Developer: Tarsier Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Tested on: PS5
Little Nightmares II – Review
In 2017 we were surprised with the grim little puzzle adventure game by the name of Little Nightmares. The game proved to be an odd mix between a very eerie setting with some adorable traits thrown in that mix. We followed the little child ‘Six’, who had to find her way through the Maw, which had all sorts of creepy beings that wanted to kill you. Now, we arrive at Little Nightmares II, where Six will still be a part of the story, but now you’ll be playing as Mono, another mysterious young kid.
Story
Just like in the first game, you wake up as a little child in the middle of nowhere. Getting used to your surroundings, you walk from one desolate place to another, until you soon free the protagonist from the first game, Six. Together you go on your not-so-merry way through the dark universe of Little Nightmares, often going from one thematic enemy to another, such as a vision-impaired hunter, a ruthless school teacher, and so on.
For some, it may be a turnoff that the game does not have a clearly explained story, as there is a lot of this world that will pique your interest. Even so, the lack of the actual story value is also what made the first LM charming, and this also counts for the sequel.
Graphics
‘Eerily cute’ might be a proper term to describe whatever is going on in Little Nightmares II. The decors are just perfectly crafted and have that ‘there’s something waiting for me in the next room’ feeling from start to finish. The character models are perfectly created and even the empty rooms make you feel uncomfortable. Nonetheless, the somewhat rounded designs make everything a bit lighter, making the game accessible for a broader audience. Only the water effects are done very poorly, showing that this team has no experience with said textures.
Sound
The sound design is handled in a near-perfect fashion. You’ll have the proper sound effects heightening the atmosphere of an already creepy game, with the subtle soundtrack accompanying everything that goes on. While no real voice acting is present in the game, every character has its own shouts and grunts, adding a small extra layer to their personas. For some reason, it is the mundane sound effects that make it so you have a knot in your stomach from start to finish. Seemingly normal sounds always leave a bad aftertaste because of things to come, or just by the way they are distorted, which then propels the experience forward.
Gameplay
Little Nightmares II is a puzzle adventure game with a hefty amount of platforming. You’ll wake up in the middle of nowhere as Mono, who has to make his way through a desolate and dark environment for, well, whatever purpose you can imagine yourself. The game’s story is not clear, but even so, it presses you forward, going from one puzzle and obstacle to another. This means you’ll mainly be finding new ways to progress, from opening locked doors, doing some physics-based puzzles, surviving chases by ghoulish monsters, etc.
Compared to the first game, this one actually starts off with very easy puzzles. Even though the original game never got really difficult, this one builds up more gradually, easing you into the process. The puzzles never get too hard, but some require you to think certain things through before you make it out alive. There are a few hindrances to solve certain puzzles because of the controls, which we’ll dig right into below.
The main drawback of the game is that you often die or have to redo sections because of the game’s dodgy controls. You’ll more than often not grab onto items, or not trigger a jump properly, because it doesn’t register when you also have to sprint. Even though more than often the controls are just a minor annoyance, it also makes you feel like you’re not in control from time to time.
Conclusion
Little Nightmares 2 is a great sequel of the original, and it adds a lot of new areas to explore, expanding the already impressive world of the Little Nightmares universe. While the game may be fairly short, sometimes only lengthened by its clunky controls, it is a treat to play through the experience. The overall vagueness of the story does also add a bit of charm to the strange setting of the game, but sometimes a bit more context would be nice, even if it was only in a small codex you can read after certain encounters.
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[…] generation of the critically acclaimed title available NOW on PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X|S and PC. Little Nightmares II has hit 2 million sales since the continued growth and interest in the thrilling adventure […]
[…] Little Nightmares is one of the most accessible soft-horror game series out there, with many streamers and all types of players playing the game. It amassed quite a lot of hype, and after the second game, the creators quickly went to make the third one which will arrive somewhere in 2024 for all consoles (including PS4 and Xbox One) and PC. What’s new to the game is something that’s going to bring a lot of players closer together holding hands in the darkness. That’s right, Little Nightmares III has a co-op mode and you can watch what it looks like in the new 18-minute gameplay footage that just dropped. In this footage, two players need to scale the Necropolis controlling characters Low and Alone. The Necropolis is a place that’s risen from the sands of the desert, full of mystery and, obviously, danger. If you’d like to know more, you can also check out the Bandai Namco website here. […]