The Nightmare Continues
Dreams are a strange thing, aren’t they? On average, we dream for about two hours a night, and these nightly visions can take the form of a coherent story or a sequence of completely random, surreal events. No one knows exactly why we dream either, with some scientific theories suggesting that it’s a system the brain uses for sorting out its short-term and long-term storage. Others think it’s the mind’s way of making us cope with stressful situations, presenting us with challenges in dreams that in turn boost our survival instincts in real life.
If my dreams were anything like the ones in the Little Nightmares series, I think I would simply never go to sleep again. Yes, the much-loved, delightfully macabre franchise is back for a third outing in Little Nightmares III, and here are our thoughts.
This is the first game in the franchise to be developed by a new team, as the original creators (those behind the original Little Nightmares) have branched out to make new work. This time around, with Little Nightmares III, a major new feature is that you can now play the entire game in full co-op mode, as well as in the traditional solo experience. You can even use the Friend’s Pass system, which allows a friend who doesn’t own the game to join your session, which is a fantastic addition.
The Spiral and Nowhere
Story-wise, the game’s setup will feel very familiar to fans of the series, featuring nightmarish worlds and strange, grotesque monsters hunting you relentlessly. You play as Low, who is desperately trying to escape a place called The Spiral with his buddy, Alone, in a twisted world known as Nowhere. There are no spoken words to describe all this, and I wouldn’t have known this unless I’d read the official blurb. The Spiral is a series of connecting mirrors that transport you into different realms of Nowhere. You are constantly on the run, moving through these unsettling worlds in a desperate bid for freedom.
The stories are formed from the very environments you are running through, and the strange places that you might only spend a few moments in often hold clues to what this bizarre world is all about. You will traverse a decaying fairground, a broken city haunted by a giant, monstrous baby doll, and a strange, dilapidated hospital for children. This time around, I feel the story is more emotional, and that’s due to the palpable bond that forms between the two main characters and the backstory that slowly unfolds.
Hammer and Bow
In gameplay terms, Little Nightmares III is much like the other two games but with one major, game-changing difference – both characters now have access to items that can be used as weapons, a first for the series. Low has a huge iron hammer that can smash down walls or activate certain environmental triggers. Alone is equipped with a bow and arrow that can be used to break ropes holding up platforms or to activate buttons from a distance.
Most importantly, these items can be used in combat together. For example, Alone can knock an enemy to the floor and knock off its head, and then Low can rush in to smash the dismembered head. This combination combat doesn’t happen often, but it is also used in a few key boss battles to great effect.
Puzzles, Platforms, and Perspective
Even though Little Nightmares III is clearly designed to be played in co-op, with lots of nice little puzzles that are specifically designed for two players, it’s still absolutely fine to play on your own. In fact, playing solo sometimes proved to be a benefit to me, as my partner would often show me the way forward when I was stuck, providing a subtle hint. You have a call button that you can use to shout for your partner, which can direct them to perform an action or simply bring them closer to you. This system works seamlessly.
The other core elements of the game will be very familiar to those who have played the previous entries in the franchise. You have the platforming side of things, which can still be frustrating at times due to a slightly tricky sense of depth perception and some unforgiving platform jumps that demand perfect timing. There are also a few intense chase sequences that can become annoying. However, there are also some incredibly clever puzzles to solve and environmental interactions involving blocks and switches that work brilliantly with you and your partner.
Visuals and Audio Masterclass
Little Nightmare III’s visuals are absolutely sublime. The visual storytelling is excellent, with the strange worlds you traverse telling their own disturbing narratives that you will likely never fully work out except in your own imagination. The lighting is excellent, creating a deep, oppressive atmosphere, and the use of colour is masterful.
There are some wonderful new creature designs too, from the aforementioned giant doll-like baby to a spider-lady who appears to be some kind of sinister administrator. It’s a fantastical horror world that feels as though it could have been designed by the film director Tim Burton at his most macabre.
The soundtrack is brilliant as well, perfectly adding to the dark and gloomy atmosphere with some hauntingly beautiful melodies thrown in. The sound effects are superb, and the little shouts from the main characters give the game an immense sense of their vulnerability, making their plight all the more resonant.
A Welcome, Collaborative Return to the Nightmare
But does Little Nightmares III push the series onto another level? Well, in terms of the addition of co-op play and the ability to use combat, it certainly does. However, the journey through these new worlds, while visually distinct, does cover some similar thematic beats, and at times, it can feel like a well-trodden path. But it was a path I was more than happy to tread again, and enough time has passed since Little Nightmares II to make another entry in the series feel welcome.
I loved the strange worlds we occupied, even if my enjoyment was sometimes let down by frustrating platforming mechanics. For now, Little Nightmares III is a welcome return.
Important Links
Face Your Childhood Fears TOGETHER – Little Nightmares III Creeps onto Xbox, PlayStation, Switch & PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/face-your-childhood-fears-together-little-nightmares-iii-creeps-onto-xbox-playstation-switch-pc/
Little Nightmares III Creeps Out of the Shadows this October, as Enhanced Edition of Original Available Now – https://www.thexboxhub.com/little-nightmares-iii-creeps-out-of-the-shadows-this-october-as-enhanced-edition-of-original-available-now/
Buy Little Nightmares III on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/little-nightmares-iii/9MVBJ3NX67DS/0010
Go Deluxe – http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/little-nightmares-iii-deluxe-edition/9NXSMCH8RP60/0010
