Summary
Debuting in April 2017,Little Nightmaresis a puzzle-platforming series that’s managed to stand out from the crowd thanks in large part to its unique blend of cartoonish environments and nightmarish enemy designs, giving the game a distinctive, immediately identifiable look. Of course, like all good horror games, there’s far more going on beneathLittle Nightmares' horrifyingly unique exterior, and that’s something the 2021 sequel really doubled down on.
With a subtle blend of environmental storytelling, context clues, and light smatterings of short cutscenes,Little Nightmaresand its sequel tell two compelling horror narratives, which act merely as the icing on a stellar set of atmospheric puzzle-platform games. But theLittle Nightmaresseries isn’t done just yet. Back in August 2023,Little Nightmares 3was announced, but rather than series creator Tarsier taking the reins once again, this time it’s all down to Supermassive, which has some big shoes to fill.
Supermassive Has a Lot to Live Up to With Little Nightmares 3
Tarsier Has Done a Great Job Building the Little Nightmares Brand
Tarsier created something truly special with the firstLittle Nightmaresback in 2017. While famous names like Tim Burton have been blending cute and sinister elements for decades, this is something that had rarely been explored in the video game landscape to the extent thatLittle Nightmareswas willing to take it. While bothLittle Nightmaresand its 2021 sequel have their flaws, they’re a pair of beloved horror titles, and ones that feel very developer-driven. When playing through thefirst twoLittle Nightmaresgames, it’s clear that the studio shared the same creative vision, but now that team is no longer in charge of the series it created.
Supermassive Is Stepping Out of Its Comfort Zone With Little Nightmares 3
After being acquired by thecontroversial Embracer Group, Tarsier confirmed in 2021 thatLittle Nightmares 2would be its last entry in the series. However, while Tarsier created the series, Bandai Namco still holds the rights toLittle Nightmares, and following Tarsier’s statement in 2021, Bandai Namco made its own stating that it was “energised to deliver more [Little Nightmares] content in the future.” And that’s exactly what’s happening, withLittle Nightmares 3set for a 2024 release, without any involvement from Tarsier. Now, it’s down to Supermassive Games to continue the pretty lofty legacy that these small horror games have managed to forge over the last seven years.
Supermassive’s history in the gaming space is rather interesting. Founded in 2008, Supermassive spent the first five or so years of its life working on DLC forLittleBigPlanet, creating some family-friendly PlayStation Move games, making aDoctor Whotie-in gamethat flopped, and remastering the originalKillzone. It wasn’t until 2015 before Supermassive got its first big break, withUntil Dawnputting the studio on the map.
Since then, Supermassive has mostly stuck to producing similar narrative-driven horror games likeUntil Dawn, with itsDark Pictures Anthologyseriestaking up most of the studio’s development time over the last five years or so. While Supermassive has occasionally experimented with games outside this narrative-driven horror genre, it’s never worked out all that well, with PSVR gamesBravo TeamandThe Inpatientbeing severe critical disappointments.
Now, Supermassive finds itself the sole developer and torch-bearer for theLittle Nightmaresseries, a type of game that the studio has never really made before. While Supermassive got a taste of theLittle Nightmaresseries after creating the Enhanced Edition forLittle Nightmares 2, that was just an upgraded port of an already-complete game. Creatinga newLittle Nightmaresexperiencefrom scratch is a whole other ball game, and one that Supermassive can hopefully knock out of the park, though stepping out of Tarsier’s shadow is going to take some real work.
Little Nightmares III
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on a new adventure in the unique world of Little Nightmares.In Little Nightmares III, you follow the journey of Low & Alone, as they search for a path that could lead them out of the Nowhere.Trapped within the Spiral, a cluster of disturbing places, the two friends will have to work together to survive in a dangerous world full of delusions and escape the grasp of an even greater threat lurking in the shadows.For the first time in the franchise, face your childhood fears together with a friend using online co-op, or solo with an AI companion.Face your childhood fears togetherChoose from two brand-new characters, each equipped with their own iconic items.Play solo with an AI or with your friend using online co-op and work together to solve intricate puzzles and defend yourself against smaller enemies .Navigate through a brand-new world of delusionsEmbark on an adventure through the Spiral, a cluster of dystopian lands.Discover places as diverse as the mysterious desert of Necropolis, an unsettling fun fair, a gloomy factory, and who knows what else.Run away from a new cast of foes ranging from ominous beetles to a giant baby, and so many more.
