https://www.cybersport.ru/games/articles/obzor-little-nightmares-ii-detskie-koshmary-dlya-vzroslykh

Do you remember what you were afraid of as a child? What monsters tormented you in your dreams? Who made you wake up in a cold sweat? Probably not already. We all grow up by overcoming fears and leaving them behind. But bad luck – some part of them always remains, hiding in the back streets of consciousness. Our personal little nightmares, patiently waiting in the wings. It is about them that Little Nightmares II wants to remind us.

Three facets of the plot

Little Nightmares II does everything to make the player feel like a dream. Even her plot – the cornerstone of any narrative – refuses to take on any tangible form. You can look at it from three different sides and see three different faces, one of which is mirrored, the second is not at all, and the third is outside the coordinate system.

So, let’s start with the one that does not exist – from the edge of the in-game narrative. The fact is that during the entire passage of Little Nightmares II, you will not learn anything about the plot of the game. The only line of text you’ll see is “Press circle to turn on the flashlight.” The game will not tell you where you are, what you need to do, or even the name of the main character. This information can be gleaned from the edge that lies outside the coordinates, namely, in the description of the game in the store. Only there you will learn that the main character’s name is Mono, the world is deformed by a certain Transmission, and you need to get to some Lighthouse.

There are no descriptions, tips or even an interface - this not only helps with immersion, but also gives you a break from games that constantly lead you by the hand — There are no descriptions, tips or even an interface – this not only helps with immersion, but also gives you a break from games that constantly lead you by the hand

Yes, it is difficult to call this information very useful. And that is why it is most interesting to study the plot through the mirror edge – through your own emotions and sensations from the surrounding world and its atmosphere. If games usually convey their stories as prose, now we have more poetry in front of us. Therefore, precise names and descriptions are not needed – the feelings of the players are much more important. And having already plunged into this maelstrom of nightmares, you can think out or even come up with a story of the main character and his universe.

In words, this approach sounds intriguing, but in reality it has one significant drawback. If you still want to not only experience emotions, but also find out what exactly happened to Mono, what is the meaning of the ending and what happened in general, you are out of luck. But you don’t need to be familiar with the original, although it won’t be superfluous.

Our target is the tower in the background. Perhaps somewhere on the forums, in developer interviews or in comics, it is told why we should go there. But in the game, the answer to this question you have to give yourself

Children’s nightmares

Little Nightmares II tells the story of a lonely little boy who wakes up in a strange forest next to scattered TVs. It is dark and scary around, dangers await at every step – they have even overtaken someone. The only thing that remains is to go forward. We don’t know why, but we know what is needed.

The plot resembles a typical dream situation, when you can find yourself even in the most absurd position, but it does not raise any questions for you. The environment also works for the feeling of dreaming. All the scenery looks like a crooked reflection of reality. They are not fantastic on their own, but distorted enough not to be real. A school with empty-headed hooligans and an all-seeing teacher, a hospital with an abyss, where the doctor, like a spider, examines his patients or victims; adults dizzy with TV and children too young to fight back, but invisible to evil eyes.

These creatures are like the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who - this fact alone was enough to demoralize me — These creatures are like the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who – this fact alone was enough to demoralize me

And it is precisely this distortion of the world that creates a unique atmosphere that cannot be called scary, but completely creepy. Plunging into it, you don’t want to scream and run away, but goosebumps will surely run down your spine. Little Nightmares II doesn’t intentionally scare, it just creates a sense of anxiety and alienation. The player clearly understands that he does not belong to this world, and the world is well aware of this.

In its atmosphere, the platformer is somewhat reminiscent of children’s horror movies. Think Coraline by Neil Gaiman or Corpse Bride by Tim Burton – they are scary, but they don’t try to cause screams with meaningless screamers or excessive naturalism. In Little Nightmares II, corpses have cotton wool instead of entrails, and heads are smashed like porcelain vases – without a drop of blood.

However, this grotesque cartoonishness of death does not make it less scary. And the game itself is completely devoid of at least something light or funny in order to maintain a balance, as even the most creepy works for children do. Because of this (and also because of the age rating), it cannot be recommended to children in any way. This is a kind of children’s horror story for adults.

Do not be afraid, these are not rotting corpses, but only stuffed animals ... Probably — Do not be afraid, these are not rotting corpses, but only stuffed animals … Probably

Lonely together

Loneliness was a key motive in the original Little Nightmares. In the sequel, it is felt a little less. About half of the walkthrough is the main character of the first part. It’s good to know that there is someone friendly around, even if it’s Six.

By the way, the change in the protagonist also influenced a slight change in the tone of the narrative. If you’ve played the original, then remember what Six was. If not, you will very soon notice that something is wrong with this girl. Mono is not at all like that: he, for example, without hesitation rushes to help others and never once makes the player doubt his heroic nature. On the other hand, Six’s creepiness was part of her charm, so the new hero looks less intriguing against her background.

The sixth is very nicely heated by the cremation oven

However, it cannot be said that the atmosphere of the game has undergone major changes. The platformer did not become overly hilarious with the arrival of a companion. The horror story about children’s nightmares did not turn into a fairy tale about the magic of friendship. It just became a little less melancholy and not so anxious a bit. As if, while walking along a dark street, I noticed a crow on a tree – some kind of company.

The appearance of a companion had a much greater impact on the gameplay. Thanks to the Sixth, the arsenal of actions has somewhat expanded: now you can move heavy boxes together and climb to great heights. In addition, her partner, by her actions, sometimes prompts the solution of puzzles.

If you get stuck, take a closer look at Six

Think or die

For all its adorably eerie vibe, Little Nightmares II isn’t limited to it alone. From a gameplay point of view, the game is a puzzle platformer, that is, most of the time we are required to solve puzzles and climb various rubble.

Most of the local mysteries are pretty simple. Often they can be solved right on the go, or at least after the first death. Moving through the levels also does not cause difficulties, so the game is unlikely to suit those who want to test the sharpness of their mind or hone their platforming skills.

Although the puzzles are quite simple, solving them is satisfying.

The puzzles in Little Nightmares II, however, are not stupid. They manage to maintain a balance – they do not slow down the pace of the gameplay and do not make you want to punch in the face. In addition, riddles do not suffer from excessive self-copying and gradually change, getting new mechanics: somewhere you just need to jump, in another place – actively use a flashlight, and in the third the puzzle is based on sounds, so do not turn off the speakers.

The variety and constant change of riddles is not only the merit of game designers, but also the duration of the game. It took me about six hours. You can extend the pleasure by collecting collectibles – hats for the main character and souls of lost children.

The game is very linear, but sometimes you should study the locations a little more closely.

Give battle to your fears

One of the main innovations of Little Nightmares II is the combat system. At least that’s what the developers call it. In fact, this is a cross between a puzzle and a QTE.

In some situations, Mono can use improvised items as weapons – to attack small opponents with them. However, due to his small stature, it is difficult for the hero to handle weapons: it takes a lot of time to swing and strike. Thanks to this, any fight resembles a chess study, in which the player must plan every step and blow. You need to beat at a strictly allotted moment, the slightest hitch will lead to death.

In part, battles can be attributed to clashes with bosses. They are divided into stealth episodes, in which you have to sneak past the monster, and chase episodes. The exceptions are the last two monsters: one of these battles will surprise you with a suddenly appeared new mechanic, and the other with what will really be a fight, albeit with a touch of puzzle.

Sneaking up from behind is easy, but face-to-face combat will require more skill.

Victims

The main thing in Little Nightmares II is the atmosphere. It is for her sake that absolutely all other elements of the game exist, which could not but cause some negative consequences.

The understatement and lack of a clear narrative provide mystery and make you ask questions, and not finding answers to them – to reason and fantasize. However, people who do not like halftones and veiled hints may strongly dislike the openness not only of the ending, but of the entire plot.

The world around us has become more diverse, retaining its grotesque style. Now it is not only the premises of the ship, but also the forest, school, hospital and city. Unfortunately, due to the graphic style and color scheme (or rather the lack of it), the locations are not very different from each other.

The puzzles are not stupid, sometimes even inventive, but still very easy. Most likely, this is a deliberate step by the developers – complex puzzles would slow down the passage and knock the player out of the atmosphere, forcing him to pore over the solution.

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