Scared together: Little Nightmares 3 review

Little Nightmares 3 skillfully combines the eerie atmosphere of childhood fears with a gameplay that constantly challenges. A mysterious journey through surreal locations from a candy factory, a fairground, and other grotesque places is constantly full of secrets and disturbing creatures that stick in your mind. And the visuals and audio create an effect that is both frightening and keeps you close, so that you feel part of the horror yourself. And given my long-standing love for the Little Nightmares franchise, the gg editorial team couldn't pass up this opportunity to review this new chapter in the nightmare.

Fast forward:

• Story: what are children afraid of now?
• Gameplay: if it works, don't touch it
• Technical condition of your nightmares
• How we will remember Little Nightmares 3
• Five things you need to know about Little Nightmares 3

The plot: what are children afraid of now?

Little Nightmares 3 tells the story of two new child protagonists, Low and Alone, who are trapped in a nightmarish world known as The Nowhere. This surreal and disturbing world exists only in dreams, and the two friends must traverse its bizarre and dangerous places together to find a way to escape. As best friends, united by their plight, they rely on each other to face the ominous threats lurking in the various eerie places they encounter, like the sandstorm-crushed Necropolis and the creepy candy factory.

Briefly about our kids

Low: A boy in a blue cloak with a crow mask. He carries a bow that allows him to defend himself against enemies or to overcome difficult areas when, for example, he needs to cut a rope to open a passage. He wanders around the dangerous world for a long time, looking for a way home.

Alone: A girl with red pigtails in a green overalls. She holds a wrench that can be used to break walls or activate some mechanisms. She is Low's best friend and the only person he can always count on.

The story intertwines themes of friendship, fear and survival as the characters travel through unsettling places inhabited by hostile inhabitants who seek to capture or harm them. Their bond is critical as working together is necessary to overcome the dangers around them. The story delves into their shared nightmare, which they must escape by escaping The Nowhere, or succumbing to its sinister forces.

Little Nightmares 3 builds on the eerie atmosphere of its predecessors by expanding the universe of this dream-like, warped universe, while also following the established canons. The plot is not presented "head-on", you have to come to the conclusions yourself, and everything is so mysterious that after completing the game you go to YouTube to watch videos with theories and analysis of all the moments of the game.

However, some moments of the story turned out to be somewhat blurred, which spoiled the impression a little, but I don't want to spoil it here, so you have to live through all these events yourself.

In conclusion, I'd like to add that throughout this eerie journey, I didn't want to turn off the game or take a break, and this is perhaps the best compliment.

Gameplay: if it works, don't touch it

Little Nightmares 3 decided not to reinvent the wheel and is still a 2.5D platformer. However, now with a strong emphasis on cooperative gameplay, because the game can be played together. And due to the different set of tools of the characters, the game requires players to work closely together, combining their abilities to solve puzzles, overcome platforming elements and avoid or confront the threatening creatures that inhabit The Nowhere.

Stealth and timing play a crucial role in the passage. You have to sneak past hostile opponents, avoiding direct confrontations wherever possible. The game's puzzles involve cooperative interaction with the environment, such as pushing heavy crates, activating switches, or creatively using various objects, including an umbrella that helps characters fly over pits to advance deeper into the nightmare realm. Although the combat system is limited, it is intense and requires precise coordination. For example, Low shoots arrows at the heads of enemies, and Alone follows him to hit with a spanner and destroy the enemy completely.

There is only one thing I want to criticise the game for. I still don't understand why only online co-op is available. So if you wanted to play the game with someone on the same console or PC, I have very bad news for you. I hope the authors will fix this in the future.

Other than that, Little Nightmares 3 offers cool gameplay that, combined with an incredible atmosphere, immerses you in fears and makes you tremble, be shocked, and react quickly to dangers. Enemies, stealth, puzzles, platforming - everything is done well. So if you loved the first two parts, I don't know why you're still reading this and not playing it.

The technical state of your nightmares

I have nothing to say about the optimisation. It's done with an A+. On PlayStation 5, there were no fps drops, the game didn't crash, and I didn't encounter a single bug during the entire playthrough. Little Nightmares 3 runs very smoothly, so you can save your fears for facing the dangers in the game, not the technical condition.

Beautifully creepy visuals

Little Nightmares 3 fascinates with its visual style, combining claymation-like character models with thick, atmospheric lighting. The game's art direction expertly uses shadows and muted colour palettes to create an eerie and tense atmosphere. From the rain-drenched carnival grounds to the gloomy interiors of the Necropolis and the Candy Factory, each location contains a wealth of detail that plays to immersion.

The game's visuals combine a somewhat grotesque aesthetic, giving new life to distorted environments and strange creatures with a handmade feel. This style evokes a sense of childlike wonder distorted by fear, perfectly conveying the tone of the series.

The artists have gone out of their way to make sure you photograph each location. Artwork: Bandai Namco

The soundtrack will not let you relax

Little Nightmares 3 also boasts an atmospheric sound design that perfectly complements its eerie and disturbing world. The soundtrack combines melodies that evoke tension, fear and melancholy, immersing players in the nightmarish world of The Nowhere.

The sound effects are designed to cause anxiety, with exaggerated breathing, distant footsteps and creaking floors adding to the tension.

How we will remember Little Nightmares 3

Little Nightmares 3 will be remembered as a good continuation of the already well-known franchise. And although Supermassive Games did not leapfrog the results of the previous people who developed the series, it managed to keep the best and give fans another eerie adventure that can also be shared in co-op. The atmosphere remains at the highest level, the gameplay constantly mixes different elements to avoid getting bored, and in general, the whole third part is built in such a way that you want to keep playing. As a fan of this universe, I'm happy that I was finally able to look into little nightmares again.

Five things you need to know about Little Nightmares 3

• Little Nightmares 3 is the first full-fledged game in the series in the last 4 years
• The development was entrusted to Supermassive studio, which is known for its interactive horror games such as Until Dawn
• For the first time in the series, the game can be played in co-op
• Events are not related to the previous parts, which is ideal for a new audience
• The game is created in the genre of 2.5D platformer with horror elements

5 reasons to buy Little Nightmares 3

• You love the first and second parts
• You are looking for a game to play with a friend online
• You get high when the game keeps you on your toes and scares you all the time
• You can beat off enemies' heads with a spanner
• You don't have time for giant games

1 reason not to buy Little Nightmares 3

• Lack of local co-op

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