#if i wasnt trying to be critical for the sake of the review i wouldve given it a 10/10

[ram-blings-of-a-madman]

REVIEW 001: LITTLE NIGHTMARES

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OVERALL: 9/10

Little nightmares has been one of my favourite games for a long time, since before I had even played it myself. The game is set out as a side-scrolling horror platformer, with constantly changing and moving scenes - even the screen itself rocks faintly from side to side, like the movement of a boat, often leaving the corners of the rooms just outside of your field of vision and creating a queasy, uneasy feeling that plays into and emphasises the overall unsettling atmosphere of the game.

The game itself is set in what looks to be a boat, named the Maw - yet as you explore this setting throughout the game and begin to uncover it's secrets in and out, it becomes less clear as to what the "Maw" actually is. An asylum? A prison? A restaurant? Each of the possibilities are strange, especially when the clues of the game put together tie in to all of those and more - but I think that's intentional. Little nightmares skillfully creates a low-lying sense of unease, even outside of the chase-scenes and the grotesque looks of the monsters you encounter. It leaves you feeling - well, uneasy, without pushing the horror element to far into the zone of cheap-feeling jumpscares and monsters that feel more irritating than scary.

However, I do think that the game has a tendency to rely too much on trial and error for some puzzles and chase scenes - which isn't inherently a bad thing. In fact, during my playthrough I began to enjoy going back and forth and figuring things out slowly, bit by bit - but some people would enjoy a quicker, easier route, or at least one that doesn't require them to die three times before they figure out how to beat the scene they were on.

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GRAPHICS: 9.5/10

The overall look of this game was INCREDIBLE - it managed to combine the usual, murky and dark feel of horror with bright colours in almost unsettling places - it didn't need to be monotone to be creepy. And on top of that, it didn't feel cheap or tacky even with the "lower quality" graphics of the console it had been made for.

The setting itself was designed incredibly well, combining the protagonist's small size with the daunting hugeness of The Maw, and while there were many, MANY different rooms and scenes and settings throughout the game, none of it ever felt repetitive. The whole game was just incredible, and looked incredible, and even the monsters felt terrifyingly appealing, in a very, very spooky way.

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CHARACTERS: 9/10

The characters of Little Nightmares, namely the monsters themselves, are incredibly well-crafted, grotesque yet human enough to create that familiar sense of unease. The game has no problem with showing these monsters to you - to the point where you become less worried about seeing them, and more worried about them seeing you. On top of that, the chase scenes and puzzles don't feel repetitive for each of the different monsters, and combined with the hard-to-navigate world of The Maw, end with you feeling genuine fear during your escapes.

Each of the characters in Little Nightmares are unique, from Six, the main protagonist dressed in her signature yellow raincoat, to the residents of The Maw themselves, a strangely unique cast of fleshy creatures, each made with their different quirks, purposes and appearances, without ever feeling tacky or repetitive. These characters truly hel to emphasise the uneasy atmosphere of Little Nightmares - the protagonist is strangely small compared to the other characters, which not only creates an incredibly strange and unsettling atmosphere but also allows for some interesting puzzles involving climbing, hiding, and fleeing from their clutches.

The gnomes were also incredible. Search up a picture of the gnomes if you haven't seen them and you'll see what I mean. Little guys.

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STORY: 8/10

The story of Little Nightmares is unsettlingly terrifying, and incredibly well-balanced, managing to be immersive, creepy, and endlessly interesting throughout the game You, as the player, follow the protagonist of a young child, Six, on their journey through this strange setting and learn the clues of where, why, and how this world has come to be. The story is fairly linear and easy to follow, but as it Little Nightmares is a game with no dialogue, or even written words, it can at times become confusing to try and follow or figure out the full story of this game.

Overall, though, the story is incredibly interesting to figure out, and it can be great fun to theorise about the nature of Six's - and the other characters' - backstory.

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FINAL THOUGHTS:

I absolutely LOVED every second of my Little Nightmares playthrough!! It was interesting, unsettling, and I grew incredibly attached to the protagonist and the monsters alike. I have even gone back and replayed the game multiple times since my first playthrough!! Little Nightmares is an incredibly well-made game, and I would recommend to ANYONE, horror-enjoyers or otherwise, that they consider taking the time to play this amazing game.

- Ket!! :D