Reanimal Review

Tarsier Studios is one of the most reputable indie developers when it comes to providing surreal horror experiences with stunning atmosphere. Little Nightmares 1 and Little Nightmares 2 are their biggest and proudest examples in this regard. With such high praises and success, Tarsier Studios is back with an original title, Reanimal, that innovates beyond Little Nightmares. It offers a brand new-world with a much darker theme and atmosphere that provides the same eerie adventure with cooperative play support. This is our review of Reanimal from Tarsier Studios.

Story and World Atmosphere

Reanimal takes place in a surreal, nightmarish world with a much darker tone than the Little Nightmares series. It offers environments ranging from desolate oceans to military ruins and secret bunkers. The game begins with a character (boy) in a boat looking for his friends. Shortly after, the boy manages to rescue a girl from the ocean. From here, both of these characters navigate a nightmarish world filled with cryptic symbolism, grotesque imagery, and hidden meanings, while finding other characters along the way.

Throughout the main story progression, the game shows The Well, a central motif tied to sacrifice and rebirth. The game suggests it as a place of blood ritual or the children’s descent into trauma.

Gameplay

Reanimal is a puzzle-platforming video game with cooperative mechanics. You can play the game solo while commanding the AI companion to assist you in puzzles throughout the many chapters. However, the game actually shines while playing with a friend. You can play local co-op as well as online co-op with other players.

The major innovation in Reanimal is the new three-dimensional exploration. It makes the exploration more immersive and builds more tension. Every major area that you will get to visit has various hidden areas around it. It requires a careful exploration and communication to find such areas. These areas will reward you with collectibles. There are 110 collectibles in Reanimal that you can gather within 9 story chapters.

While you can gather most of the collectibles by replaying the chapters, some collectibles are only collected within a single playthrough to trigger the achievement and a special outcome. One such collectible is the Coffin. Throughout 9 chapters, there are 5 coffins to find. Finding all coffins in Reanimal unlocks a Secret Ending. This also makes the Reanimal’s replayability a bit high, due to hundreds of collectibles, hidden meanings, lore, and endings.

Another great gameplay element in Reanimal is the usage of different weapons. The main character (boy) has a weapon that he can swing to strike at enemies. Moreover, the girl throws the harpoons while exploring on the boat. You can throw the harpoons at the enemies in the water or at the mines to open paths. The usage of weapons introduces the boss fights, where you can fight them momentarily, rather than just running away.

Visuals and Audio

Reanimal’s oppressive atmosphere makes the overall visuals stand out. It is nothing less than an arthouse cinema, which works perfectly with interactive horror. The game’s haunting imagery with heavy use of shadow and faint glows makes the adventure frightening.

Similarly, the sound design of Reanimal is astonishing. The usage of layered sounds with creaks, whispers, and ambient dread fills every space. It greatly enhances the overall experience of the game.

Verdict – Score 9/10

Reanimal is one of the best horror games with a surreal atmosphere and tension. Tarsier Studios continues to keep their reputation with Reanimal. It offers everything from continuous tension to deep exploration and frightening bosses. However, the overall playthrough time can be felt short, and if you are expecting something more innovative than Little Nightmares, then there is not a great difference.

Reanimal is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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