Review – Reanimal – Gamerview

It has attracted attention since its first announcements and it’s no wonder, after all, the game is signed by Tarsier Studios, authors of the renowned Little Nightmares 1 and 2. After creating a legion of fans, it’s impossible to deny the excitement and hype that this game generated. The time has finally come to discover the result of this new experience and indulge in yet another dark universe.

This is an adventure and horror game that can be played alone or cooperatively and one of the big differences, compared to little nightmares, is that here we have a three-dimensional view, instead of a 2D one. For this reason alone, the climate tends to be even more hostile and disturbing. But the game is even more brutal and profound, so I can already say that we will find a journey that requires a lot of courage and that is wonderful, because it is everything the fans wanted (I include myself on that list).

A poorly planned rescue

Here we play two brothers who, for whatever reason, decide to go on an adventure to rescue their missing friends. With few, small and fragile resources, the duo explores the high seas until they reach a kind of island. In this uninviting place, the hell that awaits them is clear and, before even rescuing anyone, the priority will be to find ways to survive.

The deeper they delve into this place, the more secrets they discover, but will this guarantee a reunion with their friends or will they be the next missing, yearning for someone who can save them? This is just a hint of what Reanimal promises to do, but it’s up to you to find out. It remains to be seen if you are willing to face it.

Right away you can see that we are facing a spiritual successor to the franchise that brought Tarsier Studios to stardom. It’s hard not to compare it to Little Nightmares, as there are so many similarities (almost like that feeling of having seen it before). But make no mistake: this is mainly due to the visual composition, which brings an immense and dark world to such young children.

Honestly, this is one of the biggest reasons I’m excited to play the studio’s titles. They really pay attention to every detail and know how to balance a grotesque look that still fills our eyes with beauty. The game is beautiful and its visual and sound composition is addictive.

It’s already clear that the visuals are impressive, but it’s with the soundtrack that the goosebumps are guaranteed (and it’s not just because of fear, okay). At all times the composition was designed to give weight to the atmosphere: the sound of raindrops, winds, macabre footprints, creaking wood, a distant piano followed by a gunshot and, finally, the overwhelming silence. It’s like they say: pure cinema.

Once again, the game draws on inspirations that resemble a visual style à la Tim Burton: distortions of objects and characters, exaggerated sizes, curvatures and fog make this adventure a mix of contemplation and fear of what may arise at each step. Reanimal is also more visceral, so there are scenes that give you goosebumps and others that make your stomach turn, not just because of the bizarreness, but because of the abstract messages and the situations in which the characters are placed. Without a doubt, it is impressive. All of this shows immense maturity in the creation of this universe and also, creative freedom to explore new terror. In this sense, the success was huge.

In this dark world, our children are defenseless, it’s true. But here they are not willing to just run, hide or flee, as in . They struggle to find their friends and, most importantly, to free themselves from this nightmare. It’s encouraging to see that the game has many mechanics that, despite being simple, provide diverse interactions and even slightly more elaborate combat.

Just running and hiding is not an option in Reanimal

At a certain point, the duo gains items such as a knife and a crowbar and, with them, you can expect some fights against various dark creatures, as well as using them to open doors, cabinets and secret places. When you are on board the little boat, you will also find harpoons that help in combat at sea.

As for the bosses, don’t think that it will always be through puzzles that ask you to run and press buttons until you eliminate them. Ok, in some cases you’ll have to run, but there are good battles that require timing and accurate strikes. All the encounters were incredible, but I must say that, at least at the beginning of the journey, I suffered at times because one of the children controlled by the AI ​​simply wouldn’t move. Fortunately there were only two occurrences, and the Devs have already announced Day-one patch with fixes, perhaps this should no longer happen.

Despite these small problems, the rest of the game proceeded very consistently. I tested the game on the Switch 2 and, whether on a laptop or on a TV, in quality or performance mode, the graphics are absurdly beautiful and the performance remained stable from start to finish.

Another surprise is the presence of dubbing in Portuguese. It’s not a game with a lot of talk, but the little that is said brings enormous weight to the narrative and intensifies the sensations, whether through terror or curiosity to understand what is happening to these children and why they are in this horrifying place.

During this macabre journey, the children go through different scenarios: rusty warehouses, dark forests, a decadent city with a cinema and, without major spoilers, even submerged levels. The areas have isolated moments, but at some points we return to previous locations, showing that we are on a large connected map. In all of them, the disturbing feeling accompanies you. The best thing is that this can be shared with a friend locally, where each person controls one of the siblings.

Sharing your fears

Reanimal also allows online co-op: you can join a match or host and invite someone. There is also Gameshare support, allowing the second player to participate without owning the game. Whatever the mode, alone or with others, the scares and discomfort proposed will please fans of the old franchise and warm the furry hearts of those who thought Tarsier would leave us orphans, just as these little ones seem to be.

The world is full of secrets. There are 18 masks to find, one darker than the other, which can be equipped. There are also 20 posters spread across the map, each unlocking concept art. Furthermore, there are 5 curious coffins that release shadows when opened, reproducing enigmatic scenes. Echoes of the past? But whose past?

There are many items that require a careful look in the fog. It’s not always possible to explore calmly, as the action (or fear) requires agility. Perhaps this is on purpose, a great reason to revisit the campaign. And the tip is to try to open all the coffins, as this unlocks a secret ending. Just don’t expect it to make the narrative any clearer.

Speaking of narrative, Reanimal is extremely open to interpretation. Nothing is explained directly, everything is subjective. It could be nightmare, cult, trauma or psychological metaphor and it could take your own experiences into consideration, who knows. What matters is that this mystery encourages you to continue delving deeper, despite all the terror.

Fortunately, the game already has expansion plans with three future DLCs. This should extend the duration of the main experiment, which is around 3 to 4 hours. The less exciting part is that the new content will be paid, available via deluxe version or season pass. Still, considering the quality delivered, there is a positive expectation for what will come to frighten us.

It’s really sad that the studio left Little Nightmares, especially after seeing how it impacted . But the happiness that Reanimal provides is undeniable. The game sounds like a triumphant return for the studio, more mature, bold, with new features and worthy of a spiritual successor that will certainly warm fans and restore Tarsier’s name to the prominence it deserves. Reanimal is, in short, animal.