I was incredibly excited to get stuck into Little Nightmares 3. While I was saddened it wasn’t made by the devs of the first two games, Tarsier Studios, I was pleased that it was made by one of my favorite horror studios, Supermassive Games. The fact that, for the first time ever, this franchise was seeing multiplayer felt like a big deal to me. Before playing Little Nightmares 3, I always craved the feeling of a co-op adventure, especially in the second instalment. However, playing this new adventure quickly changed my mind.
Little Nightmares 3
Developer: Supermassive Games
Price: $39.99
Platform: PC (reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
MonsterVine was supplied with a Steam code for review
When it comes to the gameplay elements of Little Nightmares 3, Supermassive Games did knock it out of the park, giving it that same authentic feel and Tim Burton-esque enemies to run and hide from, with the side-scroller playstyle. This instalment takes you on a journey with two very unique characters named Low and Alone. Throughout your journey, you witness friendship, teamwork, and fear at the forefront of your experience. Much like the other two instalments, there are puzzles that will need to be solved, and a way to try and escape the world you are in, which is called Nowhere.
Little Nightmares 3 is unique in the sense that you have more interactables than just throwing a shoe. This time, you are equipped with a bow and a wrench, both of which have their own unique uses. You can also use a flower as a parasol that allows you to float through the air. I enjoyed these new dynamics, as it gave the game a more interactive feel than the last two, but for me, this was where the excitement ended.
Classic Jankiness
If you’re someone who struggles with depth perception, like me, this game is going to be a little nightmare (see what I did there?) I have always found the depth perception in the franchise to be janky. However, nothing could have prepared me for how much worse it felt when there was someone else playing with you.
While I was grateful for the opportunity to be able to play this with my partner, I was very unprepared for how hard chase scenes would be. Cue my partner and me getting stuck and body blocking each other for an eternity. Fine, it was funny the first three times. After that, both of us grew weary and frustrated with both the game and each other. The new mechanic of both characters having unique weapons made for some interesting moments, but ultimately, it just felt more frustrating than enjoyable. Specifically in the room with the bugs, where you have to team up and kill them before they touch you. It took us far too many tries to figure out what needed to happen, and we both grew weary by the time we completed that small challenge.
A Lot To Be Desired
All in all, Little Nightmares 3 didn’t impress me the way I was hoping it would. The story and aesthetics didn’t really stick out to me, and my partner and I found that we disconnected from the game a lot despite having a stable Internet connection.
I did enjoy the creepiness of the enemies, as they felt very traditionally Little Nightmares. However, there are only so many times you can listen to a creepy baby doll without getting sick of it. The aesthetic of the sandy desert and decrepit buildings reminded me somewhat of Journey, feeding into the feeling of being lost and helpless. That and the transition into medical rooms that you would wake up in felt like the overarching theme was abandonment and loneliness.
The story didn’t grab me the way Little Nightmares or Little Nightmares 2 did, but for what it was, the experience was enjoyable, once I got past the depth perception issues and miscommunication. Although I didn’t feel that the story was as scary as the second installment, it was still a gut-wrenching experience at times. I am glad that Supermassive Games didn’t make a rash decision to change up the core features of the Little Nightmares games, but the story for this one just didn’t feel as poignant as the last.
My experience with Little Nightmares 3 was just ‘alright’. My main enjoyment came from the new interactive features and the ability to play the game alongside my partner, allowing us to experience the journey together. I strongly dislike the fact that Supermassive Games has already announced a DLC for Little Nightmares 3, which will fill in any plot holes the game has. This is just another example of how toxic microtransactions have become, as the game wasn’t released in its full state. It’s safe to say I didn’t connect with the game and have a positive experience with it, and I hope that if a fourth game is made, it will be safely back in the hands of Tarsier Studios.
The Final Word
It’s safe to say I didn’t connect with the game and have a positive experience with it, and I hope that if a fourth game is made, it will be safely back in the hands of Tarsier Studios.
MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
