There’s something perpetually fascinating about exploring a world built for normal-sized beings when you’re incredibly tiny. It’s the classic “Borrowers” fantasy, where a morsel of cheese can feed a family for a month, and a discarded glove becomes a cozy home.
Games have explored this concept for years, from the classic Micro Machines to the more recent platforming gem of It Takes Two.
Hannah is a platformer that embraces this size-shifting premise while delving into darker themes and horror. Let’s shrink down and explore this intriguing world.
The game throws you headfirst into its narrative without context or explanation. As you progress, fragments of the story are revealed through surreal visuals, collectible videotapes, and the environment itself.
You play as a young girl named Hannah, navigating a distorted dreamscape shaped by her memories and fears. A sense of dread and terror pervades the atmosphere as strange creatures pursue you. While searching for her lost doll, Hannah uncovers a much deeper and darker mystery. I appreciated the game’s approach to storytelling, reminiscent of the haunting narratives found in games like Little Nightmares.
Unlike the 2D Little Nightmares, Hannah is a 3D puzzle platformer. You’ll engage in typical platforming activities: jumping, climbing, activating switches, and scaling ropes. And to help matters, the camera can be adjusted to three different perspectives: close-up, a medium shot, and that of a longer viewpoint. However, the control scheme is unconventional and occasionally counterintuitive. For instance, climbing ropes requires using the RB and LB buttons, which deviates from the typical control conventions of making the most of a thumbstick.
The gameplay offers a mix of platforming challenges, boss battles, and environmental puzzles. While generally enjoyable, the lack of clear instructions can be overwhelming at times, leaving you unsure if you’re progressing in the right direction. However, Hannah cleverly guides you without excessive hand-holding. But that said, there are a good few rough edges; places where I became stuck in the scenery, requiring a restart. Thankfully, these instances were infrequent and didn’t significantly detract from the experience.
The visual design is a highlight, presenting a twisted dream world filled with distorted objects and unsettling imagery. It evokes the atmosphere of Little Nightmares while maintaining its own unique identity. And Hannah also manages to pay homage to the 1980s with collectible VHS tapes, oversized computers and televisions, and a terrifying robotic creature straight out of a childhood nightmare.
Accompanying that gameplay, the audio design is equally impressive, featuring a haunting soundtrack and unsettling sound effects that – at times – may well make you jump out of your skin.
Despite its unconventional controls, lack of initial context, and occasional rough edges, Hannah offers a decent experience. The dreamlike horror atmosphere, intriguing puzzles, and unique visual design create a memorable adventure. It must be said that the controls take some getting used to, but get a hang of that and you’ll find that the gameplay is ultimately rewarding.
Hannah is a game worth experiencing, if only as it is full of creative ideas and some lovely imagery.
Hannah: A 3D Cinematic Platformer Explores Childhood Trauma on Xbox and PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/hannah-a-3d-cinematic-platformer-explores-childhood-trauma-on-xbox-and-pc/
Buy Hannah on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/hannah/9P05C27SCRGS
i will give this one a go sounds interesting