Introducing A New Nightmare – Little Nightmares CE

Summer is a bad period for writing articles: not only is so damn hot that finding a proper inspiration is a real challenge but, once you manage to find it, you are likely to be far from your writing device (e.g. on the shore). In addition, at least every now and then, we do need a break from our games.

Nonetheless, there is always time for a new gem, especially if it can be played from start to finish in a matter of an afternoon. Little Nightmares is just that, a nice little game (just 5 chapters that can be played under 45 minutes each) but can truly give you something.

In the game, you impersonate Six, a little girl (or, rather, a yellow raincoat with 2 skinny legs …) trying to escape a mysterious and thrilling place. Nothing is said about who you are, why you ended up there and what is going up in this place, but there sure is nothing good here.

The level’s layout is very simple yet, due to a perfect mix of sounds and lighting, they perfectly render how a little creature would feel in such a dreadful place while trying to seek a way out without dying in the process.

The different environments always give you a sense of dismay and the difference in proportions between little Six and the surroundings contributes to making you feel small and in danger every single minute of your gaming session.

The story unfolds through various environments, and very grotesque creatures will be on hot pursuit most of the times. Being a little girl there is not much you can do to defeat your enemies, so you will need good timing to hide and escape. Stealth (and platform) is the core mechanics of the game, but it also sports some interesting (albeit not-to-difficult) puzzles.

The game environments are often dark and claustrophobics, but from time to time a single view will give you an idea of where you really are. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does the sense of wonder is at its best.

Little Six will have other errands to run before her quest is over and, despite what you may think, it won’t be easy but it will be rewarding.

Less than five hours will be enough to finish the game and get all the collectables, but this does not mean that Little Nightmares is a poor game. On the contrary, I do believe that this is a really good game, that perfectly does what it is called to do from the start to its astonishing end. In addition, not only the game is good in itself, but it is also available in a nice Limited Edition. This LE features a set of stickers, the soundtrack in physical copy, a poster and a short comics that introduces the whole story.

The masterpiece, though, is the nice figurine you can admire below: it is small and rather simple, yet it really captures the mood of the game. Little Six feels almost real under your hands, scared and hungry, while she tries to escape a series of events that would be overwhelming even for an adult.

As Tony did before with his Horizon: Zero Dawn article, I decided to review both the game and the Limited Edition at the same time, but I will give an overall score instead of two separate ones. I approached this game in a rather sceptical way and I must actually thank my little son for convincing me to buy it. He realized before I did that this game had a very good potential which, I believe, can be perceived from the screenshots I took while playing. I hope you guys can give this game a chance and, in my humble opinion, a score of 9 is very well deserved.

Thank you for reading.