Little Nightmares 3 Hands-On Preview: A Leap for the Series

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Ever since Tarsier Studios unleashed the chilling world of Little Nightmares in 2017, it’s been sending shivers down gamers’ spines with its unique art style and spine-tingling atmospheric horror. Now, with Little Nightmares 3, the series is taking a thrilling leap forward, expanding from a single player experience to a two-player co-op adventure – and I must say, they’ve nailed it! While Six, the companion in Little Nightmares 2, added intrigue to the game’s puzzles, having a second player along for the journey in Little Nightmares 3 adds depth across the board that significantly enhances the overall experience.

I spent around an hour immersed in Little Nightmares 3 during PAX West in Seattle, Washington. Pairing up with another journalist, we ventured into The Carnevale, a surreal funfair teeming with grotesque inhabitants. Collaborating using our characters’ distinctive skills and frequently exchanging anxious messages proved crucial to our progress, although it didn’t always go smoothly.

Little Nightmares 3 isn’t your typical easy game; instead, it offers consistent challenges that maintain a high level of suspense even during retries. The collective sounds of journalists filling the room-screams, laughter, and panicked exclamations-reflected their experiences as they navigated the carnival with their partners.

Little Nightmares 3 Preserves the Series’ Iconic Atmosphere and Art Style

The game Little Nightmares 3 continues with the same timeless art style as its earlier versions, giving it a feel reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie. The visuals, from coloring to lighting and character design, are striking and moody. The soundtrack complements this atmosphere without overpowering it. Despite having a cute appearance, the game doesn’t shy away from showing disturbing scenes. For instance, my partner and I once dismembered a deceased carnival worker, accompanied by the unsettling sound of organs falling to the ground.

The game’s speed suits an eerie horror setting, where thoughtful puzzle-solving periods are interspersed with nerve-wracking chase scenes that call for quick decision-making. Compared to the immense creatures populating this terrifying world, our characters are quite diminutive, creating a persistent feeling of vulnerability. This constant fear is perpetuated as we scurry around to avoid detection due to our weapons being largely ineffective against the formidable threats. On multiple occasions, my team and I have lost because one of us carelessly stood up instead of crouching at a crucial moment.

Little Nightmares 3’s Gameplay Keeps You Feeling Helpless

In terms of real-time gameplay, Little Nightmares 3 features a sense of weight and deliberateness that can intensify feelings of vulnerability. Characters like Low and Alone aren’t particularly swift, and many actions require manual intervention: for instance, I had to remember to stow my weapon before crawling through a window. Small oversights such as these can prove costly when trying to escape pursuers.

Although there was some combat involved, it wasn’t overly complex: the player with the bow needs to first shoot an enemy to immobilize it, followed by the player using melee weapons to finish it off. Even during combat, teamwork and synchronization are crucial, which led my partner and I to communicate targets and coordinate our attacks. Some fundamental actions even necessitate both players’ involvement, such as multiple instances where one character would lift the other to a higher ground and subsequently find a way to bring their companion along.

“Little Nightmares 3 is a game of trial and error.”

In simple terms, Little Nightmares 3 is a game that often requires multiple attempts due to challenging sequences, and any mistakes lead you back to a checkpoint. This can sometimes be frustrating when one of us faces difficulties with platform jumps. However, more frequently it results in joyous exclamations as we figure out complex puzzles after several tries. There were moments where our characters got separated, necessitating constant communication, idea swapping, and multiple retries to solve the problem entirely. The game occasionally adds a misleading clue, leading us to hold onto unnecessary items, thinking they might be the solution to a puzzle.

As a dedicated fan, I’m thrilled to share that so far, “Little Nightmares 3” seems like another significant stride for this cherished series. The introduction of cooperative gameplay adds depth not only to the gameplay mechanics but also to its emotional resonance. If you and a gaming partner have recently relished in collaborative adventures such as “Split Fiction,” mark your calendars for October 9, the release date of “Little Nightmares 3.

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2025-09-10 13:30