Reanimal – Everything You Need to Know Before You Pick it Up

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It’s tricky to create something for children that acknowledges the scary parts of the world, but Tarsier Studios – the creators of Little Nightmares 1 & 2 – has shown they can do it beautifully and effectively.

After stepping away from the Little Nightmares series, Tarsier Studio is making a strong return with Reanimal. This new game promises a deeply immersive and captivating world, and introduces a fresh pair of characters to explore it.

Excited about the studio’s new game but unsure if it’s right for you? We’ve created a guide highlighting the most important features to help you decide if it’s worth the purchase. Let’s dive in!

1. Tarsier Is Back At the Helm

We briefly mentioned Tarsier returning to its unique style with a new game, and it’s worth explaining why that’s positive. While Supermassive Games made a good Little Nightmares III, it didn’t quite reach the same level of quality as the earlier games in the series.

It’s great that Tarsier really embraced their creative vision this time. Early looks at Reanimal suggest a game that’s more intense, realistic, and captures the same unsettling atmosphere that made Little Nightmares so popular. Want to know more about the changes? Keep reading!

2. A Spiritual Successor

It was natural to expect this new game to be similar to Little Nightmares, and it seems the developers have built on what they did well before. They’ve stayed true to their signature style while also trying some new things.

With its bolder story, challenging gameplay, and impressive level and enemy designs, Reanimal has the potential to be a breakthrough title for the studio, establishing them as leaders in the platforming horror genre.

3. New Protagonists In A Strange New World

In Reanimal, you play as The Boy and The Girl, who are searching for their missing friends. Their quest leads them to a dangerous island filled with secrets that you’ll uncover as you progress.

Reanimal is perfectly suited for a world filled with challenging puzzles and dangerous enemies. It combines a striking visual style with captivating gameplay, creating an experience that will linger in your memory even after you finish playing.

4. Far From A Paradise

You’ll be leading The Boy and The Girl through a dangerous island filled with strange and hostile creatures determined to stop you from rescuing your friend. You’ll travel by foot and boat, overcoming challenges in a world that’s creepy and unsettling. Initial impressions highlight how effectively darkness builds suspense, and the enemy designs are genuinely terrifying. Prepare yourself – this game is likely to be a nerve-wracking experience.

5. Bring A Friend Along

In Reanimal, you’ll always have a friend to play with! The game features both local and online co-op, letting another player control the second character and join in on the adventure.

You can also play the game by yourself, with the AI controlling your second character. Either way, this game is sure to be challenging and exciting for you, and maybe a friend too!

6. A More Chatty Duo This Time Around

Okay, so something’s different in Reanimal compared to the Little Nightmares games – the characters actually talk a little! It’s a cool change, but don’t go expecting a ton of cutscenes with long conversations. From what I’ve seen, they’re keeping the dialogue pretty minimal, which I think works.

This is actually a positive change, because it will make conversations between characters more meaningful and powerful. We anticipate this improvement will lead to a more unified and engaging story this time.

7. Changes To Your Perspective

Tarsier’s games have usually been traditional 2D platformers, but Reanimal does things a little differently with its camera. It offers varied viewpoints, and sometimes even shifts to a first-person perspective to help you solve puzzles in new ways.

The game’s newfound energy is a great improvement, making the experience much more immersive. We’re excited about this change and think it will make exploring the island a lot more captivating.

8. Deadly Enemies That Are Designed To Terrify You

Tarsier’s games are known for their creepy creature designs, and Reanimal continues that tradition. Even the early playable sections of the game, like those shown in previews and demos, feature enemies that are genuinely frightening.

You’ll encounter a massive, intimidating enemy that’s best avoided in direct combat. There’s also a bizarre character whose appearance is unsettling, especially considering the human skins scattered throughout the game world. This isn’t a game for the easily scared, and you’ll likely need to pause frequently to take in the disturbing events that happen.

9. Intelligent AI

If you’re playing alone, your companion’s AI will be a great help in solving tricky puzzles and guiding you when you get stuck.

The artificial intelligence in Little Nightmares III is a significant improvement over earlier games. Tarsier Studios clearly learned from other successful titles, adding helpful features that give players a better chance of survival in the game’s challenging environment.

10. Room To Explore

The main story will likely follow a straightforward path, but you can explore side paths to discover hidden ways to customize your characters.

When facing such a dangerous world, you might as well try to enjoy the journey. There may be ways to customize your experience, but details about those options are currently unknown.

11. Take a Stealthy Approach

It feels wrong to force kids to fight monsters they can’t possibly win against, doesn’t it? Luckily, the game lets you use stealth. You can hide in the shadows to either defeat enemies or sneak past them altogether.

These tense sections will definitely put you on edge, making you anxious as you search for a way forward and try to succeed.

12. Get a Feel of the Experience Before You Buy

You can now try out playable demos of the game on Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. This is a great way to experience the game firsthand and see if you enjoy it!

Early looks at the Switch 2 version of the game have shown some performance issues, like occasional stuttering during fast-paced moments. While these problems might be fixed before the game officially launches, the final version could still be just as good as the versions available on other consoles.

13. More Reanimal On The Way

The game will receive three more story expansions, so getting the Deluxe Edition with the Season Pass is a smart move. It gives you immediate access to these expansions and saves you money compared to buying them separately.

It’s still unclear what they’ll announce, as details are currently being kept secret. However, based on what we’ve seen of the game so far, expect more unforgettable – and likely frustrating – experiences.

14. Preorder Bonuses

I just saw preorders are up! If you grab the Standard Edition for $40, you’ll get the Foxhead and Muttonhead masks for your characters. From what I can tell, they’re just for looks – they won’t change how the game plays at all, which is fine by me!

The Digital Deluxe Edition normally costs $60, but it’s currently on sale for $53.99 thanks to a 10% discount. This includes the Season Pass, giving you the complete game, any pre-order bonuses, and all future expansions as they’re released – it’s a great value overall.

Okay, so the Collector’s Edition is a bit pricey at $199.99, but it’s packed with cool stuff! You get a couple of statues, a sticker pack, a metal keyring, a big map poster, and an 80-page artbook. Plus, it comes in this awesome collector’s box to keep everything safe. And don’t worry, it includes everything you‘d get in the Standard or Deluxe Digital Editions too!

15. System Requirements

If you’re planning to play on a PC, it’s worth checking if your computer meets the game’s system requirements to enjoy its graphics and gameplay.

To run this, you’ll need at least a 64-bit processor and either Windows 10 or 11. We suggest an AMD Ryzen 2400G or Intel Core i5-9400F, plus 8GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480 graphics card that supports DirectX 12. You’ll also need 18GB of free storage space. For a better experience, we recommend a Ryzen 5 3600X or Core i7-7700K processor, 16GB of RAM, and a GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 6600 graphics card.

That covers the most important things to know about Reanimal before it comes out. We’ll definitely be playing when the game is released on February 13th, 2026, and we hope you will too!

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2026-01-26 20:46