Reanimal Review: Tarsier's New Horror Platformer is a Creepy Yet Familiar Beast
The creative team behind the first two Little Nightmares games has returned with Reanimal, a new cinematic horror platformer that delivers another dose of bite-sized scares. While it introduces local and online co-op play, the experience feels remarkably similar to Tarsier Studios' previous works, making it a creepier but familiar beast in the gaming landscape.
A Familiar Yet Unnerving Adventure
If any studio understands how to craft a truly great scary platformer, it's Tarsier Studios. This team honed its skills by pushing the oddly specific and undeniably creepy genre forward with the Little Nightmares series. Reanimal, a new intellectual property that Tarsier now fully owns, is not a completely new beast. In fact, after playing through it twice, much of the game would not feel out of place in the adventures of Six or Mono from Little Nightmares.
This doesn't mean the macabre story about a brother and sister attempting to rescue fellow orphans in a cruel world isn't worth your time. It definitely is, provided you're aware it's the type of journey we've come to expect from the studio. The events start in an appropriately obscure fashion, with players controlling an unnamed boy helping his sister back onto a boat before washing ashore, where the real struggle for survival begins as they navigate an archipelago filled with nightmarish horrors.
Co-op Play and Cinematic Tension
The key difference this time is that Reanimal can be played fully as a two-player co-op adventure, either locally or online. Whereas Little Nightmares 2 featured an AI companion, this game is built around partners playing together. However, in reality, there was never a sequence that felt entirely new or exclusive to this IP; it often echoes ideas from Little Nightmares.
Despite this, Tarsier hasn't lost its touch in creating immensely unnerving locations. Early sections, like a barren train yard, keep players on edge, with moments of exploration and puzzle-solving that make you nervous about what terrifying figure might pursue you next. Chase sequences are a highlight, occurring in areas with enough visual clarity that failure usually results from clumsiness or slowness rather than unclear directions.
Visual Storytelling and Mystery
Though not presented as one unbroken shot, Reanimal effectively keeps both protagonists in frame, creating a subtle cinematic effect that enhances the horror-fuelled tension. The action becomes surprisingly bombastic at points, and the game balances letting players roam intimidating environments with keeping them under pressure. Optional pathways lead to collectible masks and edgy concept artwork, adding depth to the experience.
Even after a replay, the narrative leaves many questions unanswered, with events that might only exist in the minds of the boy and girl. This degree of mystery surpasses the Little Nightmares games, which were more neatly tied together. It's fun to ruminate on the meaning, and with three DLC packs planned, there's potential for further clarity, though some hope it doesn't become too explicit.
Final Verdict
Reanimal is a satisfyingly unnerving and intimidating descent into bite-sized horror for its brief duration. While it would have been nice to see Tarsier Studios stretch its expertise more in building a new terrifying universe, it's hard to deny that this developer continues to operate at the peak of its powers. The addition of co-op and memorable set pieces mostly makes up for the familiarity, showing that these little nightmares have started to grow up, if only slightly.
