It’s tempting at times to segment these games off into their own genre, to try and preempt pigeonholing. In fact, when Layers of Fear 2 does fall back on jump scares or clumsy chase sequences, those are its worst moments. Make no mistake: It’s rarely frightening at all. In 2016, writing about the original Layers of Fear, I asked “Can a horror game be successful if it never manages to scare?” and the same question dogs this sequel. Layers of Fear 2 is brilliant, and unfortunately it probably won’t be recognized as such because it defies genre definitions.
