Every once in a while, a game comes out of nowhere and completely blows you away. I can't even remember how I heard about Little Nightmares, but it very quickly shot up the ranks of favorite games of 2017. It has all of the ingredients necessary for being an indie darling, and it lives up to the standards established by other, similar horror/platformers like Limbo or Inside.
In fact, it is almost impossible to discuss Little Nightmares without comparing it to Inside. There are many noticeable similarities between the two. Both are ultimately side-scrolling, horror, puzzle platforms that are mechanically simple, yet shockingly challenging. You will fail a fair amount. Both also rely heavily on background and world design to convey a dark, discomforting environment. What either game is actually about is open to interpretation, but there is no shortage of environmental design elements that push a disquieting atmosphere. If the world in Inside is mysterious and subtle, however, the world of Little Nightmares is a bit more upfront. Creepy humanoids giving chase are replaced by disfigured and disgusting beings that are only slightly human.
What Little Nightmares has going for it is a bit more cohesion in its art style and tone of adventure. Most impressive is the effectiveness of an almost claymation-like look to both the characters and their movement. It almost feels as if you are playing in a darker, somehow stranger Tim Burton movie. It's astounding how such a style can create so many terrifying and discomforting creatures and moments. Not only does it give the game a unique visual element that separates it from so many other games; it goes a long way to making players feel anxious.
A key difference from comparable games (like the aforementioned Limbo or Inside) is that it uses the foreground and background, whereas those other games have you move only left and right. The end result of allowing front and back movement is a depth that makes platforming moments more challenging. That, in turn, also adds to the tension since screwing up an angle can result in being caught by one of the pursuing monsters.
As the game progresses, things get even more twisted and frightening. The penultimate "level" involves sprinting by a group of fat, gigantic, disturbing people hellbent on eating you. They spill down the stairs and crash into the hallways in pursuit, almost as if they were in a Dark Miyazaki universe. I found myself gripping the controller so tightly that my fingers were sore, all because I had turned into a ball of stress! And, somehow, the final section gets legitimately scary! (I had yelped out lout a few times trying to beat the last monster/boss.)
Like Inside, one of the best aspects of the game is how little information it actually feeds you. Upon completion of the game, I immediately dove down the internet rabbit holes for theories of what it all meant. The game is filled with messed up concepts - like the consumption of children - and even a fair amount of Holocaust imagery. The little kid that is controlled by the player even has moments that are startling! Additionally, the complete lack of clues or pesky control reminders makes advancing feel even more satisfying. Many major games tend to hold your hand, making sure you never get stuck. This - like Inside - never gives clues. It never explains anything outside the basic controls at the very beginning of the game. Getting through the next section is incredibly satisfying because you can feel your brain putting it all together.
Perhaps the hardest thing to talk about is just how surprising it was. While a comparatively short game, it is also one of those things where the less you know, the better it is. For me, it started strong and finished stronger. I had no idea what the game was or what was in store; I loved every second of it. It's a small game that came out of nowhere to become one of my favorites in years. In fact, I'd argue it's better than Inside (even if just slightly). I want to rave about it more, but I also don't want to ruin any part of it. Suffice it to say, this is one that I will regularly recommend to people.
As an aside, I would also recommend checking out the DLC. "The Depths" was one of the most tense levels of any game I've played. Essentially, recall how horrifying and stressful the "mermaids" were from Inside, then stretch that out for an entire DLC package. (It's also cool in the way that it sort of recycles levels from the main game, but in different ways.) I'm not a big fan of DLC overall, but it's definitely worth it.
REDUCTIVE RATING: Amazing! Definitely play it!
Systems: XBox One, PS4, Steam
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