So this doesn't really play with space in the way that the first Layers of Fear does (which in the end felt like the one area that game truly excelled at IMO) despite still having some cool moments in that regard, the atmosphere overall doesn't feel quite as thick as 1 did at its best and it still falls into the same issue of kinda just dropping me straight into the constantly shifting environment (this time without the settling in and "something's wrong here..." feeling)... and yet the thing is that these visuals are just so often incredibly striking (arguably even better than Observer's at points? At the very least it's enough for me to kind of get over how reference-heavy this gets at points), and the core narrative of this, while still nothing amazing, is a lot better than 1's. And heck, at least there's nothing like the checker puzzle bullshit this time around. It's a bit of a letdown in a way after Observer (and this'll likely be the last game of theirs I'll play since Bloober can fuck off with the patent trolling and thematic disasters of The Medium), but this is still so much more satisfying than LoF1.

Releasing 3 years after 2016’s successful first game. This sequel sees you step into the shoes of a Hollywood actor who heeds the call of an intense and perfectionist director (voiced by the Candyman himself: Tony Todd) to take on the lead role in a film shot aboard an ocean liner. I thoroughly enjoyed the first game. The thick creepy gothic atmosphere and disturbing yet cryptic unraveling of the plot overshadowed the admittedly repetitive and basic nature of the gameplay. The sequel however doesn’t get away with this. Though featuring more dynamic set pieces and a smattering of genuine ‘boss’ encounters, this sequel largely rehashes the majority of the first game’s scare techniques, level structuring and cryptic storyline, to an unfortunately lesser effect. The core rhythm set by the first game is welcome. Beginning in your own private cabin on the ship. Each ‘Act’ begins after stepping out of the room, and each time you return something has changed, that only grows more apparent as the game progresses.Storytelling is largely up to the player to piece together through finding notes, objects and the myriad of musings from the Director, as well as the various characters seen in hallucinations and/or flashbacks. It’s just a shame that it is largely cliched and essentially is almost the same as the first game’s. Gameplay is essentially just moving the analogue stick with the occasional interaction with the triggers to sprint or open up doors, chests etc. It works for the ‘ghost train’ style of the game, however it certainly drags at points, especially due to the lack of frequent genuine frights. The sound design excels, especially with headphones. At its best the game crafts a genuinely unnerving, with a couple of hairraising chase sequences. At its worst it's simply dull and either wastes or squanders several scare tactic opportunities. The enemies are generic fodder and have zero presence. You can die (usually due to how dark the game is or picking a locked door), but death is instantaneous, as are the checkpoints and load times, so there is no real problem or large scale consequence to death. Graphically the game is impressive and there are a variety of different locales that all fit into the tone and story of the game. As a fan of noir and classic cinema, the aesthetic choices throughout were very welcome. The most simultaneously bizarre and intriguing element was the double hit of the game, outright copying scenes from Psycho and The Shining, as well as a whole section of a level serving as a walking tour through John Doe’s Se7en crimes.Tony Todd brings his usual menacing drawl as the Director to great success. The rest of the voice cast are fine and get the job done. Layers of Fear 2 is a decent albeit disappointing sequel. It certainly has its moments of chilling tension and creative imagery. However the repetitive gameplay, story beats, level design and presentation which almost completely copies the first game let it down. Worth the £3 I paid for it on sale.

Layers of Fear 2 is a first person psychological horror game that follows a Hollywood actor who heeds the call of an enigmatic director to take on the lead role in a film shot aboard an ocean liner. Along the way you explore the story of a girl named Lily and her little brother James as they try to hide on the boat and escape from it’s crew.

Initially, Layers of Fear 2 seems to take the gameplay concepts and presintation from the first and refine them, but it doubles down on everything that made the first game tedious.

The gameplay mechanic of opening doors by having to turn their handles manually, like the first game had and had taken from Amnesia back when that game was all the rage, but it’s made worse by the fact that some sections now have you rushing to try and get away from a creature chasing you, just like Amnesia. It worked in Amnesia because that game gave you ample space to get away from creatures most of the time, but in Layers of Fear 2, it just feels clunky because every space is a small space that can lead you to easily be caught by the monster the first time since it often takes you by surprise.

Layers of Fear 2 also brings a whole host of new neat graphical tricks that give it a distinct visual flair from the first game, but since the game is much longer than the first one, even the new visuals get tiresome by the end of the game.

The game actually references several popular and well known films, shorts, and music videos. But instead of just having those references be either brief scenes, shout-outs, or simple references in the form of a poster or as a brief visual gag, they’re just lifted wholesale. These movies include Metropolis (1927), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and The Shining (198), short film A Trip to the Moon (1902), short film and music video Rubber Johnny (2005), and a whole section dedicated to the movie Se7en (Seven) (1995).

They’re so blatant that you don’t even have to have seen some those films to know what they’re referencing.

The only compliment that I can give this game is that it has actor Tony Todd, who plays the titular director of the game, and I can’t get enough of Tony Todd and his amazing voice.

The best way that I can describe Layers of Fear 2 is that it’s more of the same from the first game, just with a new coat of paint. And while that might be appealing to fans of the first game, it still has little to offer beyond a few neat visual tricks buried deep within a tedious gameplay loop and mediocre story.

I think I'm just not meant to "get" the Layers of Fear games. Having now played both of them, I just found them utterly boring. I realized with this one that they really are less "games" and more digital haunted houses. I wish that the stories they told could be delivered in a more interesting, less obtuse & flowery way. The story in this one seems like it could be something, but it's told in such a boring way that it falls flat for me. Not to mention, I also didn't once find this game frightful--it abuses jump scares instead of crafting genuine horror. Hopefully they're completely rethinking this series for the sequel, because if it's anything like these two then I will also find it boring.