Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Developed by Tarsier Studios
Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment
Available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One
Rated T for Teen
When it comes to indie horror, you’ve got one of three options. You have your Slender clones, maximizing the cheap jump scares and minimizing the gameplay for your YouTube viewing pleasure. Then you have the “retro” games, pixelated versions of classics like Resident Evil or Clock Tower generally missing a spacial dimension. Finally, you have your developer magnum opuses, games like Limbo and Amnesia that try to redefine the genre. They do so with a varied degree of success, but I guarantee for every indie horror thesis project there’s at least a few people willing to genuinely go to bat in defense of its genius.
I’ll give you one guess which one Little Nightmares is.
This third category is what Little Nightmares falls into, which makes my job very difficult. As much as Little Nightmares is a game—with objectives, enemies, puzzles to be solved, mechanics, etc.—it’s also a piece of art. The eternal issue with indie game criticism is that the gameplay is only half the package. No matter how sticky the controls or obtuse the objective, you run the risk of people claiming you just don’t, “get it.” It’s normally an issue I tend to ignore, as you are never going to please everyone. With Little Nightmares, I’m forced to confront it more directly. Little Nightmares is a game with a unique vision, an almost tangible artistic inspiration that defies the mechanical shortcomings. Mechanical shortcomings that the other half of my brain can’t ignore.
When running from a tidal wave of ravenous blob people, the last thing I want is the slide button to not work right.
It’s a duality that permeates almost every element of Little Nightmares. Story wise, you play as Six, a young girl who finds herself trapped in the belly of a massive ship called The Maw. Now, you will never learn any of this in game. Playing Little Nightmares, the entire story is told visually. You don’t know your name, and you only realize it’s on a boat if you notice the gentle rocking of the furniture and sliding of carts. The nature of the vessel and it’s ghoulish inhabitants is told viscerally, with terrifying lumbering figures and grotesque abominations hungrily chasing you. Start to finish, this story is far more compelling than the store page description. It’s a terrifying spectacle, grotesque and disturbing in a way few games manage to be.
The gameplay is similarly split between concept and reality, but this time in the other direction. On paper, it’s a physics platformer with fluid controls. You are much smaller and physically weaker than your predators, meaning you’ll have to use your wits and reflexes to jump, duck, slide, climb, and sneak to avoid their lethal grasp. When it works, it’s poetry in motion. Unfortunately, it rarely does. I would frequently try to slide under a table or crawl between nooks only to get caught on the lip of a wall. The isometric view makes precise movement difficult, which is crucial in a game that demands quick fluid escapes. At one point I got caught on an invisible wall behind one of the bosses, unable to move. When I reloaded the level, I was able to move through just fine. For a game that’s so visually immersive, it brought me right back to my living room.
It took me ten minutes of just running around to figure out I could even climb these.
It’s almost irrelevant, as even now I can feel the issues melting away in my brain in service of the visual marvel that is Little Nightmares. Playing the game, I was frequently frustrated by the loose controls. But I was never confused as to where I should be going or what I was trying to do. It’s all pretty obvious, but never stupidly so. Furthermore, the game is all about experiencing it. In that regard, I’ve played few games that have produced such a distinct and memorable visual experience. It’s absolutely terrifying in an unforgettable way. There’s really no proper way to describe it other than an experience that shouldn’t be missed. It’s like a horror claymation from the mind of a shadowverse Doctor Seuss.
There’s no way this ends well for both of us…
If you are a fan of indie horror games with tolerance for some loose controls, Little Nightmares should not be missed. The gamer side of my brain however won’t let me give this game any higher a score. It is constantly mechanically frustrating, and there is little replay value. It’s an artistic marvel, but is best regarded as art. If you’re willing to drop $20 on a horror art game, it won’t disappoint. To everyone else, consider what you’re buying.
-
Game
Categorized:Horror Gaming Reviews
