Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Action Adventure, Horror

The aughts & past decade of gaming brought us a gaggle of adventure titles masquerading as 2D platformers and 3D puzzle-solving titles with the creepy “Tim Burton-esque” aesthetic and other similar ventures, like Limbo and Inside. 2017’s Little Nightmares is a 3D atmosphere-driven version of that idea and design, emphasising on the wild extremes of childhood that was left to root, and what happens when you revisit it.

We now have a part 3 this year, this time under a different developer -Supermassive Games of “Until Dawn” fame- and with co-op play in place. Otherwise, it’s the same kind of adventuring you’ll be doing.

Creep Show

Little Nightmares 3 is about a duo named Low and Alone, who have to team up to get out of a nightmarish world named Nowhere. You go from left to right advancing, going through some platforming challenges, run away from monsters mid-sized to big, and bask in the different dark settings you’re running away from. While Low and Alone have to hide and run most of the time, they aren’t completely defenseless. Low has a wrench and can bash stuff up, while Alone has a bow and arrow to hit targets from a good distance. Other than that, this isn’t an action title, as the child duo have to use their wits to outmaneuver hazards.

None of Little Nightmares 3 would be possible to garner people’s attention were it not for its aesthetic and sound: they’re beautiful and haunting. The hellscapes you’re in aren’t completely extreme (though some bits can be gruesome), but the way each level and layout leads you to the inner sanctums and the eventual hazards is well-done. Without spoilers, story bits and lore are drip-fed to you with each world and hazard reveal, while you piece together who Low and Alone really are, and what the Nowhere is about. Supermassive Games know how to make horror adventure games with good degrees of interactivity and vague story cues, and Little Nightmares 3 proves that the company isn’t just shoehorned to interactive movies with Quick Time Events shoved in.

The puzzles and level designs themselves introduce a bunch of neat-if-seen-before mechanics. Some stages require you to use a makeshift parasol to float so that you don’t fall to your death. Others require you to distract monsters with tossable props or nearby machinery so you can steal whatever that’s needed to progress. There’s a good amount of push and pull blocks to contend with, but thankfully the movement speed for these aren’t completely sluggish. In fact, the co-op aspect of this adventure game makes it fun to play with other people, so both of you can relish in the frightful PG-styled delights the game’s horrorscape has to offer.

You can play the game in single-player mode with the AI controlling the other character, and for the most parts they know what you’re thinking and doing. While later areas can have them “zone out” or just not work in sync with you, the AI-controlled partner is well-tailored and implemented so you wouldn’t be frustrated as much when braving in Nowhere alone.

Meet The Creepers

Just like its other quality predecessors, Little Nightmares 3 is a fun, if short, adventure in a Tim Burton-esque PG-horror world filled with creepy imagery that’s sure to keep you in suspense as to what you’ll come across. There are a lot of surprises in store, and with Supermassive Games’ handling of cinematics, flair, and graphic-savvy adventure titles (think a more involved 3D point-and-click game from the Sierra and LucasArts era, but more jumping), it’s one adventure you wouldn’t want to be left out of.

The co-op aspect of this Little Nightmares entry also adds more new types of puzzles in the mix, though they’re not exactly meant to tax the brain. More like confound you slightly while the spectacle of a giant undead baby chases you down while you weave your way out of a dark carnival. More flair than meat if you want to split hairs, but that’s fine given we don’t see enough of these adventure games since the Xbox 360 era.

Final Score: 80/100

Review copy provided by publisher.