Little Nightmares 3 was officially announced last night during the Opening Night Live event at Gamescom 2023. Scheduled for release in 2024, this highly anticipated game is being developed by Supermassive Games, renowned for their expertise in the horror genre. While it may differ slightly from the eerie childhood fears depicted in the previous two installments, Little Nightmares 3 maintains its signature style. In a new twist, players can now control two protagonists simultaneously, offering an exciting co-op experience. Additionally, an accompanying podcast will delve deeper into the intricate lore of Little Nightmares, revealing a hidden aspect of this beloved franchise.
During my experience with a hands-off demo, I had the opportunity to chat with Coralie Feniello, the producer. She revealed that their community of players had expressed a strong desire for a cooperative feature in Little Nightmares 3. Although the game can still be enjoyed in single-player mode with an AI companion, Coralie mentioned that they had considered implementing co-op for the game’s 10th anniversary but felt it wasn’t the appropriate time. However, now collaborating with Supermassive Games, who possess extensive expertise in multiplayer games, they believed it was finally the perfect moment to introduce this feature.
In the year 2021, Tarsier bid farewell to their role as the original developers and ventured into fresh endeavors, potentially nudged forward by Embracer Group, their newly acquired owners. Nonetheless, Bandai Namco retained ownership of Little Nightmares and entrusted its rebirth to Supermassive – an act akin to a large mummy bird regurgitating its sustenance directly into the awaiting mouth of its offspring. This collaboration between Bandai Namco and Supermassive draws inspiration from slasher-movie style games such as The Dark Pictures Anthology and The Quarry. Notably, Little Nightmares 3 introduces an online-only co-op mode that exclusively allows players to team up with friends from their personal network. Furthermore, a friend’s pass feature enables individuals without their own copy of Little Nightmares 3 to still partake in cooperative gameplay alongside a comrade.
Once again, players assume the roles of Low and Alone – two young children embarking on an adventure together. However, this time their cooperation takes on an interesting twist: Low armed with a bow and Alone equipped with a wrench. The puzzles they encounter will require them to leverage their distinct tools effectively; for instance, Alone may need to demolish obstacles while Low operates mechanisms or provides assistance by boosting each other up. Feniello reveals that achieving the desired balance in gameplay mechanics involved extensive testing and iteration – should Low be able to run while holding the bow? These new gameplay elements were showcased alongside familiar challenges that fans will instantly recognize: stealthily evading an ever-watchful giant eye by utilizing shadows or synchronizing their movements to overcome an obstructed trap door.
Doesn’t it also bear resemblance to Little Nightmares? And that’s actually a positive aspect. Supermassive isn’t attempting to revolutionize everything with this game; instead, Feniello stated that they are meticulously examining every aspect from the previous installments to ensure they capture the same ambiance. It appears that, like many sequels, there is some expansion involved as well. Little Nightmares 3 takes place in The Spiral, a collection of distorted illusions forming a dystopian amalgamation of lands. The showcased gameplay segment occurred within the Necropolis – an ancient stone ruin infested by an enormous infant known as Monster Baby. Feniello emphasized their focus on delving into people’s innermost childhood fears and explained how even within their own team, there are still unexplored aspects due to everyone having unique fears themselves.
According to Feniello, the current playtime is not set in stone. However, she mentioned that this time they are focusing more on showcasing exteriors and expansive settings. Each location in the game is unique and diverse. We have multiple places with various enemies, numerous civil war narratives, and countless hidden surprises, she explained.
Finiello brought up the rich mythology of the Little Nightmares universe. While the game itself doesn’t provide much explanation, players can still grasp the tangible concepts and distinct locations, as well as the intentional design of the characters. Looking ahead to Little Nightmares 3, there is a shift towards a multimedia approach, similar to Bamco’s previous experiment with Unknown 9. This game was announced in 2021 alongside a comic, a book trilogy, and a podcast, although there hasn’t been any recent updates on its progress.
The Sounds Of Nightmares, a podcast by Little Nightmares, is a captivating six-part fictional series that delves into the life of Noone, a young girl residing in a psychiatric unit within the eerie realm of Little Nightmares. Each episode takes on the form of a counseling session, where various writers explore and dissect childhood fears. To add to its uniqueness, one idea even stems from the creative mind of a community member.
Despite these facts, Feniello affirmed that Little Nightmares 3 stands on its own just like the previous two games and doesn’t require familiarity with them to comprehend its storyline. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend playing the earlier titles because they offer an exceptional gaming experience and I anticipate this one will be no different. Feniello, a member of the team behind the second game, emphasized their dedication to preserving the core essence of Little Nightmares in this upcoming release. We’ll have our answers when the game launches in 2024; however, if you’re eager for a preview beforehand, you can listen to the first two podcast episodes now.