![]() The default turn speed and acceleration took some getting use to, and I could definitely feel that it had its roots in mouse and keyboard controls. While certainly not a game changer, the motion controls work well and I found myself using them subconsciously while playing in docked mode. The developer even included optional motion controls, allowing you to pillage drawers, and cautiously open doors using the right Joy-Con. ![]() Clearly great effort was put into adjusting the game to run well on Switch. Whether playing docked or handheld, Layers of Fear turns in mostly solid frame rates with only the occasional stutter now and then. The Switch version doesn’t quite measure up to that initial release, as is to be expected, but it makes smart cuts in exchange for solid performance. When Layers of Fear released on PC back in 2016, I remember being very impressed by its visual polish. Yes the formula can be somewhat repetitive, but the variety and creativity with which that formula can be use to scare me is seemingly endless. While I did eventually come to expect a scare any time I turned around from focusing on an object, it didn’t make the scare itself any less effective. The fluid and constantly changing world that Layers of Fear presents comes with a pervasive feeling of unease, as you can never trust in what is behind you. Often times you’ll enter a room only to turn around and realize that what was a door is now a twisting hallway. As soon as you leave the safety of your studio, finding a way back in becomes your primary objective. However, no door in Layers of Fear ever leads to the same place twice. After completing the first segment of the game, the player will always venture out into the house from a starting point in their art studio. This is where Layers of Fear’s most effective mechanic comes into play. Quickly, the house becomes less a physical location, and more a manifestation of the protagonist’s own demented psyche. Through exploration, you’ll uncover notes and other clues to your own tragic history. Things start out generically enough: you find yourself in a presumably empty house on a dark and stormy night with no evident backstory. It would be easy to write it off as a walking simulator, but the trepidation that precedes every step helps it to grow to something more. It is a story-driven, explorative, horror experience, with the occasional puzzle thrown in for good measure. Thus far, no game has been more prolific in this field than Layers of Fear. The Switch offers me the opportunity to appear the cowardly fool in more locations than ever before. No feeling is quite like sitting in a public space with headphones on, playing Switch, and suddenly jumping a few feet into the air as something jumps out at you.
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