The first time I heard about this game was on Facebook. There was a post shared by one of my friends stating that the game was “creepy”. While looking at the snippet image, I got curious then I clicked on the video. Watching the gameplay hooked me up to see what else the game had to offer. I did my research and there it was: Little Nightmares is being developed by Tarsier Studios — the team behind Tearaway Unfolded and DLCs for LittleBigPlanet.
Little Nightmare is an adventure-puzzle platformer title with a horror atmosphere — the game doesn’t really fit the “horror” genre totally but the atmosphere does bring out some. Bandai Namco Entertainment has a booth at the Electronic Sport and Gaming Summit 2016 event held in the SMX Convention Center at Pasay City, Philippines. I was able to get my hands on the demo, and it was interestingly creepy and distorted.
You take control of a tiny little girl who’s wearing a yellow pointy-hooded raincoat in a room with 2 single beds that are stuck together. The tutorial begins within the room to give you some idea on how the control works before you go into another room. It’s pretty basic and it does have a solid core mechanic of a puzzle-platormer gameplay: grab items or things, jumping, climbing, and running. The demo was short like about 15 minutes or so.
You can also light up a lighter to serve as your guide in dark places. Then you have to also hide from an ugly fat chef with a distorted face figure who’s going catch you if you’re seen. Hiding under tables, chairs, beds, or any spot you can get inside will be your key to survive.
Even if you have the ability to outrun the ugly chef, he/she is not as stupid as you think. The chef will reach the bottom part of any possible spot you’re hiding, and you have to make sure that there is another way to get out from your desired hiding place. When the Chef noticed my presence, the PS4 controller started to beat slowly and slowly then fast with a strong vibration when the Chef was near me. This made me felt some thrills and intensity that made me say “don’t notice me, don’t notice me…”
As creepy as it is, Little Nightmares does bring out potential as a contender in the puzzle-platformer genre. With its sleek visuals and great film grain effects, it makes the game’s atmosphere sinister. I’m looking forward to play Little Nightmares once it’s launched in 2017.
Little Nightmares will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017.
