Witchcraft. Doppelgangers. Cenobite-like demons. Evil kids. Inescapable fog. Supermassive Games loves to mix horror tropes and create its personal spin on them for one huge, spine-tingling journey. It’s a part of the studio’s identification and what made Until Dawn such a success. I all the time look ahead to seeing how the staff goes to subvert my expectations. Little Hope is the second standalone entry in Supermassive’s Dark Pictures Anthology, and although it’s a step up from Man of Medan, it nonetheless falters as a lot because it succeeds. Little Hope tells an interesting story, however lackluster gameplay, predictable scares, and efficiency points maintain it again from greatness.
This story is totally self-contained, so that you don’t have to play Man of Medan to know it. This recent break permits Supermassive to discover a brand new setting, characters, and horror subgenres. For Little Hope, you’re launched to a New England city of the identical identify. It has an eerie previous related to the 17th-century witch trials, together with a household from the 1970s that skilled tragedy. When a bus carrying a professor and his group of faculty college students crashes in Little Hope throughout a detour, you understand extra is happening than meets the attention. Not solely is a fog stopping you from leaving, however your group additionally seems related to the city’s darkish historical past. The new setting instantly pulled me in; not solely is it creepy from the beginning, however the intrigue that holds the thriller collectively is highly effective.
That being mentioned, attending to the story’s greatest moments takes time and persistence. Little Hope is a sluggish burn, which means you could have loads of downtime simply strolling down a foggy path with few clues and boring dialogue. You often go into the sewers, a church, or a manufacturing unit, however the winding highway is the primary vacation spot. The journey would most likely be extra satisfying if I discovered the characters intriguing, nevertheless it was exhausting to care about any of them. The downside is that they really feel extra like one-dimensional reactions to a state of affairs quite than being distinctive folks with wants and motivations. It was exhausting to get a way of any of them past the few traits listed about them whenever you begin the game.
Though the present-day ensemble is uninteresting, their doppelgangers from the previous are a special story. They pull you again into their time interval to expertise the loopy accusations and concern of witchcraft that ran rampant. I cherished the strain of those moments, as you see paranoia manifest you start to query who’s guilty for the way issues unfold (which turns into a wide selection you make). It all culminates in a improbable twist that I received’t spoil, however it’s cleverly finished and made me strategy my second playthrough in a special and thrilling means. Changing your choices on subsequent runs additionally results in new scenes and conditions, like whether or not characters proudly showcase their relationship, or what type a creature takes.
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I want the general gameplay of Little Hope supplied the identical pleasure. Despite having among the greatest creature design Supermassive has ever finished, Little Hope nonetheless can’t capitalize on its terrors. The game tries to unnerve you, making an attempt its share of bounce scares, however they’re too predictable and over-the-top to work. Addressing complaints from Man of Medan, Supermassive made some enhancements with higher indicators for when QTEs are coming, and now you can press a button to stroll sooner by environments. However, merchandise choice remains to be finicky, and I needed to cope with technical points like freezes and glitches, particularly in co-op.
Speaking of co-op, I had a significantly better expertise enjoying on my own than I did with another person – the other of my expertise with Man of Medan. The story lends itself higher to solo play, as co-op permits solely sure gamers to see particular scenes, which makes it tough to piece collectively the entire story. Also, in case your co-op buddy finally ends up their space first whenever you’re break up up, the story strikes forward with out supplying you with time to examine all the pieces. I skilled crashes, dialogue slicing out, and disconnects, regardless of each my co-op buddy and I having strong connections. I hope this side of the game will get improved after launch, as a result of it will get in the way in which of following and appreciating the narrative.
Little Hope is inconsistent, like a witch-in-training nonetheless studying tips on how to absolutely weave a spell. It units up its story effectively and retains you guessing, however the execution is missing. It wants extra selection and fascinating issues in your characters to do. The motion comes too late, and by then, you’re already nodding off. However, seeing the improbable ending makes placing up with these boring moments a little bit extra bearable.
Score: 7.5
Summary: Little Hope tells an interesting story, however lackluster gameplay, predictable scares, and efficiency points maintain it again from greatness.
Concept: Keep your group alive as you discover a small fictional city with a horrific previous related to the 17th-century witch trials
Graphics: The creepy creature design is a spotlight, however the character fashions appear to be wax figures, missing reasonable facial expressions and reactions
Sound: Outside of some awkward deliveries, the voice appearing is well-done, particularly contemplating the New England accents required. The eerie sounds and tense music heighten moments, including to the suspense
Playability: Some technical hiccups break immersion, particularly whereas enjoying co-op. But having higher indications for when QTEs are coming is a welcome change
Entertainment: Little Hope tells a hell of a narrative punctuated by an important twist. Too dangerous the general gameplay and exploration don’t maintain the identical attract, bringing down the expertise
Replay: Moderate
