REANIMAL

REANIMAL is a game that takes everything Tarsier perfected in Little Nightmares and sharpens it into something darker, more relentless, and emotionally punishing. It rewards patience, observation, and careful thinking, but it doesn’t coddle you—the world is cruel and the horror lingers long after each encounter. It’s a more ruthless evolution of the formula, delivering a tense, interconnected journey that stands on its own while building on Tarsier’s legacy.

Reanimal is a short thrill ride, packed with stylish albeit somewhat repetitive set pieces, and truly nightmarish imagery. Despite its obvious connective tissue to Tarsier's previous franchise, it does enough to never feel derivative, and instead comes off as more of an evolution.

Reanimal is a very cinematic experience, in which platform and co-op mechanics are simply an addition. The plot takes centre stage here, and the themes and experiences suggested by the authors are probably more mature and serious than those in Little Nightmares. Reanimal is definitely a ‘big nightmare’ and the most bizarre, atmospheric game you will be able to play this year.

One of the most darkly beautiful games you’ll ever play – albeit in a very similar way to the Little Nightmares franchise games – Reanimal is a short but deeply immersive, edge-of-the-seat experience, at once touching and terrifying. Its world is hauntingly macabre, its stealth sections truly tense, its chases thrilling and its puzzles simple yet strangely rewarding. It (unobtrusively) holds your hand a fair bit, but you’ll be grateful for a hand to hold as it takes you deep into the more disturbing corners of 20th Century history, promising more dark DLC revelations to this story to come.

It feels like we've been waiting for it for a long time, but Little Nightmares dev Tarsier Studios has finally delivered its next game. Unsurprisingly, Reanimal feels very much like Little Nightmares in all but name. While it doesn't have the strongest narrative, stellar visuals, an eerie atmosphere and excellent environmental puzzles all more than make up for it.