Little Nightmares was a horror game that left me a little disappointed. Despite the superbly creepy graphics I soon came to be frustrated by the controls, and the story didn't feel like it went anywhere that interesting. The game's three DLC packs were a mixed bag, with only one of them, The Residence, being a better experience than the base game. I believe Little Nightmares II originally retailed with a price of £35 here in the UK. Knowing that the first game was only around four hours long, I had no intention of getting this sequel unless it was heavily discounted. Well, that time has come, and seeing it for under £9 I decided to give it a go and hope against hope that it was a better game this time around. The story elements I do speak of is my own interpretation, with no dialogue it is all up to the player to decipher.
You play as a small boy who exists in a world built for giants. Starting in a forest he begins his adventure, to seek out the reason why all his life he has had recurring dreams of a door marked with an eye symbol at the end of a long corridor. His journey takes him to the house of a giant poacher, and it is while exploring this place that he rescues a girl of similar size to him. The pair flee the shotgun toting giant and their travels eventually take them to a gigantic city of monstrous proportions, a place that the boy eventually learns the meaning of his dreams of the door.
With this sequel I finally understand the title of the game. While the first one was horror, it didn't feel like this one did atmosphere wise. This feels like being in a living nightmare, every location oozes with menace. This had more of a feel to Inside in that for the majority of the game you are journeying from left to right, each new location is a point on your onwards journey. The woods and poacher's cabin is a great introduction to the game, it is here that you learn the controls, something that the game often leaves you to discover for yourself, rather than providing any button prompts. The majority of the game takes place in the city, with rain perpetually pouring down. It is split into different areas in which there usually roams an area antagonist. Much like the first game, you encounter a variety of horrific boss enemies who patrol areas, and chase you down and kill you should they spot you. The first of these is the poacher, whose constant shotgun blasts require you to manoeuvre yourself behind cover. Later you encounter an extremely freaky looking teacher in a school, her neck is able to stretch seemingly infinitely, leading to some very crazy moments, helped by the crazed expression on her face. In the second half of the game you encounter the most scary of the boss characters, a 'Slender Man' looking thin figure who silently walks constantly towards you, appearing everywhere you turn, that was a highlight in terms of the horror.
