The eerie, yet wonderful Little Nightmares has released its first episode out of three in the new DLC, titled ‘Secrets of The Maw’. This time around they’re going to give us more information about what the Maw actually is, and what is going on there – through the eyes of a new character, The Runaway Kid. If you’re on the fence about buying the new DLC, I’m here to give you some insight. It did its job – it thoroughly creeped me out. Let me explain…
Reason 1: “Here we go again on my own / Going down the only road I’ve ever known”.
The first episode is clearly – and rightfully so – an introduction as to whom we are playing, and why we are here. The start of the game is uncannily familiar: something creepy and weird happens, and then The Runaway Kid (our protagonist) wakes up, realizing it was “just” a nightmare. Yeah, as if. The foreboding as to what is going to happen creates the same paranoia effect as the original game did. I keep asking myself “when”, “what”, “how”, and “why?”.
Reason 2: Realizing where exactly I met The Runaway Kid in the original game.
As he wakes up in his bed, I realize quickly that it is not just the dream sequence that is familiar. The bed and the room he wakes up in, is the exact same one as the room of beds that Six walks into when escaping the long-armed man: the bed with the sleeping children – and The Runaway Kid is one of those children. It gave me the chills knowing that he was there – especially as there were so few characters in the original game that were significant.
Reason 3: The familiar surroundings.
We are, after all, also trying to gather information as to how this boy meets our original protagonist, Six, and how their paths meet. That would require us to retrace our steps. Going through the same rooms, the same environment and remembering all the fears that made you want to escape that room as quick as your little legs could carry you in the first place, is ever-present.
Reason 4: The water.
The freakin’ water, man. It is painfully obvious that they named this episode “The Depths” for a reason. As if water doesn’t make me squirm enough in the real world, it is a prominent element in this episode. Tarsier Studios have been true to their word, because not only is the water pitch black: it also contains something that I DO NOT want to encounter. But its contents sure want me. Which leads me to my final reason:
Reason 5: The monster(s).
There is one familiarity here: the leeches, which are far worse in this DLC. They are larger, faster, and more… gross. But they are not the worst of the bunch. As the developers previously warned us about, there is something lurking in the water. Oh ho yes, sir, what jolly good fun. You don’t actually see much of the creature in the water, but what you do see is horrifying. And he’s not there to tickle your feet, that’s for sure.
I love how Tarsier Studios have created a new puzzle – the story itself. The second episode will be released in November, the third and last episode in January. In other words, we will have to wait quite a while before we receive more pieces of the puzzle. The next episode is called “The Hideaway” – and it looks like we will meet some old friends there.
Let’s hope that the next piece to the puzzle is worth waiting for…
