Written By: Luis Vox
The same team that brought us "Little Nightmares" and "Little Nightmares II" is back with a new, unsettling experience.
THQ Nordic and Tarsier Studios are preparing to release their new co-op nightmare, "Reanimal", on February 13th of this year. As a surprise, they issued a demo of the upcoming horror survival game last October.
I finally had the time to sit down and try the demo. I started in single-player mode because I wanted to judge the experience the way I do most horror survival titles. For me, atmosphere and story are the most important, with playability and graphics close behind.
The opening moments make it clear just how small you are in this vast, unknown world. You play as a small, child-like being on a tiny boat, rowing yourself across what seems like an endless ocean. Buoys light your path toward an uncertain future. Eventually, you come across a companion. There’s definitely a strained history between the two characters, but a shared sense of survival—and maybe even respect—is felt.
The two children continue forward and eventually reach land, where they must push further into what looks like an abandoned warehouse. As with most horror games, you need to find key items and solve puzzles to open new areas. As you advance, you encounter glimpses of a much larger, imposing figure—a creature muttering to itself and slamming doors in your path.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR "REANIMAL" BELOW
I want to keep this spoiler-free, even though it’s just a demo, but the atmosphere is spot on. I constantly felt as if I was being watched and never felt completely at ease. The locations are your typical dilapidated hellscapes, but the characters’ small size in such large spaces makes the experience feel different. We are not gun-toting badasses here. We are small and helpless. Running is often your only option.
Graphically, the game looks gorgeous—like a DreamWorks film gone wrong, which I’m all for. The demo provides just enough story to keep you guessing while pushing you forward. I honestly want to know where this is headed.
I also wanted to try the co-op mode and asked Lacey of the Dead to join me. I’m very pleased to report that the experience didn’t lose any of its tension. Most horror games lose some of their terrifying edge when you play with friends (looking at you, "Dead Space 3"), but this demo kept us gleefully yelling at the TV while being hunted by the giant creature.
We’re definitely going to check out the full game when it releases next week on February 13th, with both physical and digital versions available for preorder.
Reanimal releases for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows.
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