Unreal Engine 5 makes Layers of Fear terrifyingly real, and I love it

If you need more proof that Unreal Engine 5 is set to dominate video game development this generation, then glance at the new tech demo for Layers of Fear. The latest instalment of Bloober Team's iconic horror series has been rebuilt entirely in UE5, and it shows.

Featuring ray tracing, HDR, 4K resolution, and Unreal Engine 5-only features including Lumen for dynamic lighting and Niagara visual effects to create particle effects in real time, Layers of Fear (2023) just jumped to the top of my most wanted list. And I'm not even a huge horror game fan. (This is up there with Lords of the Fallen's use of Unreal Engine 5.)

In a statement co-developer Anshar Studio's lead programmer Tomasz Bilnicki, said that “Creating games with Unreal Engine 5 is a great opportunity for the whole team, as it means our game development process can skyrocket in quality. It has an incredible power when it comes to the implementation of  dynamic lighting, shadows, and potentially beautiful worlds for players to explore.”

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It's Epic Games' outstanding game engine that I'm here for, however, and as our Unreal Engine 5 review reveals this is the toolkit everyone needs to learn and explore. Interestingly, Epic Games' new Unreal Editor for Fortnite, that was recently used to recreate GTA San Andreas in UE5 to enable players to experience GTA in Fortnite, will be the way many will now be able to cut their teeth in game development.

It looks like Layers of Fear (2023) is turning some of the tools of Unreal Engine 5 into gameplay activities too, as the new remakes will feature The Lantern, "a useful tool that will prove essential in confronting the fears that lurk within the game’s story" says the press release.

The new Layers of Fear for PS5, Xbox Series X and PC will feature Unreal Engine 5 remakes of Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear 2, as well as all DLC’s, but it will also include an entirely new chapter called The Writer that brings all the terrifying tales together.

If you want to see more of what Unreal Engine 5 can do, take a look at our guide to the best Unreal Engine 5 plugins and read up on how classic mobile game Temple Run looks in Unreal 5. For more on Layers of Fear (2023) visit the Bloober Team website.