Strolling through the woods in the middle of the night, not knowing where you head off as you are in search of a dear fellow. Bear traps everywhere, dead bodies hanging from a tree branch, covered in black goo as if it does not want to show you blood. As you approach a small cabin, danger lurks in every room. When you expect the unexpected, it turns out to be something else entirely. Little Nightmares II still consistently projects the eerie atmosphere the first game had, and Tarsier Studio’s demo of the upcoming sequel is quite a weird appetizer.
It’s a short one, but the demo successfully grabs you by the end of it, making you want for more. There’s still much to know more about Mono and how Six, the first game’s protagonist, met him. To add, what I liked about it is the consistency of the Little Nightmare’s universe. The studio did not stray away from the road of the uncanny world full of mysteries and distorted themes. However, I’m a little disappointed about the missed opportunity of a co-op feature.
Tarsier Studio did explain why they haven’t implemented co-op. During an interview, the studio explained that it will “clash” with the atmosphere of the game, and that “it was just the wrong choice”. Tarsier Studio then said, “It’s important that we have control over the tension and the tone… so we just knew that it was the right thing to go singleplayer.”
While there’s some truth into what the studio said, making co-op an optional feature than a required one wouldn’t entirely “clash” with what Little Nightmares II is trying to show. Make it optional, everyone loves a game where two people can at least be involved, to have fun and be terrified altogether.
However, the gameplay stays true to its formula as platforming and puzzles are still there, while easy, it’s a little clever like the first one. This time around, your adventure is going to involve an NPC who will help you overcome obstacles like trying to reach a tall platform or someone to hold the lever for you to get a key.
There’s just so much to look forward to in Little Nightmares II in terms of story and added gameplay mechanics. We can’t wait to get our hands on the game when it launches this February 11, 2021, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Litte Nightmares II demo is already on Steam and GOG, download it now and get a glimpse of the upcoming sequel.