Little Nightmares II

Major spoilers for Little Nightmares II

Minor spoilers for Ico

This is the kind of game that's made by people who truly understand Fumito Ueda's work and took its design principles to heart. I only wish someone else was there to witness my grin when I realized you could hold Six's hand and call for her to help you. The Ico and Yorda-like system Little Nightmares II employs is utilized exceptionally well, although there's a key difference that ends up creating a very different effect. You never truly have to rely on Six, and I think this makes all the difference in the world.

In Ico, when you're with Yorda you feel safe. Having her near you is a source of comfort because it assures you're the furthest distance possible from a save state. On top of this, she's imperative in solving just about every puzzle in the game. In contrast, Six in Little Nightmares II is only useful for a few puzzles—most of them near the beginning of the game. Outside of these she doesn't really do much besides open doors and boost you to higher ledges, which generally don't involve any problem-solving and only serve the purpose of making sure she's still with you. In any other game I'd probably consider this a shortcoming, but here I suspect it's a smart decision in manipulating player psychology. In retrospect, Six never does anything to help you that doesn't benefit her first.

It's all too easy to feel like you share a connection after escaping the hunter. You rescue Six and she strangely assumes a guiding role for the rest of the section, often modeling the safest path forward. Once you enter the city, however, she's clearly in unfamiliar territory and is suddenly all too happy to let you take the lead. From then on, she seemingly does the bare minimum to continue on while the player risks life and limb to keep her safe. This, of course, all pays off at the very end of the game. There's a climactic boss fight against a monstrous Six, concluding in smashing her music box and turning her back to normal. At this point I was fully expecting a thankful reunion, but it became all too clear that I wasn't on her mind at all as she ran ahead without so much as a look back in the ensuing escape sequence. Despite the obvious fishiness, I was beyond relieved when she grabbed my hand. They really had me worried for a minute; I was relieved I hadn't misplaced my trust. Then, just when you think you're safe, she drops you. Needless to say, I think this is how a betrayal sticks the landing. The seeds were planted in just the right way to make her actions unexpected without feeling completely out of nowhere. To make me so upset with a character I had already played an entire game as without making her feel like a separate person is no small feat.

I see the story and lore of Little Nightmares as something not entirely concrete, like it's representing a dream. It's clear that there's great thought put into the settings of these games with there's plenty to theorize about, but I think it's a fool's errand to try to explain every detail. I think the ambiguity of its world is one of its greatest strengths in contrast to most recent horror properties' strange habit of explaining away the scariness. Because of this, I prefer the story and atmosphere of the first entry over Little Nightmares II. While its commitment to fleshing out the world without a single line of dialogue is commendable, I simply prefer the unknowableness of the first game. I'm sure many people prefer Little Nightmares II for exactly the opposite reason, though.

To me, Little Nightmares II is one of those rare "perfect" games, where I feel it excels in everything it set out to do. Any nitpick I have is really down to personal preference, and are all things I probably wouldn't even notice if it didn't invite comparison to it's previous entry. Little Nightmares III and Reanimal are close on the horizon, so I can't wait to see what Tarsier Studios cooks up next.