Little Nightmares 2 - Review of the terrifying title of Tarsier Studios

Little Nightmares 2 - Review of the terrifying title of Tarsier Studios

The first Little Nightmares it was born almost like a bet, with the confidence placed by Bandai Namco in the small team of Tarsier Studios, but above all in a project that, although basic in mechanics, proposed a new point of view in the horror scene. Although at launch the surprise effect guaranteed the game its small space on the gaming stage, the real luck of Little Nightmares came over time. This by increasing their fan base, and also with the appearance of dozens and dozens of theory about the game and its characters, ranging from the original title, to the DLC, to the prequel "Very little nightmares”Published on mobile. If we wanted to simply talk about the main concept, we would have nothing different to say about the game we learned to play four years ago, with the darker nightmares and recurring children played in an unhealthy imaginary world… but lucky for you - or bad luck - with Little Nightmares 2 the Swedish studio has reserved for us many terrifying surprises. We tried the game in its PlayStation 4 version (but with all the advantages of running it on a PlayStation 5), although during the year, at an unspecified date, the version dedicated to the next gen will also be published.



How many times did you hide under the covers as a child? Maybe on those nights when you just couldn't sleep, and the rain and lightning outside made the window panes vibrate with the wind whistling through the trees? Well, the fear of the moment was nothing compared to the nightmares that would then chase you during the night… The time to live those moments is back. Cover your eyes, or prepare for the worst.



Little Nightmares 2 - Review of the terrifying title of Tarsier Studios

A distant light

As you have already read in our preview based on the demo of the game (which you can retrieve here), in Little Nightmares 2 we will take on the role of a new character, Mono, a young boy with a paper bag over his head, who he will collaborate with Six (the protagonist of the first game) to reach the Signal Tower. In fact, from this disturbing place comes a distorted and incessant hum, a signal that makes all televisions mesmeric deadly machines.

It all starts from a nightmare. A grayish corridor, a door with a large eye that seems to be staring at you. How much is it true? Upon awakening Mono, you will find yourself in a dense forest, which not too late you will discover to be littered with a multitude of traps. The first area of ​​this level will practically act as a tutorial, where you will learn - or review - the basic commands of Little Nightmares, which for most of the characteristics are the same as the first title. Without going into too much detail and without spoilers, however, you know certain levels will have their own particularities, and you will be able to exploit different ways both to defend you, both to escape, and to solve certain puzzles. A little clue? Also sounds e light will be decisive.

Little Nightmares 2 - Review of the terrifying title of Tarsier Studios

It won't be long before you make the acquaintance of Six (still stripped of her iconic yellow raincoat), and although the little girl was hesitant at first, you will begin the journey with her, who it will become a fundamental part of the gameplay itself: with her collaboration, in fact, you can solve puzzles, you can reach higher positions with her who will be your step, and so on.


A dark puzzle

Little Nightmares 2 is a set of ingenious puzzles, gruesome discoveries, disturbing encounters e frightening situations. The mix generated by the various features of the title make it one of the best productions of its kind ever, making use not only of a very high level technical sector, but also of one excellent artistic direction. We are rarely faced with a creation that with so little is able to create a sense of awe and fear, amplifying its “malaise” minute by minute. Despite the "more of the same" is a ghost capable of being quite scary, Little Nightmares 2 manages to make us forget, even net of some stratagem, that we already know some of the mechanics that we will exploit. To help in this sense there are not only the new terrible enemies, but also their number: did it seem easy to escape from an overweight cook? Imagine what it can be like to face instead order of bullies ... or much worse. Yes, because if there is one feature that is smoothed out in this chapter, it is precisely the one dedicated to enemies, which in some cases we will actually have to face ... with all our limitations.



Little Nightmares 2 - Review of the terrifying title of Tarsier Studios

An honorable mention is mandatory to say the least art and level design: The choice of colors, settings, the untold story of each individual character - or "monster" - encountered, give unique feedback which undoubtedly surpasses even the first game. We will perform actions that will seem absurd to us, either almost bad, to achieve our goal, we will put all our inventiveness to the bottom, we will use every single opportunity to defend ourselves. The levels are built more broadly, with an even more marked three-dimensionality, an exploration that offers more breathing space, and the balanced exploitation of space both vertically and horizontally, especially for solving puzzles.

As we have already mentioned, the sound also gains a prominent position: the sound design of Little Nightmares 2 is designed not only to complement an atmosphere of dark shades, but is also used in some cases as a point of advantage for the player. Clearly what is most striking is one's role in the environment, with the music to destabilize, the rain to set the rhythm, and the voice of the little mono to ask for help.


Little Nightmares 2 - Review of the terrifying title of Tarsier Studios

It is a double long-lived experience compared to the game that preceded it, guaranteeing a duration between 6 and 7 hours to be completed, not to mention the collection of the different collectibles (they are of two types, hats e ghosts, and are scattered both in accessible areas and in much more hidden places). The price, however, remained budget.

Ultimately Tarsier reproposed what he knew how to do, but a a higher level, and if we are sure that where some of the many theories of the community will finally have an answer, at least twice as many will be born to puzzle players. And I forgot ... the twists are guaranteed. Be ready.

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