft-obsessed protagonists (The Painter, The Actor and The Writer) which are interwoven to create a truly immersive experience and gripping storyline
- Classical, Ominous Soundtrack - Hauntingly beautiful soundtrack composed by the highly-acclaimed musician Arek Reikowski. He has composed a hypnotic score that adds an extra layer of tension to the game and will leave you on the edge of your seat​
