I still remember that Bandai Namco event where I had the opportunity to try a very early demo of the first LN and how I knew that I had something right in front of me, one of those titles that leave no one indifferent.
After a long wait for this sequel hoping to find the same thing, I write this review with enthusiasm, anticipating that the wait has been worth it.
Little nightmares
Nightmares, we can think of at least a good handful of video games and movies that have used this word as a title, anticipating that things were going to get cloudy. But Little Nightmares 2 uses this world in the most literal sense; it takes us to the nightmares of two children, in the first title of Six and in this sequel of Mono, who takes the reins of the adventure and becomes the protagonist.
And it is precisely in this nightmarish journey that the magic of the Tarsier Studios game lies because few times, we have also seen the sensations of those dreams from which we want to wake up recreated.
The Swedish studio takes all those inconsistencies, the feeling of suffocation, the delusional details, and the darkness of the worst dreams one can have and turns them to create levels in which it is impossible not to feel reflected.
With that base, he proposes us to escape incessantly, as in an exhausting effort to be able to wake up and leave behind all those beings who want to kill us; a story that does not need dialogue, that does not require more than the premise itself to function, that lives off its incredible protagonists and antagonists, designed to make our hair stand on end.
Wake up monkey
As we said before, Little Nightmares 2 takes all the elements of the first installment, both narrative and playable, and adds many others to bring freshness and add a lot to the experience.
Stealth again says present, with very successful sequences in which tension reigns so as not to be discovered by the abominable beings who want to end our life in the worst possible ways.
We also have puzzles again, some as ingenious in their conception as in the original title. Once again, we provide just enough difficulty to force us to use our heads without stopping more than necessary.
With Mono at the helm, two other mechanics are gaining strength: exploration and action. On the one hand, the investigation makes much more sense now that we can find little lost souls hidden in the scenes and new hats for the protagonist, which perhaps breaks this minimalist essence of the experience, but that certainly adds variety.
On the other hand, the action goes up to the next level thanks to the fact that Mono can attack enemies with weapons, make use of axes, pipes, and even firearms in a particular passage, which adds a lot is dosed in its just measure.
Another element that renews the formula in Little Nightmares 2 is the fact that, during most levels, we are accompanied by Six (the protagonist of the first installment), which also gives rise to new mechanics in which we will have to think about what How we find it helpful to have an extra pair of hands.
The chemistry between both characters not only occurs in the narrative and in this feeling of protecting the little girl who won our affection 3 years ago, but it also translates into the playable in a very tangible way.
All this variety, these new mechanics and options contribute a lot to the final result of Little Nightmares 2, making its fair duration feel constantly changing, without losing its claustrophobic and sinister essence, but allowing us to have more tools when facing the different challenges that on more than one occasion present us with real complexity.
At the end of the day, we feel that each level is different, not only because of the elements and characters that make them up but also because of what we must do to advance.
Precious darkness – Technical section
We all know that the main thing in a game is its playability and that the graphics come later. But if the playable complies with leftovers and also looks beautiful, the better.
That is the case of Little Nightmares 2, a game that does everything to keep our fun and focuses on the artistic section.
The love for detail is something that prevails in the work of Tarsier Studios. The reflection is in each of its characters, all different from each other. With an incredible design, each element distributed in the different levels has a reason. It is consistent with the environment and even tries to tell a little story of what happened there.
And if we talk about scenarios, they deserve a separate paragraph (I couldn’t capture beyond the third level due to embargo issues). Like the first part, each group of LN2 is just amazing.
This love for detail that we just talked about builds room after room to leave us in awe; We could even play the game a second time to go around every corner searching for those elements that were passed to us the first time.
The light and shadow combo that already surprised us in the first part is once again present to build these atmospheres that take our breath away, and that also keep us delighted, admiring how it is possible to reflect what we all live in our nightmares.
Regarding the sound, Little Nightmares 2 maintains the level of all its technical sections. The ambient effects are incredible, adding to this atmosphere of terror that we mentioned, just like the musical band that does nothing more than add tension to the sequences in which suffering is imposed as a flag.
The performance also accompanies the height, with almost non-existent loading times, so we can only reproach it: some physics do not work quite well, especially in some sequences in which we must work together with Six, and it even shows that specific mechanics need extra polish, something they will surely fix with the launch patch.
Little Nightmares 2, the final verdict
Tarsier Studios and Bandai Namco take us back to the only nightmares we want to dive into again.
This new installment of this indie saga maintains the essence of the original title. It adds new mechanics thanks to its brand-new protagonist to bring dynamism to a formula that we had already loved 3 years ago.
Little Nightmares 2 once again marvels us for reflecting so faithfully the sensations of the darkest dreams, with scenes worked in detail, an outstanding artistic section, and enemies that can stress us until we take our breath away.
The gameplay only adds to this beautiful and dark universe that we recommend visiting everyone.