As twisted and melting as the first Two Nights Dream was in terms of its overall presentation, you couldn’t help but appreciate this time difference. Tarsier Studios had amazingly designed two cult-favorite games, but after that, it was acquired by the Embracer Group, so, you wouldn’t get the same uniqueness with the third game. No disrespect to Supermassive Games, of course.
However, this move led to these folks creating REANIMAL, a co-op space horror game that ticks all the boxes for any Little Nightmares fan to check out. Deep down, it still has a lot of that hide-and-seek formula embedded in some of its standout gameplay, but over the top? It’s definitely their most ambitious game yet, in terms of scale systematics and level design.
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But is it enough to make it feel like a worthy successor to their work on Little Nightmares? Although it sticks to the finish safely, some REANIMAL pieces prove to be too expensive for their ambitious scope, and you’ll find out why with my review.
When Children’s Fears Come to Life
I won’t give too much away here, because at the end of the day it’s better that you enjoy the most of this painful situation. ReANIMAL’s main story involves two siblings, a boy and a girl, who seem to be exploring the dark landscape in search of their friends. From the opening sequence where you slowly save your sister’s seemingly unconscious figure from being blinded at sea to finally crossing a dark and worn-out island amidst a towering fog.
Tarsier Studios has been able to nail that element of unease ever since Little Nightmares, and that’s here in full force. If you look up, you have the basic idea you need to find out where each of your friends have gone in this terrible plan. But I want you to remember the keyword “discovery” because the fearless display of paranoia as you delve deeper into this myth sticks with you for a good time.
I’m someone who can’t handle a lot of horror games just because of the sheer amount of anxiety they can give me right away. Give me any of my guilty pleasure horror movies or any game of that nature, and I’ll eat that up even if it’s full of shiny jumpscares, but immersed in the horror video game itself? Just bury me 6ft under then.
Thankfully, REANIMAL sticks to the horror aspect of the atmosphere, just like its predecessors. Being stalked by a mysterious man who can pretend and move with corpses, a spider-like abomination that will chase you to the ends of the earth, or a Pterodactyl-like creature that charges you in your boathouses—REANIMAL has all those unpleasant moments and sequences.
Tarsier Studios has been able to nail that element of unease ever since Little Nightmares, and that’s here in full force.
I would argue that some parts of the main narrative feel out of place or clearly rushed, especially towards the end, which left me wanting more. The whole game just ends on such a note, though it has some voiceover moments to give it a chance to explain. Sure, those odd situations can break the barrier of total silence, but that kind of in-depth detail can make you feel vulnerable and desperate in their words.
Not that it’s bad to write anything, but then again, none of Little Nightmare’s titles stand out because of the rich narrative element; it’s always been about their intuitive platformer-esque gameplay and annoying yet terrifyingly engaging presentation. And REANIMAL achieves that despite anyone saying otherwise, as you’re about to find out.
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Like Two Aggrieved Peas in a Pod
REANIMAL doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel here; they used a tried and tested formula that somehow still feels appealing even now as it focuses on collaboration. Of course, keep in mind that this game won’t be Josef Fares level of thinking when it comes to co-op platformers, but for what it offers, you have one that keeps things simple, straightforward, but still thrilling.
Part of the scope I mentioned earlier is evident here, as REANIMAL is, in retrospect, more open than Tarsier’s previous titles. The game’s slight emphasis on exploration allows you to skip the main route, but not so far that you cry or get tired. Especially on the boat or in any cozy moments, you can find yourself getting new masks for your siblings to wear and posters to break down that creative mind opening for your viewing pleasure on the main menu.
To me, that’s a further indication of how to balance courage and safety in your work. This act of early exploration means that I can try to deviate or mess up. There wasn’t enough of this feature, but I’m glad it led to some fun times when I ended up falling to a side where I wasn’t meant to go, anyway, or being swallowed by that Pterodactyl creature in the sea because the game showed that it needs to die first in other ways with great progress.
And how well does this desire fit into the wings of the game, you wonder? Unfortunately, they are pretty self-explanatory. Again, I didn’t set my expectations too high here, expecting a world-class puzzle design like Portal 2. Most of the puzzles or obstacles are just a door key to solve, or rather, a wall that needs to be climbed over and over hand-held.
On the other hand, you have several outstanding sections, such as those underwater that will make you hold your breath without a mild thalassophobia or simply encounter where you will need to carefully cross treacherous walkways while tied together.
REANIMAL doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel here; they used a tried and tested formula that somehow still feels appealing even now as it focuses on collaboration.
It’s a decent middle ground here, as it’s not very easy to auto-drive through everything with your partner, especially if you need to find something hidden in the area or interact with it.
And there isn’t a dull moment here, as part of you will have you and your partner on the edge of your seat, trying to outrun or escape some dangerous abomination. Those escapisms are plentiful here, but so are those mini-fights where I swing a crowbar to protect my sister from a ghostly apparition.
However, there are very rare but welcome times when the game will give you an obstacle that rewards you for your careful observation of your surroundings. A cluster or glyph you examine during the game may be the code to activate the mortar cannon; it’s such a neat detail that you won’t even realize how important a small piece of decoration can be to the core game.
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The Power of Abstract Horror Lives On
Part of what made me think of Little Nightmares and games like Inside was the way they capture the terrifying yet strangely alluring state of loneliness or the complex fear of the unknown. All this stemmed from my childhood adoration of movies like that post-dystopian movie about those sewn dolls, Nine (9), or just Coraline by Tim Burton.
Suffice it to say, REANIMAL’s art exhibition makes me incredibly happy, similar to the awe I’ve had with the aforementioned horrors from my youth.
Almost every single important section or frame is thoughtful, low-key, if this is one show of art from the crazy artists at Tarsier Studios. A sense of hopelessness, fear, and sheer terror—intelligently conveyed through the smallest details of the environment or 3D models populated by siblings or an entire group of children.
One might even say it helps to elevate the game’s directional camera approach, as you’ll be constantly moving from room to room, each with a sinister object or sinister surprise tucked beneath its surface.
But when it needs to shift its focus to full-on panic, it’ll do so in an extreme way, whether it’s chasing the brothers’ POV or a distant angle as they enter a new level’s main building or infrastructure.
Every single detail is carefully considered, not thrown together for the purpose of causing panic. From the ruins of the mansion where the children wait for every opportunity to the tragic battlefield where the soldiers are brutally killed one after the other, this journey to hell never takes place full of hideouts, and even if it does, that quiet time of comfort never stops because the two brothers will face obstacles at each step.
REANIMAL stands as a confident continuation of Tarsier Studios’ design philosophy and a cautious step into new territory. While its popularity occasionally reveals cracks with fast narrative beats and safe puzzle design, its compelling atmosphere, stunning visuals, and connected co-op gameplay carry the experience from start to finish. For some, it may not reach the rigorously crafted heights of the lesser Nightmares, but it successfully captures that uneasy magic that made those games special. It’s not perfect, like everything in this mid-range or horror genre, but it’s a bold and uncompromising co-op adventure that shows Tarsier’s signature style still very much alive.
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