The story of Reanimal is shrouded in mystery similar to the Little Nightmares series. The oppening act shows 5 kids stare down a well before one of them wakes up in a boat going with the current. The character is known as The boy and
he wears a hoodie that cover his face that also has a rope around its neck. The boy is moving the boat around and is guided by the red flashing lights ofseveral buoys in the water. Eventually he finds his sister, the girl which he thought was dead.
The two seems lost in a dark and scary world. Unlike Little Nightmares, most of the structure is human sized. The heroes attempt to go around looking for their fellow friends, Bucket, Hood and Bandage. The world seems abandoned, however they ll soon get to realize
that this world is most scary and dark than they thought. The remaining humans seems to have turned into monsterous creature which chase the kids around with the goal of killing them. Human and animals looked carnivorous and have different abilities that they ll use to kill
the heroes. One of the is the Sniffer, a man looking creature that can go inside the body of dead humans and even teleport through them. Another one is the Skins, humans without any bones that slither around.
The kids will have to search for their friends in different areas around this world, phasing different obtacles with each island they visit. Meanwhile something terrible seems to be growing in the background and its ready to unleash hell uppon this world.
Will the heroes find their friends?
What happened to this world?
What is growing in the background?
Will the kids make it out in one piece?
I personally liked the narrative of Reanimal. It introduced us to a new dark apocalyptic world which by simply manuvering around it generates multiple questions, as to how did we get here, what happened to this world, and many more which instantly triggered my curiocity. Ofcourse most of these questions are answered however some are left to the interpretation of the player which for me is AMAZING. I love going into the community forums and search for answers, sharing opinions and see what other people say about the game. During the time with the game the brain creates various scenarios of what is going on and never loses interest. The world design and atmosphere set a great environment and the horror once again was not relying on simpy jump scares.
The one thing Tarsier knew after working in Little Nightmares 2, is that their player base was expectating that their next work(at the time Little Nightmares 3)would have Co-op. Reanimals, full trailer released made sure to inlclude two heroes working together in order to suvive the threats. And with that Co-op was confirmed. In interviews the developers confirm the inclusion of Co-op as well as the opportunity to play the game
in Single player similar to LN2 where one character would be controlled by Ai. As the release date was approaching, it was revealed that the game would not only have online Coop but will also have Local Coop Something that Little Nightmares 3 was lacking. Similar to It takes two, Reanimal would have a Friend Pass. The friend pass allows people to download the game for free, but wont be able to play
it unless a person who owns the game invites them to play together. The person owning the pass will have to accept a direct invitation or enter the password which the game owner and host will tell them.
Whether or not you re playing solo or with a friend, you have to select whether or not you will be playing as the boy or as girl. The player hosting the game will always pick the first character making the other be the one that remained. Gameplay wise both characters play similarly. The two kids can walk, sprint, jump,
turn on their light(lighter for the boy and lamp for the girl) and use their mellee weapons once obtained. Additionally the kids can interact with items around the world, such as picking items to hold or throw, use the guns or even carry them to use for extra weight. Theres also an interaction button that is mostly used in
single player to call uppon the bot to help you. In coop you can technically speak within a party or if you re not in party they ll just hear you shout "Hey".
Unlike the Little Nightmares series, the worlds size is pretty much the same as your character's but it still feels like its big and scary. The way that the game is proceeding is through Teamwork. The boy and the girl cannot
survive on their own and the devs made sure to kill the players given that they distant themselves from each other. Aside from that, the players cannot proceed unless the heroes help each other. For example, many puzzles require both
heroes to collaborate. One player holds the lever whilst the other crosses the bridge, the two need to work together to use the two man crosscut saw to cut down the tree. The games knows it was build for Co-op and its shown. Even the
main means of transportation relies on teamwork. The boat which is the main means of transportation will hove one player steering it whilst the other will light the way or defend it from enemies. In others, one will steer whilst the other
presses the gas and the breaks etc.
The game offers a decent variety of enemies and Boss Encounters. Human proportion enemies like the shadow kids and the birds can be dealt with the mellee weapons of the heroes, the boy has a crowbar which he swings around and uses to open doors where
as the girl has a knife. Hitting them a couple of times will eventually knock em out. Whilst on the boat, the players are given spears which they can throw on enemies. Who ever enters the boat first will steer it whilst the second one will defend it.
The boss encounters of the game are unique and offer memorable moments and encounters. All of them have stealthy moments where you avoid them and try to hide, they have a chase sequents and ofcourse a way to deal with them. Some are fought with the melees after certain events,
other will have you use means of attack and others will be trapped. Each is unique and different.
Death can be a repeated element during your adventure, after all everything out there is there to get you killed. Similarly the constructions are not child friendly and re filled with traps and holes for the players to fall in. If one player dies the other one does as well and the two will have to
respawn back to the last checkpoint. Thankfully, the devs added alot of chepoints so it wont feel as punishing. However, this is a Tarsier game, which if you played Litlle Nightmares 1&2 you know their checkpoints re well spread and unlike Little NIghrmares 3 they dont appear
as often as taking 20 steps. For example if you got caught near the end during a chase sequence you ll have to repeat the entire thing. The death animations dont hold back on the horror as you can see bosses picking you up and eating your head off your character or smashing you againts the wall.
I genuently loved the gameplay or Reanimal, it delivered what a certain other game failed to. The setting and the atmosphere on their own make you advance through this world with caution. The characters both play similarly but their tools differ. For example the boy can use his crowbar in different areas to help him smash through doors or remove wood that blocks certain paths. Ofcourse on his own he is weak but thats why he has his sister with him. The combat feels like an upgraded version of the one found in Little Nightmares 2 with Mono hitting the bullies. The boat, tank and car sections each felt unique and once again gave each player one job to focussed on. The puzzles were similar to those of Little Nightmares where you had to think and work together in order to solve them. All the enemies felt unique from the big bosses to the smaller ones. Some like the skins cannot be defeated and you have to run away, others you had to hit with your weapons and in others you had to use the environment for your advantage. The progression through the world felt natural and the transiction made sense. For example in one level you build a handcar that you use to escape and transit into the next level. In another one you have a whale looking creature blocking your path and has you dive down the ocean to do stuff to make it move and others. These small details made the world feel more alive and interconnected.
Similar to other story driven Co-op games, replayability exist by allowing the players to play the game again but this time swap characters or even play it with a new partner. Afterall your partner is half the experience. Aside from playing the game with different people, the game has
certain collectables that are actually worth collecting. The first thing is Posters, around the world the heroes can find posters attached to the world and uppon picking them the players unlock artwork for the game. Moreover, the players can pick up different hats that the
players can equip to change their looks. Last but not least the players can spot coffins. These coffins show something unique uppon finding them and will also unlock the games Secret Ending.
The game is said to have 3 chapters releasing between 2026 to 2027 which will expand on the story and the world.
On the visual department, Tarsier does what its known best for and delivers a creepy and dark atmosphere where the imagery alone is enough to tell the story and set the tone. Paying attention to the backrground can give you multiple answers as to what is going on. For example, in the early chapters you walk into the
cinema and a small clip is playing which at first looks random but once you realise what it shows it explains alot. The kids themselves hide their faces and have weird designs that uppon finding certain collectables it explains their fashion choice. For example, why does the boy wear a noose around its neck and a burlap sack
on its head. The devs once again do not rely on jump scares to make you afraid BUT they do rely on chase sequence and environments that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The Monster looks as well as thei animations can sent a chill under you spine and the death animations do not hold back this time around. Overall this has to be one
of Tarsiers best visual game.
Audio wise the game does a good job on capturing the feeling/essence of the location. The oppening scene alone has the boy on a boat alone with nothing but the waves splashing on the boat and the buoys alarming him until he finds the girl. In the forest you hear their footsteps as they make their way around tall grass. I remember
i wasnt paying attention to what was infront of me as i was trying to see what was in the backround and a chicken just well which got me off guard. There is a chilling OST in the background but it always takes second place to the sound effects and the noices of the environment. In other sections whilst in the dark you hear an ice cream van
sound in the background that instantly makes you have a cold sweat. During the underwater level, the bass is increased whilst the sound is cut off which was once again shows their attention to detail. Not to mention that for the first time they implemented Voice acting. Even though they hired actors the game still remains a worldess game for
most of its run and the voice acting does not try to paint you a clear picture of the narrative to take away its magic of figuring it out.
Overall, Tarsier Studios delivered us the true successor of the Little Nightmares Series. They delivered us a new universe that is shrouded in mystery and horror from the start to finish. Its main narrative delivered a plot that will
have the fanbase discuss idead and interpetations of the story whilst providing a decent ammount of information and details. The gameplay took everything that work on LN1 & LN2 and improved whilst enchancing the overall experience. The
game also supports Local and Online Co-op where a friend can join you. A friend pass is also available for people to download and play with you without the need of purchasing the copy themselves.
Graphically the game creates a nice horror atmosphere that when combined with the audio will sent shivers down your spine. The imagery went a bit darker than what we got used to but i do not mind. I liked it. Uppon completing the game, the
player can play the game with other people or even reverse the roles(even though it wont change much.), The game offers alot of collectibles that enchance the experience and dont feel like an after thought. The game is said to have 3 chapters DLC
that will be releasing throughout the upcomming years.
The main negative thing i could pitch about the game is pretty much its length even though for me it was okay. The game can be completed within 3 hours and 5-6 for a 100% completion. However the experience it offers to me is well deserved and i cannot
wait to come back to the game once the DLCs re out. If you re in the skeptical side, wait for the game to be in discount.
