The Summer Game Fest has had some very exciting reveals for fans of horror games. Whether it was a gory updated trailer for The Callisto Effect or the reveal of sci-fi horror title Routine, there was something for everyone. Bloober Team, the rumored developer of a remake of Silent Hill 2, wasn't one to be left out. The team took the opportunity to unveil the latest game in the Layers of Fear franchise. Coming in 2023 is Bloober's biggest horror game yet, Layers of Fears.Like prior Layers of Fear titles, Layers of Fears is a first-person horror title where players will explore tense, increasingly frightening settings. Storytelling will be focused on environmental elements, so players pick up an understanding of what's happening as they explore through visual and auditory design elements. Layers of Fears' announcement trailer alone will offer a deeper glimpse at the game's cast of characters than is comfortable.The announcement of Layers of Fears included the confirmation that the new horror game is being built on Unreal Engine 5. Fittingly, the announcement trailer showed exactly what Unreal Engine 5 means for the game. The trailer featured some of the most vivid nightmarescapes the Layers of Fear series has ever seen. Psychedelic settings including blazing infernos, endless hallways, and the blending of the unreal and real show how Bloober's talents have grown tremendously over the years.
Speaking of Bloober's growing talents, the development studio is going to be putting them to the test in Layers of Fears in terms of gameplay, too. Bloober says that Layers of Fears will feature a "new gameplay direction" compared to prior games in the series. Exactly what that means isn't clear yet, however, but it's exciting to consider the possibilities.
There are going to be some Silent Hill fans who wish that Bloober Team had revealed the long-rumored remake of Silent Hill 2 it's working on, of course. But those fans are certain to be all the more excited having seen the trailer for Layers of Fears. The visuals showcased in Layers of Fears' announcement show that, if true, Silent Hill 2 is in good hands.
Bloober Team will be stretching the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 to their extreme, but the studio has only shown a glimpse of everything horror fans can expect. Look forward to more information about the Unreal Engine 5 project Layers of Fears in the months to come.
Layers of Fears releases in early 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.