LITTLE NIGHTMARES
Dreaming of a peculiar puzzler? Don’t sleep on this
That yellow raincoat is already tugging at the trouser-leg of ‘iconic’ status. Winking out of the grey gloom of this platformer, the colour of Six’s mackintosh is as brave as the kid herself. Dusty libraries; grisly kitchens; rooms where outsize showerheads loom like predators: Six will face it all, and throughout it all, that coat is a little light in the darkness. Tarsier Studios’ macabre art direction is spoton. You find yourself imprisoned in a strange, sea-bound vessel: The Maw. It’s a dim, dank hodgepodge of rooms that sways uneasily from side to side. Dust clouds shift and resettle, shafts of light throw odd shadows, and the camera gently pulls focus at timely moments to let you peer through the otherworldly fuzz. And this is all before you discover the lighter in your pocket. Tap e, and Six produces the tiny flame, casting flickers of gold to investigate dark corners.
It’s the ability to veer off-course that slightly separates Little Nightmares from Playdead’s similarly creepy fare, Limbo and Inside. You’re not bound to left-to-right running. With the trusty lighter in hand, poking about the threedimensional planes is encouraged. Haul yourself onto oversized swings for the fun of it, or hunt down hidden collectible statues to smash. Even in such a bleak setting, with escape the goal, there’s a sense that childlike curiosity is the crux of the game – a small, clumsy body navigating a world that’s not quite the right size for her yet.
SCARE PACKAGE
But as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Hungry Six is tempted into traps by morsels of meat, and horror is slowly revealed, like rows of sharp teeth in the grin of a bobble-headed, stubby-legged, spindly-armed man. Does that simile sound oddly specific? It should: this weirdo is one of the enemies Six must elude. Squeezing the left trigger lets our hero tiptoe quietly between desks and under floorboards (Mr. Tickle’s nightmare cousin is blindfolded with bandages, so even if he hears you, freezing in place may save your skin).
Next, you’ll meet screeching, wheezing chefs with gelatinous quadruple chins, and diners who don’t understand the concept of personal space in a level that’s reminiscent of Japanese animated masterpiece Spirited Away. But, barring a supremely unsettling final foe, that’s about it.
There are just five levels in Little Nightmares, each around an hour long. If you’ve been keeping an interested eye on this title, be warned: you’ve probably already seen a significant chunk of the game, so don’t expect much fresh hell. This goes doubly for the puzzle-platforming gameplay. The conundrums tend to be
“SIX’S JOURNEY IS ABSOLUTELY DRIPPING WITH ATMOSPHERE.”
simple hide-and-seek, key-inlock affairs – there’s little of Inside’s sophistication here, and your grey matter isn’t likely to be truly taxed. What is, however, is your patience with the fudgey controls. The combination of some strictly timed puzzles, the need to hold down i to keep gripping objects (such as keys) and r as both your sprint and action button makes for infuriating fumbles. Checkpointing is also too variable: a real annoyance given that trial-and-error reigns supreme in The Maw.
SIX TO DEATH
It’s a flaw that tends to suck the spooks out of the experience: that tense chase or thrilling lift sequence just isn’t as scary on the seventh or eighth go round. Nevertheless, although it’s not the smart psychological horror I would have liked, Six’s journey is absolutely dripping with atmosphere (and various unidentifiable icky liquids). There’s a cute, brief sequence in a room full of shoes that reminds me of Amnesia: The Dark Descent’s awful ‘water monster’, and a couple of puzzles towards the end involving mirrors convey – using no words at all – both story and solution with remarkable elegance.
Ultimately, Little Nightmares doesn’t disturb anywhere near as much as it could, whether that be the conventions of the genre or the depths of horrorlovers’ psyches. What this horribeautiful indie does have to offer, despite its stumblings, is something a bit different: a spirited little spot of light.
VERDICT
Lacklustre puzzling, fiddly controls and a brief runtime disappoint slightly. It’s not a must-play, but Six’s beautifully realised trip through The Maw is worth the small asking price and your afternoon. Jen Simpkins