In 2016, a psychological horror title called Layers of Fear appeared on the scene and surprised many with its overall positive reception, as horror tends to be a niche genre that doesn’t often become mainstream. Inspired by P.T., the canceled Hideo Kojima teaser for Silent Hills, the game seemed to hit the market at a time when fans were eager for a good scare.
Originally released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Layers of Fear was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018 and, a year later, a virtual reality version of Layers of Fear launched for PC, fully immersing players into Bloober Team’s unsettling and mind-bending haunted mansion.
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Now, that immersive virtual reality experience is coming to Sony’s console, allowing PlayStation VR owners to delve into the story of a tortured artist determined to complete his magnum opus. Adapted for VR by Incuvo, a company that specializes in porting and developing VR games, Layers of Fear PSVR is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 4 on April 29, 2021, and will retail for $19.99.
Bloober Team is the Polish game development studio behind Layers of Fear 2, Observer, Blair Witch and, most recently, The Medium. The launch of Layers of Fear on PSVR marks the latest in Bloober Team’s goal to bring all of its horror games to popular virtual reality platforms. Thus far, Blair Witch has also received the VR treatment, releasing for PC in time for Halloween 2020.
Layers of Fear is a first-person psychedelic horror game that recounts the tale of an unnamed artist as he attempts to create his greatest work within the confines of a haunting Victorian mansion. The problem is that the artist has fallen deeply into the grasp of madness, and so the reality of the player’s experiences is not always clear.
Disturbing sounds, unnerving hallucinations, and rooms that constantly warp to reveal hidden secrets attempt to recreate the sensation of going insane. The virtual reality version of Layers of Fear has been redesigned to account for the particular capabilities and limitations of VR, as well as to allow for greater interactivity and immersion within the twisted mansion.
Prior to Layers of Fear, Bloober Team, which was founded in 2010, tried their hand at a number of video game genres, including strategy, simulation, puzzle, and even a MOBA. It seems that the company may have found their niche with psychological horror and it appears that, at least for now, they intend to continue on this path.
Layers of Fear PSVR will release for PS4 on April 29, 2021.
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