Thursday, January 18, 2024

LITTLE NIGHTMARES 2 (PS4)

As a follow up from LN1, I just finished the sequel (unsurprisingly named LN2 :D). 

Overall, it´s a smart product: Being the second instance of the LN franchise they obviously inherited pillars/main gameplay elements from the first game (setting, ambiance, most mechanics) and they added some extra sauce: A multiplayer/coop mode

The singleplayer campaign is as satisfying as it was the original game, with minor but well implemented twists (mostly related to the playpal). You again control a child-like character moving through platforming scenarios, escaping from monsters and traps. No dialogues, story just hinted by animations and player actions. And just like LN1 the game length (around 4h) feels right, it probably wouldn´t be as satisfying if the game was longer – as most commercial products aim to be nowadays

One benefit of the coop mode (in singleplayer the playpal is controlled by the AI) is a sense of responsibility the game develops in you towards the other character. The relationship between both protagonists is not complex, but based on time (you end up feeling both belong together). This is wisely used for dramatic purposes in the epilogue (no spoilers)

The only minus point is probably the frequent animation glitches. They´re not terrible – nor blocking the experience – but noticeable and easy to repro. Example: Characters don´t excel when dealing with collisions or interaction edge cases

I couldn´t test the coop mode, but I can imagine it´ll be nice. There are many gameplay situations requiring both players to sync their actions

I´ll give it a shot to the Platinum, I´m only 5 trophies away after my first playthrough. Otherwise, highly recommended if you like this type of games (i.e. Inside, Limbo)