Review: Little Nightmares III (PS5) – Faithful Sequel Keeps It Creepy, But Plays It Safe

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Playing Little Nightmares III feels instantly familiar, especially for those who have enjoyed previous games in the series. It’s like stepping back into a dream you already know.

Supermassive Games didn’t try to drastically change the Little Nightmares formula. Instead, they stayed true to what makes the series special – its creepy horror and charming puzzles.

This is the first installment not created by Tarsier Studios, and we were initially skeptical, particularly since the team behind *Until Dawn* added a requirement for online play to this third game.

It didn’t really matter in the end. Even though we tried hard to play together, we just couldn’t make it work. Figuring out a time for co-op during the review process was surprisingly the hardest part! But truthfully, playing the game alone turned out to be perfect for us.

Little Nightmares III is a puzzle-platformer adventure where you control either Low or Alone, two small friends trying to find their way back home. The game takes place in a strange and unsettling world called the Spiral, featuring creepy locations like a carnival and a bizarre candy factory. You’ll need to work together to solve puzzles and sneak past scary enemies.

When Supermassive Games decided to move away from the locations fans knew from the first *Little Nightmares* – The Maw and Pale City – many worried the game would lose the unique, creepy atmosphere that made it so special. Those concerns now seem a little silly, especially after completing the roughly 4 to 6 hour adventure… twice over.

Little Nightmares III differs from its predecessors by featuring four chapters instead of five, with plans to add two more chapters as downloadable content. Throughout the game, you’ll explore creepy locations like the Necropolis filled with remains, the messy Candy Factory with its pools of sticky sweets, and the hallways of the Institute.

New players can usually finish each chapter in around an hour, although the third chapter, Carnevale, takes a bit longer – it’s a winding, atmospheric experience set among rain-soaked tents and dim lights.

Supermassive Games expertly recreates the distinctive look and feel of Little Nightmares, successfully capturing its grand scale, suspense, and intricate details. However, despite the new setting, the game feels surprisingly familiar.

The game relies heavily on elements from previous titles, making it feel more predictable than scary. For example, early on, players will encounter a large creature and a puzzle strikingly similar to ones found in the first Little Nightmares, specifically resembling the encounter with the janitor and his bucket.

We could definitely discuss the game’s new, terrifying villains right now, but we’re holding back some details. Like Supermassive’s previous games, this one is designed to scare you, and we want you to experience the fear of facing these creepy antagonists for yourself.

Little Nightmares III feels and plays just like the previous games, which is a good thing. The biggest new feature is the addition of cooperative gameplay, letting two players experience the story together for the first time.

You’ll find yourself doing everything from throwing shoes at hard-to-reach buttons to crawling through tight vents, and even climbing over a magician’s sawing box—possibly with a spooky surprise inside! All this is just to get around this giant world. It’s a well-made platformer that’s easy to learn, but be warned, it can be pretty unsettling at times.

Traditionally, players in this type of game handled every task, from moving objects to activating mechanisms and even defeating enemies. Now, some of those actions, like eliminating foes, are divided between two players, but the core gameplay remains largely the same.

At the beginning of the game, you’ll choose which character you want to play. You can be Low, a mysterious wanderer who wears a raven mask, and uses a special bow. This bow isn’t just for shooting; it can also cut ropes, activate switches, and, well, deal with those unsettling, repeating doll-like enemies – often as part of a two-step attack.

We chose to play as Alone – her bright red pigtails and large jumpsuit were instantly appealing. While her wrench isn’t quite as powerful as it was in Little Nightmares II, she can still break through walls, operate machines, and, crucially, destroy the dolls by crushing them – completing the second step of the process.

The game relies on teamwork, which isn’t inherently a problem, but the puzzles themselves feel repetitive. They aren’t poorly designed, but we’ve encountered similar challenges in other games. Now, instead of solving them ourselves, we’re simply guiding a teammate through familiar situations, and that didn’t impress us during our final playtest.

We experienced Little Nightmares III as a single-player game, meaning we had to rely on an AI partner. It’s always risky depending on a bot for important things – like being in the correct location, attacking enemies, and avoiding puzzle spoilers – without getting frustrated.

Going into Little Nightmares III, I was really hoping the AI companion would be as helpful as Six was in Little Nightmares II, and I was so relieved it was! It was easy to tell Low what to do without getting too annoyed, which was a huge win. Okay, it did make some of the puzzles way too simple, and I admit I was a little bummed Low wasn’t up for a game of catch during the quieter moments. But honestly, I’m so happy Little Nightmares III got the AI right – it’s one of the best I’ve seen!

Even though local co-op isn’t available, being able to switch between characters during gameplay would have been a nice addition for players who prefer to play alone.

Just a quick note on how the game runs: we tested Little Nightmares III on a regular PlayStation 5, and we mostly played in ‘Beauty’ mode because we liked the extra detail. The different graphics modes don’t look drastically different, but either way, the game runs very smoothly throughout the entire experience.

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2025-10-08 19:08