Reanimal - Review
When REANIMAL was first teased, it had Little Nightmares vibes all over it and, it was only later realising that the studio that were creating it, are obviously the same that created the first two Little Nightmares games. There are a lot of similarities, but also differences in terms of what was visually being teased. All I knew was that I was excited to play their next iteration of the genre, but in a new and fresh title. The question is, would this exceed Tarsier Studios’ previous games?
First off, it’s very clear that the atmosphere in REANIMAL is extremely creepy, and keeps you on edge the whole time. Sure there are moments where it does give you the jump scare, but predominantly, Reanimal just keeps you on edge where your toes are just curled for most of the game. This naturally comes from just the visual elements of creatures that look like humans chasing you, but also just their skins slithering across the ground trying to capture you. Now that’s obviously only a small giveaway, but REANIMAL is definitely a game you need to experience for yourself. So, going in blind is definitely the best way to go, as opposed to trying to look things up and knowing what to expect. To be fair, the narrative is extremely vague, so you have to try and piece things together as you play along and unfold the story. So even trying to explain what the narrative is, what the motivation of the character that you play is, where are they going, why are they going… it's all a question that isn’t easily explained.
One thing that can be said is that you can definitely feel and see Tarsier Studios’ design aesthetic all over this, as expected. If you feel that it’s similar or the successor of Little Nightmares 1 and 2, then you’re absolutely correct. This feels so similar in a lot of ways, and as mentioned, also so different. If you thought Little Nightmares was scary, Tarsier Studios have definitely taken it up a notch. From their extremely creepy characters to the environment, and even to the colour palette selection throughout the game. It’s all done subtly in the background. Even hints of where you need to get to are all designed intentionally and you might not even notice.
Playing on Nintendo Switch 2 is probably one of the best ways to experience this game as it lets players dock their Switch 2 for single or multiplayer, but also allows them to play on the go. The controls are simple enough that even someone who’s not a gamer would easily pick this up. However, whether they do or not is purely dependent on if they get enjoyment from the horror genre. Playing with the Joy-Con 2 in handheld mode, really brings home the danger when the HD Rumble 2 is allowed to cook, and in turn it ramps up the tension.
A lot of what makes this game scary is not the jump scares, but rather the character design - both friend and foe, along with the world itself. That is going to be the biggest challenge for anyone who is not a fan of spooky games, because the world itself is quite dark and you will spend a lot of time trying to see things. The game does provide your character with a little lighter, which can produce a little light for you to see, but that can just make the shadows even darker, which might not help anyone scared of the dark. All this is intentional, the game is designed to be dark and while some players may find that to be frustrating, those who understand the studios style and the genre it is, will likely enjoy the visual style, even more once you blend it with the great audio design.
Yes, REANIMAL has incredible sound design, which results in an absolute killer of a horror themed game. Slight movements in the shadow with creaking noises, scratches at walls makes all the difference when you’re intensely sneaking around. The sound design is detailed to the point where when there’s a bomb that went off nearby, you’re stuck with a high pitched ringing noise, much like having tinnitus, which eventually fades away as you slowly recover. It’s definitely enough to make you feel disorientated. Of course, playing this in handheld mode with a nice set of headphones on, really drove home some of those moments, which is always nice.
One call out that was outstanding was the way you’d move the character for a horror adventure platformer. Not only do you move sidewards from left to right (and vice versa), but the game makes players move towards the foreground, background. The game has created all chase scenarios intense with surroundings and objects in the way, making players have to think quick-smart and navigate through the level design.
REANIMAL clearly has its similarities to Little Nightmares, which isn’t a bad thing. For the fans of that series, this is definitely its spiritual successor. They’ve made a really great horror genre adventure game that will definitely put players in an uncomfortable position that would make your toes curl. The only main criticism is the fact that the game felt relatively short. Either that, or it was so good that it left me wanting more. It also makes sense with the duration to complete the game being shorter as there are DLCs being released later to extend the game’s narrative. For the fans of Tarsier Studios, this is definitely one to get. For those who love the genre, I'm pretty sure you won’t regret it. The only thing you’ll regret is not making a quick decision while being chased.
The Score
8.0
Review code provided by THQ Nordic
The Pros
Created an extremely creepy environment, dialed it up from its predecessors
Spiritual successor to Little Nightmares 1 & 2
The Cons
Felt a little short, but it could be because the game was so good
A little dark at times, but is by design to match the horror genre
