Released almost four years ago (time flies at a speed, my good lady…), Little Nightmares marked some spirits, because of an extremely dark universe and a flawless artistic direction. Many players still have in mind the image of Six, this tiny heroine wearing a yellow raincoat. It must be said that the first part of what can now be considered a series has still elapsed has more than two million copies. Obviously, such sales figures could only encourage Tarsier Studios and Bandai Namco to develop a sequel! Before we fully test Little Nightmares II next month, we have already been able to go through the first two chapters of the adventure.
This time it is no longer Six that we control, but a poor little boy named Mono. His exact identity remains a mystery at the moment, however, as he is constantly walking around with a paper bag on his head. The creepy atmosphere of the first episode is clearly back! On the other hand, the game is slightly less claustrophobic than its predecessor. Indeed, it now offers us varied environments and even some outdoor settings, while Little Nightmares first of the name took place in a single place (a gigantic boat). This is not the only novelty that we have been able to discover thanks to this preview version, since most of the adventure seems to have to be covered by two. Not in co-op, but with a companion led by artificial intelligence.
This partner is none other than Six, which we obviously find with pleasure. We can already reassure you about his behavior, which never breaks the immersion. It reacts credibly to what is happening, never gets in our way, does not get stuck in the scenery, and is very useful to pass certain puzzles, whether by making us the short ladder, helping us push an object, or triggering a mechanism for us. In short, here is an AI that seems to be really well scripted, and we hope that it will keep this exemplary behavior throughout the adventure. Little Nightmares II also progresses graphically, thanks to more convincing atmospheric effects and more detailed models. As for the artistic direction, it is still as strong. Its improbable proportions and its monochrome tones greatly contribute to creating a truly scary atmosphere.
LET’S WANDER IN THE FOREST…
The first chapter of the game hits quite hard on this point, since our first steps take place in a frankly hostile forest. Mounds of corpses, hanged ropes and other wolf traps welcome you! The walk is all the more sinister as we soon cross the path of the Hunter, who likes to skin animals, eat uninspiring dishes, and live in the company of fabric mannequins representing humans. It will obviously be necessary to avoid as much as possible his gaze … and his gunshots! For this, Mono and Six will have to squat in the tall grass, put their heads under water or even run from shelter to shelter. This journey will take them close to a shore, from which they will make a sea crossing on a makeshift raft, the time of a small calming cinematic sequence and without dialogue (like the whole game). This moment of calm will lead them to the outskirts of a city that is ultimately hardly more reassuring than the countryside. Thus, the second chapter takes place mainly in a school, which will certainly bring back bad memories of childhood to a good number of players.
This time, you have to avoid getting caught by a harsh and relentless mistress, who will chase you relentlessly if you have the misfortune to enter her field of vision. Like the hunter in the first chapter, this character is part of the great tradition of “monsters” and hide and seek games from the first episode. But the schoolhouse harbors another threat, in the form of aggressive school children who, unlike gigantic adults, are the size of Mono and Six. Their presence allows the game to offer us a few small combat sequences, which consist in smashing the porcelain skulls of these beings, half children, half dolls, using a blunt object. All you need to do is find the right timing when one of these strange enemies is about to pounce on us. Don’t panic, Little Nightmares II doesn’t turn into an action game, it’s just a small variation of additional gameplay, which comes in addition to the more classic phases of exploration and puzzles.
