Layers of Fears expands the plotlines of the original games, made with Unreal Engine 5

Bloober Team has at last pulled the veil on its Layers of Fear project. For those wondering if the next game is a sequel or remake, I can tell you for sure that it’s like the latter — but not exactly. Layers of Fears uses the first two games and the Inheritance DLC as its base, with expanded plotlines and gameplay recreated in Unreal Engine 5.

The original tease first led us to believe that Bloober was remaking the first game using Unreal Engine 5. But, much like in the games, there was more to the story. Layers of Fears is described as a “psychological horror chronicle built upon the foundations of the original Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear: Inheritance, and Layers of Fear 2.”

From what I can glean, Fears (the one with the additional ‘s’) will use the original games to provide a new take with all their narratives together. It’s a “complete experience,” according to the press release, with “more horrific sceneries and terror in a beautiful new package.” Originally, Bloober wanted to recreate the games in a new engine, but decided to go a different route.

“We are bringing back a franchise that is really special for us, in a new form that will give players a truly fresh gaming experience and that will shed new light on the overall story,” said Piotr Babieno, Bloober CEO, in a press release. “Our plan was to recreate the games, but we didn’t want to make it a simple collection of two remastered games. We’ve worked out a new approach, something that is maybe not yet obvious. But I can tell you there’s a reason why we called it Layers of Fear‘s‘.”

A struggling artist

Layers of Fears‘ concept is a tough one to grasp, but thematically it makes sense. Both games put players in the shoes of a haunted artist. The first game starred a painter compelled to finish his masterpiece, even as his obsession destroyed everything around him. Layers of Fear 2 followed the story of a Hollywood actor wandering the bowels of an empty ship, following the barks of an unseen director. Layers of Fear and its sequel followed along a similar theme. Combining the two may not end up completely seamless, but it could flow more smoothly than anticipated.

Layers of Fears is heading to PC for an early 2023 launch.