‘Little Nightmares II’ a dream come true for horror fans
“Little Nightmares II” largely sticks to the same formula that made the first game so effective: a spooky, terrifying atmosphere and building a sense of dread. The result is a truly scary experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Players take control of a new character, Mono, while Six, the protagonist from the first game, joins the story as an AI controlled companion. The story is never in your face, leaving the player to infer a lot of what is happening in a world that is both bleak and visually stunning. While you don’t need to know the first game’s story, the sequel will be more fulfilling if you do.
Rather than go for jump scares, “Little Nightmares II” builds tension leaving players with an uneasy feeling throughout the game. The slow burn pays off with some truly terrifying moments made all the more effective by a feeling of helplessness and vulnerability. Instead of overpowering bigger enemies, your only recourse is to hide and sneak. And despite this being the main way of advancing through levels, it never feels tired or old. Some light combat is added, but don’t expect this to turn into an action game. Weapons are oversized, causing Mono to drag and swing slowly. Puzzle solving is satisfying, especially since “Little Nightmares” mostly leaves you alone to figure out the answers.
The real stars of the game are the enemies. They are creepy and scary and the game shines as you watch them interact in the environments. “Little Nightmares II” is at its best when you can see the enemy in plain sight and have to sneak past them without being seen.
Six will help you in certain moments, leading the way in chase sequences while also providing a boost up to reach higher points, but it seems like a missed opportunity to do something deeper. From a gameplay perspective, having moments that required truly teaming up with Six beyond simplistic tasks would have made the connection stronger. Six does, however, add to the narrative in important ways.
The controls also can sometimes frustrate. This is not a precise platformer, and in moments where you need to complete an action quickly, there were a few times that the controls seemed to be a little too unfocused, causing some annoying deaths.
Despite a few minor gripes, “Little Nightmares II” largely succeeds in being a terrifying experience that can be completed relatively quickly. Its story will leave you with questions (in a good way) and wanting to know more about the world.
“Little Nightmares II” doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it continues what made the first game so excellent and continues to provide a unique, exciting and horrifying experience. “Little Nightmares II” is a dream come true for horror fans.
Contact Lukas Eggen at leggen@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279. Follow @lukaseggen on Twitter.