Review of Little Nightmares 2

Little Nightmares 2 is a sequel to the original game that tells the origin story of Six. Let's figure out what the second part of the horror platformer turned out to be.

A little boy wakes up in a forest clearing, an old, disproportionately huge TV set, bathed in an eerie blue light from an electro-ray tube, stands on the side. Soon our hero Mono will meet the protagonist of the original Little Nightmares - and also face his fears. In this world, you are constantly pursued by huge creatures, at best regarding Mono as a small parasite that should be got rid of. A professionally designed and maximally finished sequel says one thing - the first game was not an accident!

I fell in love with the structure and world of Little Nightmares 2, despite its terrible inhabitants. The game is divided into several episodes, in each of which Mono and Six must face some kind of huge monster. The task is simple - escape from the monster in order to get to the next area, solving puzzles in parallel and trying to avoid lines of sight. In the first game there were some unforgettable clashes. For example, with the janitor who tried to grope Six blindly, using his outstretched arms. I wasn't sure if the new game would be able to replicate something like that and savethread the atmosphere and fear from such meetings, but all fears were misplaced.

Little Nightmares 2 will give you much more disgusting enemies, including a teacher. And despite some disgusting picture, it will be interesting for you every time to look at what these strangely animated humanoids are capable of and how they move. While they are able to get into almost every corner of the room, in 95% of cases you stay downstairs, and are forced to urgently seek shelter. You will have to wait for the teacher to turn to the blackboard to scratch out another nonsense for ceramic schoolchildren with chalk, and later, while moving around the table with flasks, choose the moments while she stuffs the carved organs into empty cells on the anatomical model of a person in a school uniform.

There are a lot of terrifying imagery and a terrifying atmosphere, but Mono won't have to face it all alone. The creative puzzles are based on the teamwork of Mono and Six. The latter is controlled by AI. In general, the Sixth is a useful companion. She won't just give Mono a boost so he can jump to two??noy handles or climb a high cabinet. Occasionally, Six will leave visual clues as to where to go next or where the solution to a puzzle lies. Periodically, Mono is left alone, and this is an important move, because otherwise the game could lose all tension. And with each new level, fresh tests and mechanics appear, on which the further passage is built.

Little Nightmares 2 significantly expands the lore of the series. And this is the case when, before launching the sequel, I strongly recommend that you play the original game and its expansion. Without the backdrop that the original and the DLC create, the overall picture and story of the sequel will be less enjoyable. The second game is an improved version of what came out earlier. It retains the successful components of the original formula, while eliminating some of the unsatisfactory elements. For example, Mono automatically moves through narrow aisles, which is important given the dynamic positioning of the camera. Some jumping moments still feel awkward, but at least you don't have to slowly move through narrow pipes and boards, measuring each step. In the original, if you make a mistake at such moments, you simply fall down.

The core principle of the Little Nightmares series is partly reflected in its title: are you supposed to feel small and powerless??ny creation in the world of the game. Despite the fact that Mono can defend himself in some cases, he cannot be called some kind of full-fledged melee fighter. Picking up axes, hammers or pipes, he hardly protects his tiny miniature body. And in order to attack, it will take time to accumulate strength. And in these cases, you will not fight with huge enemies, but with the same miniature monsters. Any mistake costs Mono a life. However, well-placed checkpoints minimize the frustration of failure.

In the first game, I was fascinated by getting to know the bizarre world, trying to determine what place Six occupies in it. But everything is ambiguous, so there are many interpretations, and Little Nightmares 2 is even more speculative. There are new elements to consider, but after the shocking ending, you'll be left with even more questions. Fans of dark and sinister stories with atmospheric environments should consider Little Nightmares 2 one of the first, most important games for them in 2021.