Layers of Fear 2 (2019) Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-04-07
  • Stunning visuals and graphics
  • Compelling and well-written story
  • Immersive and atmospheric gameplay
  • Confusing and obscure plot
  • Not scary enough
  • Disappointing compared to predecessor
Layers of Fear 2 (2019) header

Emotions

Archetypes

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Stunning visuals and graphics: The game is visually fantastic, featuring impressive and masterful visuals, excellent graphics, and striking imagery.

Compelling and well-written story: The game offers a compelling and well-written story, with clear and sad narratives that are both interesting and understandable.

Immersive and atmospheric gameplay: The game features an immersive and terrifying atmosphere, praised for its haunting ambiance and sophisticated design that blends movie and video game elements.

High artistic design: The game boasts a high artistic level with beautiful visuals and design, stunning art design, and impressive art style.

Effective sound design: The game's sound design is highly effective, with great sound effects and cinematic ambiance that enhance the overall experience.

Common complaints

Confusing and obscure plot: The story was widely criticized for being difficult to understand, with many players finding it convoluted, cryptic, and poorly told. The narrative often required reading notes to comprehend and lacked a clear ending.

Not scary enough: Many players found the game lacking in scares, with predictable jump scares and an overall atmosphere that wasn't frightening. The mannequins and other horror elements were deemed unscary, especially for experienced players.

Disappointing compared to predecessor: Players felt that the game did not live up to the standards set by the first game. It lacked the artistic atmosphere, standout designs, and overall experience that made the first game enjoyable.

Frustrating chase sequences: The chase sequences were a common point of frustration, described as repetitive, annoying, and poorly designed. Many players found them more frustrating than terrifying.

Linear and monotonous gameplay: The gameplay was criticized for being painfully linear, monotonous, and lacking interaction. This made the game feel tedious and stifling to some players.

Gameplay and performance

Exploration and puzzle-solving focus: The game emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving as core mechanics. Players spend a significant amount of time navigating environments and solving puzzles to progress.

Psychological horror with narrative: The game blends psychological horror with a strong narrative focus. The story is driven by atmospheric and puzzle elements, creating a deep and engaging experience.

Multiple gameplay modes: The game offers various gameplay modes, including different difficulty settings and a New Game+ mode. These modes provide replayability and cater to different player preferences.

Horror elements and atmosphere: The game includes various horror elements, such as jump scares, psychedelic visuals, and a generally scary atmosphere. These elements contribute to a surreal and paranormal experience.

Chase sequences with monsters: The game features intense chase sequences where players must evade or hide from monsters. These sequences add tension and urgency to the gameplay.

Good optimization and performance: Many players have praised the game's optimization, noting that it runs well technically with good performance even on mid-range hardware like the GTX 1050 Ti.

Game fails to launch: Several players reported issues with the game not starting or opening properly. This seems to be a common problem affecting the initial launch of the game.

Compatibility issues with CPUs: There are reports of compatibility bugs specifically related to new CPUs. This issue may affect players with newer hardware configurations.

End game video glitch: Some players have encountered a glitch in the end game video. This issue affects the gameplay experience towards the end of the game.

Recommendations

Buy on sale: Many players recommend purchasing the game only when it is discounted.

Atmospheric with adrenaline rushes: The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere and occasional bursts of excitement.

Engaging story: The game features a good and engaging story that players appreciate.

Fans of the first game: The game is recommended for those who have played and enjoyed the first game in the series.

Horror storytelling genre: The game is suggested for fans of horror and storytelling genres.

Buying context

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 6.0h.

Story completion: 4.0h.

The game is initially perceived as boring and repetitive, with slow progression and tedious gameplay, but there is a potential for it to become more engaging later on.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Repetitive sequences; Slow progression; Tedious gameplay mechanics; Walking simulator aspects.

Unlock drivers: Innovative visuals; Scene changes.

Player profiles

Story-Driven Horror Enthusiast: Explores every narrative detail and enjoys the psychological and atmospheric elements of the game. Motivation: Immersive storytelling and atmospheric horror. Stance: buy.

Achievement Hunter: Systematically completes all in-game tasks and collects achievements, often replaying sections to ensure nothing is missed. Motivation: Completing games and collecting achievements. Stance: sale.

Franchise Fan: Enjoys the game for its narrative and atmospheric elements, often comparing it to the original. Motivation: Nostalgia and appreciation for the original game. Stance: sale.

Other review notes

Controller setup issues: Players report needing to adjust or turn off STEAM input settings when using a controller. This suggests potential compatibility or configuration challenges.

Chinese language request: There is a demand for the addition of Chinese language support. This indicates a desire for greater accessibility for non-English speaking players.