Summary
Reanimalhas been revealed as the new horror game Tarsier is developing while it is not actually developingLittle Nightmares 3, but the distinction between both is nearly impossible to make at a passing glance. TheGamescom Opening Night Live announcement trailer for Tarsier’sReanimalconfirms that the developer has basically replicated the same atmosphere, gameplay, and design ethos ofLittle Nightmaresand applied that coat of paint to a new property, which leans decidedly more on grotesque animal body horror.
It’s certainly an interesting choice to haveReanimalbe so unabashedly indiscernible fromLittle Nightmares, but this conviction suggests that Tarsier has found an incredibly specific niche and perhaps wanted to explore a new IP with it rather than be stuck trudging through the same mud of established lore it would need to continue building against as opposed to creating a new narrative framework.Little Nightmares’ story is arguably less enticing or engrossing than the atmosphere it’s steeped in, too, and Tarsier branching out with its now-seminal horror niche could ironically pave the way for endless creativity.
Reanimal Launching Anywhere Near Little Nightmares 3 Will Expose Each Other’s Achilles’ Heels
BecauseReanimalandLittle Nightmares 3are both in developmentand both were given a trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live it will be interesting to see how they are each received, especially if they are released around the same time as one another. Tarsier’sReanimaland Supermassive’sLittle Nightmares 3do have distinguishing qualities when examined closely, but their similarities are unmistakable and any erroneous gameplay or atmospheric decisions might weigh heavily on either as a result.
Many games nowadays are compared to others when there is hardly any genuine connective tissue between them, such as when anyone compares errant open-world or action-RPG games, thoughReanimalandLittle Nightmares 3invite this discourse by how little actively separates them. To be fair, Supermassive is only coming into the franchise with this third entry while Tarsier helmed it beforehand, meaning thatReanimalhas an opportunity to impress players more by being a new title by the series creator.
If anything,ReanimalandLittle Nightmares 3will be a chance to demonstrate whether players enjoyLittle Nightmaresas an IP or if they simply adore what Tarsier achieved with it.
After all,Supermassive may do a superb job withLittle Nightmares 3. But if it’s competing with a new Tarsier IP that’s essentially an identical game—with an emphasis on what appears to be amalgamated, reanimated animal corpses among other body horror tropes and haunting character designs that Tarsier has relished—it could be judged much more harshly than it would ifReanimalbore no resemblance toLittle Nightmaresat all.
Reanimal is Tarsier’s Way of Moving on from Little Nightmares, But Not Really
Reanimalhas the upper hand since the unexpected and unprecedented is typically more alluring in horror, and seeing what Tarsier has in the oven whileSupermassive has takenLittle Nightmaresunder its wingwas always going to be intriguing. That said,Reanimalwill hopefully find ways to be inventive aside from its gameplay, tone, and overall visual aesthetic. Even if it doesn’t make great strides to be unique, Tarsier of all studios would earn itself a pass since it conceivedLittle Nightmaresin the first place.
WhereasThe Callisto Protocoltried and debatably failed to emulate what madeDead Spaceso beloved, for example, Tarsier has the advantage of not distancing itself too far fromLittle Nightmaresbefore trying something new withReanimal. Plus, Tarsier clearly wants to maintain as much of its iconic, successful signature as possible and that could be its biggest boon when the dust has cleared withReanimalbeing the breath of fresh air that Tarsier’s brand of horror-platformer needs.
