Little Nightmares has the most realistic monsters ever seen in gaming.
In the eyes of a child, it is a distorted and strange world. Almost everyone can experience this uneasy feeling of being in an environment that does not suit them. Everything here is too big or too small, and every bulky beast or scurrying terrorist seems ready to attack you because you are behaving abnormally in their space.
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Speaking of another sequel, I was curious as to how Little Nightmares 3 could up the ante again. The original Little Nightmares was a great example of a well-executed concept with limited scope but compelling direction that really resonated with a lot of people – it was a creepy, puzzle-filled, atmospheric game that was memorable, chilling, dark, and without the gore of more action-horror games.
But Little Nightmares 2 expands the scale and depth of the experience in nearly every way; first by introducing a more direct, twisty narrative with mysterious sci-fi elements that build to a truly powerful climax, then expanding the game’s mechanics as Six and new character Mono team up to escape the dark, dense forests of the Pale City, the towering skyscrapers of the Pale City, and even the intense close-quarters combat sections of the terrifying schoolhouse.
These successes put Little Nightmares 3 in an interesting position, as it’s become one of the biggest, most recognized, and most anticipated games in Namco Bandai’s upcoming slate of games. But it also presents it with a very difficult task to actually deliver on that promise without ruining the feeling that made Little Nightmares famous in the first place – especially now that the series has a new developer.
Little Nightmares 3 is being made by Supermassive Games (the studio behind The Quarry, Dark Pictures, and Until Dawn) rather than its original creators, Tarsier Studios. While this may seem a bit unexpected on paper, Supermassive does have DNA in platformers, having worked closely with Sony back in the early 2010s on the LittleBigPlanet DLC, so in reality, it seems like a natural fit.
I played both parts of the game at Gamescom 2024, and Supermassive seems to be attempting to continue Tarsier’s work, expanding both the scope, scale, and complexity of the environments (from vast expanses of sand dunes to smog-filled cities), as well as the environmental interactivity, and adding two new unique characters: Alone and Low.
When alone, players can use a large wrench to knock things open or tighten bolts, while when Low, players can press buttons and break off useful objects with a bow and arrow, both skills providing some new dimensions to puzzle solving.
The first demo started out in a barren desert, devoid of life. Despite the surroundings, the sense of depth the art style created within the relatively small play area on screen looked very clear, and the lighting and soundscape were both immersive and atmospheric.
I never thought climbing up a long, long ladder would get me hooked so quickly, but forcing myself to sit there and take in the whistling wind and the eerie atmosphere went a long way toward creating the vibe.
Next up is a classic Little Nightmares quest, where Alone and Low has to sneak past a secretary with six arms as she goes about her work in a daunting manner. The outline of the secretary’s stumps is clearly visible before the game starts, which is a nice touch, but overall this is the closest thing to the two games I’ve played before.
This could just be because I was thrust into an unfamiliar area with mechanics that would have appeared sooner or later in the full game’s pacing, but I did feel like the new kids’ handy gear – especially Low’s bow – had me trying a little too hard in the various puzzle rooms. It’s easy to focus on shooting at a prominent background detail that you can’t really interact with, and then you’ll get grabbed by a monster and have to trek through a long checkpoint a few rooms ahead to try again.
The trial and error involved in Little Nightmares’ puzzles, especially when you’re being chased by not-so-little nightmares, has always been the most controversial part of its design, as frustration can undermine the previously carefully built tension. But whether it’s achieved through tweaking waypoints, clearing up some background clutter, or perhaps through deeper lessons about what you can and can’t do in the game’s world, I hope it’s a thorn in your side that can be overcome.
Little Nightmares 3 is expected to be released in 2025 and may be available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles.
