Reanimal (Xbox Series X) – Review

Developer Tarsier, the team behind the first two Little Nightmares games, yes, only the first two, the third game was developed by Supermassive Games, is back with their latest instalment, “Reanimal”.

​Reanimal follows a brother and sister as they navigate an island where they once lived, as they set out to rescue their friends from the nightmare-filled horrors that are lurking around every turn.

​This nightmare-filled atmosphere hits you immediately as the game starts off with the brother steering a small, barely seaworthy boat through thick fog in search of his sister. He soon finds her lifeless body floating in the sea, guided by nothing but the sound of buoy bells ringing, and faint lights visibly blinking in the distance.

​Much like the Little Nightware games, exploration and puzzle-solving are vital to your progression. It involves you sailing your little rickety boat to different locations around the island in search of your lost friends. Things like locked doors require you to find keys, bolt cutters to remove chains from gates, or even, at one point, a large stranded whale-like creature missing a required eyeball in order for it to move from blocking your path to processing.

​Each area you visit introduces a lingering, grotesque creature in the background, followed by some puzzle-solving and platforming, then, out of nowhere, a boss fight encounter and some epic chase sequences.

​Reanimal introduces some new gameplay elements, such as boat driving, light combat, and even a scuba diving section, all of which are slowly introduced as the game progresses. Like the Little Nightmare games, Reanimal can be played either solo with an AI companion or in co-op, both online or locally. I tried out both solo and online co-op modes and was very surprised by how well the AI partner performs, such as illuminating dark paths when needed and responding to any of my commands promptly.

​My only real criticism with how the controls worked or responded, which was kind of the same in the Little Nightmare games, was that at times, you had to be SPOT ON when it came to hitting a button. The game sometimes requires you to be exactly where it wants you to be, or your input doesn’t register, and you find yourself dying over and over. While this only happened a few times, when it did, it did become frustrating.

​While the game isn’t an open world, you are able to free roam a little. You can find a few small routes and hidden areas branching off from the main areas, where you can find collectibles like additional marks, posters nailed to walls, or small hidden coffins with ghost kids you can free.

Outside of these kinds of things, Reanimal follows a very linear style of play. Reanimal will take around six hours to complete, maybe a little longer if you like to go around and collect everything.

Visually, Reanimal is stunning. The island and waters you explore genuinely look and feel like you shouldn’t be there. Barns and buildings are half collapsed, giving off “Do Not Enter” vibes, or a cinema that looks like it should be shut down, but neon lights still glow invitingly at the entrance. As eerie as the locations are, they are equally breathtaking at the same time.

​The sound design in Reanimal fits perfectly with the game’s visual tone. From creaking floors, distant bangs, and other haunting noises, to the disgusting sounds of the loose-skinned bodies sliding across the floors, it all sets the tone and feel of the game perfectly.  

​Reanimal dives further into its horror elements and themes compared to the Little Nightmare games, all while adding even more combat and exploration into the mix. Reanimal ticks all the right boxes, bringing us a dark atmosphere and tone to tell a strange and twisted story.