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An equally creepy and unique prequel that stands on its own | Full Review - Very Little Nightmares+

1K View2023-05-09

Very Little Nightmares+

8.5

Psychological HorrorAdventurePuzzle

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Very Little Nightmares is a puzzle-platformer game developed by Alike Studio and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. As a prequel to the popular horror game Little Nightmares, this game boasts a similar eerie and suspenseful atmosphere while providing an original, captivating storyline and gameplay that stands on its own.

🟩Pros

+Simple but challenging puzzle platformer mechanics

+Surreal and unsettling creepy atmosphere

+Haunting and atmospheric visuals and sound

🟥Cons

-Touch control imperfections

📝Notable points:

A short but substantial experience

The gameplay of Very Little Nightmares+ is centered around solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles to progress through the levels in a point-and-click control manner. Players control a yellow hooded young girl who must navigate through a doll-house-like world filled with danger and strange creatures. Throughout the game, players must use their wits to solve puzzles, avoid traps, hide from enemies, and collect items.

The puzzles in Very Little Nightmares+ are well-designed, and they often require players to think outside the box to progress. They are a little bit toned down from the original 3D side scrolling gameplay of Little Nightmares, but it stands well on its own as an isometric view point-and-click puzzle platformer.

To move the character in Very Little Nightmares+, you simply touch the screen where you want them to go. Double tapping will result in running. Interacting with the environment is also easy: just stand next to an object and tap it. Running is sometimes needed to be able to solve timed puzzles. Players can move objects around, push and pull levers, and interact with various items to progress through the levels.

The game does an excellent job of gradually introducing new challenges, ensuring that the player never feels overwhelmed, but ultimately, it is a very simple game overall. As players progress through the game, the puzzles become increasingly difficult, and it can be quite satisfying to figure out a particularly challenging puzzle, especially the timed ones or ones where you need to avoid enemies or detection.

Very Little Nightmares+ is simply artistically stunning. The game features a unique art style that mostly incorporates hard drawn visuals creating a surreal and unsettling atmosphere that predominantly uses dark and shadows. This art style is in heavy contrast with the original game’s 3D side-scrolling look. The game's environments are grainy, detailed and atmospheric, with each level having its own unique look, color tone, and feel.

The character designs in Very Little Nightmares+ also fits the somewhat lighthearted but still eerie atmosphere of the game. The main character, along with friendlies encountered are lightheartedly designed, while the game’s enemies are made to look both creepy, scary, and intriguing. The movements are fluid and well-animated and it feels like you’re watching a creepy cartoon series late at night.

The sound in Very Little Nightmares+ totally fits the creepy atmosphere of the game. The game's music is haunting and atmospheric, and it does an excellent job of setting the mood for each level. The eerie sound effects help immerse the player in the game's world.

There is no dialogue, and the whole game is told via the characters' muted actions and journey throughout the levels. The storytelling is basically nonexistent, leaving players to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the game.

Very Little Nightmares+ is a short game, and is entirely beatable in a single seating within two to three hours. When I played it for the first time, I was surprised to see that I had already completed 20% of the game within just a few minutes. However, don't let the short playtime turn you off. Despite its shortness, the game offers a substantial experience that's well worth playing.

My only gripe with the game is that the touch controls can be a bit inaccurate at times, especially when you need to solve time-sensitive puzzles or escape enemy encounters. The game sometimes has trouble differentiating between single and double taps, and occasionally you might tap in the wrong location. This can confuse the character's pathfinding AI and potentially lead to failure.

Conclusion:

Overall, Very Little Nightmares+ is a challenging and atmospheric puzzle-platformer that is sure to delight fans of the Little Nightmares series, and introduce newcomers to this creepy series as a whole, especially with the original game Little Nightmares being ported and announced as coming soon on mobile devices as well.

Mentioned games

Very Little Nightmares+

8.5

Psychological HorrorAdventurePuzzle

Get

A creepy isometric puzzle platformer | First Impressions - Very Little Nightmares+

Very Little Nightmares+ is the Apple Arcade version of Very Little Nightmares, a puzzle-platformer game made specifically for mobile devices. It's available for both Android and iOS and serves as a prequel to the original 2017 console game Little Nightmares. The latter is also being ported and will soon be available on mobile devices this year. The gameplay of Very Little Nightmares+ is centered around solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles to progress through the levels in a point-and-click control manner. Players control a yellow hooded young girl who must navigate through a doll-house-like world filled with danger and strange creatures. Throughout the game, players must use their wits to solve puzzles, avoid traps, hide from enemies, and collect items.

lyndonguitar1K2023-05-09