9 years ago
1
Layers of Fear is what happens when a one-trick pony repeatedly lunges at you
In one of the most memorable scene in Poltergeist, JoBeth Williams is in the kitchen. When the camera follows her standing back up, all the chairs have been arranged in an elaborate stack atop the table. Layers of Fear loves this moment, but it doesn’t understand it. It accompanies its tricks with loud noises. It uses them over and over again. It makes the same mistake as lots of bad horror by confusing being startled with fear. There aren’t many layers to being startled. I count one.
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This review sums up why I have trouble playing modern horror games. They're comprised of jumpscares peppered with random arcade sequences. I have little interest in dealing with either of those in a horror game. I want atmosphere, I want disturbing storylines, I want characters I actually care about, and I want to worry that they'll be okay.
Incidentally, Sanitarium over on GOG is a prime example of how to do horror right. It's a graphic adventure, sort of like King's Quest or Day of the Tentacle. Your character hops from world to world, trapped in a twilight zone multiverse, encountering all sorts of characters. It's pretty wonderful.