Layers Of Fear 2: The Actor's story

The second main story in Layers of Fear (2023) is the full plot of Layers Of Fear 2. The player takes on the role of the Actor, a brilliant but troubled star of the stage and screen. Shooting a film on board a cruise ship under the watchful eye of a mysterious (and possibly inhuman) Director, the Actor is transported into the past to build a character for the role. Similar to the original game, Layers Of Fear 2 requires players to piece together the story incrementally, with the possibility of not uncovering everything in the first playthrough.

Making a running meta joke throughout the game, mirroring the fact that the character is in a film, the story is fragmentary and players have to assemble it themselves. It also subtly references the themes of abuse and neglect that permeate the game.

Layers Of Fear 2 cast

Lily and James Burns were born in England around the turn of the twentieth century. Their father, who was a corporal in the British army and lost an eye during his service, worked as a projectionist at the local movie theater. However, he was a drunk and gambler, and harbored resentment towards James due to the death of their mother during childbirth. Lily, a brave and outspoken girl, took on the role of her brother's protector.

As the Burns children were largely left to their own devices, they would sneak into the movie theater and watch films from the closed-off balcony. Their favorite movies were pirate adventures, but they always had to leave before the ending to avoid their father's discovery. Lily and James would use their imaginations to pretend to be pirates themselves, finding solace in this shared fantasy.

Layers Of Fear 2: Lily and James

While Lily aspired to be an actress, James was drawn to the craft of filmmaking. However, they were forbidden from pursuing these interests due to the strict rules at their boarding school. Nonetheless, they found ways to develop their talents in secret. Lily would write plays for James to direct, and he would create sets and costumes based on her ideas for characters.

One traumatic incident occurred when James was severely beaten by their father for sneaking into the theater without permission. This experience prompted Lily to make a promise to her brother - to leave the boarding school and create a better life for them both. She began writing to pirates, seeking to join their ranks and establish a secure place for herself and her brother on one of the remote islands throughout the world, where they would never be vulnerable like before.