A Terrifying Return to The Maw
The Xbox Live Arcade introduced us to some belters of games in its early days and one of those was Limbo. This game paved the way for wordless narratives, as 2D platformers mixed with horror fairytale vibes to create some amazing backdrops and additive gameplay. Others followed suit with some amazing results, including the seminal game, Inside.
But in 2017, a game was introduced that nailed dreamlike horror on another scale. That game was Little Nightmares, and it spawned some very successful DLC, sequels, and some brilliant cosplayers.
Little Nightmares III has been the main thrust for 2025, but alongside that comes the original game, in Enhanced Edition form. Let’s go back to the Maw.
Six’s Escape
Unless you go big with the Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition Complete Edition, you don’t get access to the Enhanced Edition DLC packs with the base game, which I think is a bit of a shame and it would have been nice if everything had been included as one. But even without that Complete Edition, you do get to take in this excellent game again, all the way through, fully enhanced.
But what does ‘enhanced’ mean? Well, it has been lifted in terms of animation, visuals, and some optimisation overall. But let’s start from the point of view that you have never played Little Nightmares before and do the set-up.
You play a little girl called Six, who is dressed in a yellow waterproof coat, with a hood on so you can’t see her face and is barefoot. She wakes up in the luggage department of a huge ship called The Maw. Why she is there or how she got there is up for grabs. All you need to know is that she needs to escape, but a ravenous hunger is stopping her in her tracks. What can she eat to help her?
As you progress through the game, there are no words or voice-over to help with the story, apart from a few simple gameplay instructions. So, the story and narrative are up to you to piece together and interpret as you go. It’s worth noting that this game has some of the best visual storytelling that there is. Locations are amazing, and you can only guess at the purpose of this place. Little figures in pointy hats run around, huge grotesque creatures lumber about the place, and monsters from your worst nightmares hunt you. It’s an amazing adventure and one that I loved playing again, feeling very much like it was my first time.
Platforming, Puzzles, and Paranoia
Gameplay takes place in the 2.5D environment and consists of you moving Six across the world with a small number of tricks up her sleeve. You can run, walk, and jump, slightly. You have to press the RT button to hang onto things like ledges or pushing boxes or pulling levers. You have a light source that you have to engage with to light up the very dark corners and there is a stealth button to use, which allows you to travel across certain areas unseen. You will come up against creatures that will chase you and kill you if caught in an instant. So every time you die, and you will die, you end up back at a checkpoint, sitting down to go again.
Platforming is key to the gameplay, and you will be climbing, running, and traversing across all manner of areas, both vertical and horizontal. There is an element of puzzle-solving, and there are some boss battles that range from the running and jumping escape sequences to a more cerebral boss encounter. Overall, except for some accuracy elements in the platforming itself, the whole experience is an engaging and entertaining romp, working a 2 to 3-hour running time.
Enhanced Graphics and Haunting Audio
In this Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition, the changes are more prominent. There is our old favourite, ray tracing, making an appearance in lighting and things like reflections on the water. The contrasts in colour are more striking this time too, but the whole game is still as stunning as ever in terms of design; even more so. And the sound design is stunning, with some brilliant effects that make you squirm and shudder, from the chopping of meat, to the creak of a floorboard. The score is so subtle and haunting that it gets into your very bones.
An Enhanced Masterpiece
It’s wonderful to play through Little Nightmares again, this time in Enhanced Edition form. The graphical updates are the biggest thing to mention and you can really see them working on screen. It’s a shame the DLC isn’t included in the base package, but for newcomers, Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition is an absolute indie masterpiece.
Important Links
Buy Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/little-nightmares-enhanced-edition-xbox-series-xs/9N8Q6DRTG22H/0010
There’s a Complete Edition including DLC – http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/little-nightmares-enhanced-edition-complete-edition/9P8DXV2JD3H7/0010
