Layers of Fear

Dare to take on the role of a mentally disturbed artist and a familiar premise -- exploring a spooky old house -- and you're in for one of the most unique and unforgettable interactive horror experiences you've ever had. (Note: this review is of an Early Release version. Upon official release, it will have even more content.) The game takes place inside a 19th-century mansion belonging to a once-successful painter who's lost his wife and child. Limping from room to room (the painter's bad leg is indicated in first-person view by a mildly swaying camera) he rummages through drawers, cabinets and closets, trying to understand his role in his own personal tragedy. The artist's mental state is reflected in the somber, low-lit environments, melancholy piano music, and heartbeat-like cadence of his lurching footsteps. Things start spooky as a violent nighttime thunderstorm rages outside and get increasingly frightening as the house starts to shift and change. Soon, you're trapped in a seemingly endless maze where rooms change before your eyes and every closed door fills you with dread. Lighting, sound, and door placement nudge you along while expertly placed visual cues set you up for jump-out-of-your-skin scares. At the same time, a truly dark and affecting story is told of one family's terrible destruction. Cruelty, cursing, alcoholism, and jump scares make this the kind of game the very young and faint of heart should avoid; but gamers who enjoy being scared are in for a wild ride.