A great example of the principle that looks aren’t everything. When you peel back the layers of shine and fluff of the game, you’ll find a mechanically and narratively shallow framework that brings little to the table. This, along with the overly repetitive nature of the game makes Layers of Fear a slog to go through.

To start with, Layers puts almost the whole story on the table within the first ten minutes of the game. The remaining bit you can parse out long before the actual game tells you. Unfortunately, the rest of the time isn’t used effectively either, as you’ll spend it endlessly opening doors to be jumpscared by an item falling, a woman approaching, etc. Jumpscares are fine but this game hands them out like candy. Moreover, Layers feels overindulgent of itself, a trait wholly unearned and a tad ironic given the emphasis on the tortured artist aesthetic.

Instead of focusing excessively on trippy visuals, Layers of Fear should have tried to create a more unique story told via more engaging means. That’s not to say the game needed to be action oriented, but the refusal to commit to a single cohesive genre faithfully holds this horror entry back from being anything more than a pretty window display fit for a tech demo.