The makers of the first two Little Nightmares games have returned with their trademark creepy atmosphere and character design with a new adventure. REANIMAL will feel immediately familiar to anyone who’s played Tarsier Studios’ previous games, but it still feels new and fun all the same.
While its short runtime is a drawback, the numerous unsettling moments found within make it a worthwhile title, especially if you’re a fan of Tarsier’s work of if you’ve got a co-op buddy to hold hands with through the fear.
Creepy crawlies in dark alleys
Outside of a few lines of dialogue and short scenes, REANIMAL‘s story is told through the fearful environment faced by the playable brother and sister duo who “go through hell to rescue their missing friends and escape the island that they used to call home.”
Playable solo with an AI partner or in co-op (a friend pass means only one person needs to own the game), REANIMAL puts a group of kids in an impossible situation. Like Tarsier’s previous games, the twisted, disturbing enemies of this world are a fright to deal with.
Armed with just a flashlight and minor melee weapons, the brother and sister must solve typical co-op puzzles (like holding switches or helping each other climb obstacles) and assist each other through an impossibly scary environment. The world of REANIMAL is filled with stylishly spine-chilling foes that must be fought or avoided while trying to regroup with their friends, who all somehow ended up lost on this island together.
Creepy, skinwalker-like humans that slither around and chase you down are just one of the kinds of horrors that seek to end your journey, and they set the pace for the whole experience. REANIMAL bounces back and forth between stealth segments where you must sneak past these horrific beings, and terrifying chase sequences where you’re forced to flee for your life. If you’re caught, they will bash and dismember you quickly, bringing an end to your escape attempts. There are also some other interesting gameplay segments that don’t fall into either of these categories, but as they’re fun and surprising, I won’t spoil them.
In the latter stages of the game, the events take a rather unexpected twist (I won’t say more), and I found it to be a welcome change of pace to help bring the plot home. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s interpretations of the game’s final events once they’ve played it.
But I wanted more of it
While REANIMAL is very enjoyable as a horror experience, its main downfall is that it is an exceptionally short one, especially for a $40 game. Thankfully, only one person needs to own the game to play it with a friend, but it still feels shockingly quick, even if this is Tarsier’s M.O. from previous titles.
The co-op aspect adds replayability, along with collectibles to find throughout the multiple scary locales. While there’s some desire to complete multiple playthroughs, please know that the game can be easily beaten in one sitting.
I must recommend playing with a friend, though. And with the free friend’s pass, all you have to do is get them to download it. The co-op partner AI is spotty sometimes, getting stuck on obstacles while trying to escape enemies, and platforming is also a little inconsistent, but there’s a lot of fun to be had with somebody else along for the ride.
The game is also quite generous with checkpoints, leading to multiple trial-and-error moments as you figure out how to navigate certain segments of the game, and this does detract from the tension a little bit.
Still, the lightning-fast four hours I spent on my first playthrough of REANIMAL were memorable and anxious, and a season pass included in the game’s deluxe edition hints at more to come, but that will run you some extra cash if you’re so inclined.
