Little Nightmares 3 Review - Small World, Big Horrors

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Supermassive Games struck gold when Little Nightmares initially launched. I’m still glad that the franchise is still around because there aren’t other games out there that do what Little Nightmares does. While short, it delivers harrowing and tense moments, all wrapped around some of the most unsettling levels I’ve seen in horror games. Little Nightmares 3 brings back the iconic puzzles, stealth sections, and heart-racing chases, and even throws some co-op into the mix so that you can share the horror with others. It falters in a few areas, but it remains one of the most enjoyable entries in this unique series.

A Tale of Two Friends

Little Nightmares 3 puts you in the tiny shoes of either Low or Alone. This pair of small friends is looking for a way to escape the Nowhere. Since the story is quite short, and it took me between five and six hours to complete my first playthrough, I won’t spoil any important details about it. However, I can talk about the broader context. It continues with the iconic symbolism and mystery of the franchise, and the two playable characters embark on an even more relatable journey that resonates with you as you approach the game’s final act.

Story aside, Low and Alone are interesting characters, each with their own gameplay style. I’ll talk about Alone first, since she was the character I controlled throughout my playthrough. She carries a pint-sized wrench that allows her to break through walls, smash enemies, and even operate a few mechanisms to solve a few puzzles. Low, on the other hand, wields a bow that he can use to cut down ropes, shoot enemies, or reach switches that are too far from either of them. While the abilities are simple, they work perfectly for all the puzzles you’ll find in this adventure, and you can’t really go wrong with any of the two protagonists.

As I mentioned above, I played the game solo, as I wanted to try this A.I. companion, and I was pleasantly surprised for the majority of the game. You can control some actions from your A.I. partner by pressing a button, and in the case of Low, these actions often involve shooting things to open a new path or solve a puzzle. When not controlling the other character, they will follow you closely and perform every jump with precision and dodge all enemies like the stealthiest character around.

One thing I liked, which never trivialized any of the puzzles, was the fact that the second character would never tell you where to go unless it was an extremely obvious puzzle. For instance, in one part of the game, I had to reach another room, but I didn’t spot the vent I had to take. Low followed me around without doing a thing and waited until I discovered the path to progress through the level. However, in parts where he had to hoist Alone or both had to push a door together, Low would stand there and motion me to approach. This approach is excellent because it still encourages the player to solve the elaborate puzzles.

Still, it wasn’t a completely smooth ride, as Low started to have some A.I. hiccups during the game’s last act. There was one section where he had to throw an item through a door, and the item kept getting stuck as he attempted to throw it. I spent around 10 minutes trying to find a solution until I forced Low to drop the item, which allowed me to grab it and throw it inside the room. Another case involved a boss scenario of sorts, where Low wouldn’t hold on to one contraption, thus leading us to our imminent demise. Fortunately, these issues were scarce to the point that I can count them on one hand.

Lastly, I know the developers have stated that the lack of local co-op is due to their desire to create a genuine sense of isolation in Little Nightmares 3, but the truth is that not having couch co-op is a missed opportunity. You have a game where two friends must endure a terrifying journey together, and having someone next to you in the same room would enhance that horror-fueled journey, especially as you reach the end. I respect the developers’ vision, and I’m glad that a friend pass is included at launch, but the lack of co-op was disappointing.

Nowhere to Go

Nowhere, the setting of this game, features some of the most unsettling locations in the franchise, and all of them embrace that childhood fear factor. The first chapter, for instance, has you go through a desert, which then transitions into a dark, abandoned village of sorts as a giant baby chases you. Little Nightmares 3 managed to evoke a range of new fears in me, while also reminding me of some anxieties I had long since buried—it was terrific, and it shows just how superb the atmosphere is in this entry.

Almost all of the chapters are terrifying. From the starting village to the most grotesque and frightening circus I’ve ever seen, each one of them is highly memorable, and despite clutching my imaginary pearls as I went through the tight halls and dodged fearsome foes, I had a blast in almost every single level. I say almost because the game loses that tension by the end, and the final chapter wasn’t a standout to me, at least in terms of design. The plot surrounding it was great, but it lost the scary factor that the game had built up until then.

When it comes to exploring, it was interesting to see how most of the linear levels had more than one secret to discover. Whether it was a room with a collectible or an area with a new puzzle, it is always welcome to see these optional places that reward you for going off the beaten path.

Puzzles are another key aspect of the game, and the majority of them were intricate enough without turning into a groan-fest due to frustration. The standouts were those involving boss encounters, as they often featured stealth sections paired with puzzle-solving. In that regard, Little Nightmares 3 features some of the best brain teasers in the series, and the co-op factor certainly makes them better. There were a few that frustrated me, but never to the point that they forced me to put the controller down.

In the end, Little Nightmares 3 is another example of how Supermassive Games can flawlessly nail a terrifying atmosphere, while also adding some eerie beauty to it, and then incorporating puzzles to make each level feel engaging.

Short But Memorable

While it was a short adventure, Little Nightmares 3 is still one of the most memorable horror games of the year. The art style remains unmatched, and the horror stands out thanks to an immersive atmosphere that doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares. Even if the game’s final act loses its unsettling feel, it remains a superb adventure from start to finish.

I would have loved the option to play Little Nightmares 3 with someone next to me, as it would elevate the perilous adventure of these two friends. But even without it, this third entry is still one of the most memorable of the franchise, and one that easily surpasses Little Nightmares 2 and almost reaches the heights of the first game, which, to me, is still a horror masterpiece.

Little Nightmares 3 (PS5 Reviewed)

8 Great

Little Nightmares 3 stands out thanks to its memorable plot and terrifying levels, but some A.I. bugs and a slow pacing during the final act stain what could have been an excellent horror experience.