My partner and I slowly wander onto a train, enjoying a moment of reprieve after being chased relentlessly by a creature in a human skin suit. After taking a few minutes to settle down, we inch towards the front of the train and start the engines. For a moment, the train protests in a yearning screech, then it begrudgingly moves forward.
<CRASH!!>
The front window of the train smashes open and the grotesque, disjointed skin suit of a man clatters in. My partner and I start running, as fast as our little legs can take us. For a moment, it seems like we might not make it. The creature is gaining momentum fast, but at the last moment, both of us are able to hop out of an open door near the back of the train. The creature, unable to fit through the door, gives up, and begins looking for new ways to gave chase.
Introduction
Reanimal is an adrenaline-fueled horror game developed by Tarsier Studios, the same minds behind the popular, Little Nightmares series. Mirroring Little Nightmares, the game revolves around playing as children, lost amongst a world filled with grotesque creatures and adults, whom are strangely lanky and not quite human-like. Though short, Tarsier Studios succeeds in delivering a compact experience that offers very little downtimes and a lot of nightmares.
Blending Horror with Environment Storytelling
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
First, let’s talk about the storytelling. Reanimal is a game that fully encompasses the saying “Show, don’t tell”. The story is never explicitly provided to the player and must be pieced together from each of the set pieces and monsters we encounter. The game begins on a boat, with one child, a boy, navigating. He soon comes across a girl floating in the water and helps her into the boat. The player soon lands the boats on a sandy shore and are introduced to the first set piece, the outskirts of a seemingly abandoned city. Within the outskirts roams a creature that seemingly wears human skin like a suit, driving an ice cream truck. Throughout the game, there are constant environmental references to real-world traumas. The creature in the skin suit is almost like a representation of adults taking advantage of children. Later set pieces also include a decrepit orphanage, where “dust children” are seemingly loyal to their brood mother, and a war-torn battlefield, where the men have given up and would rather take you down with them, than live another day. It genuinely feels like the world itself is in a depressed state, with entire cities either flooded, cracked from the earth itself, or ravaged by war.
The constant presence of animals interacting within this environment adds a supernatural layer to the story and of course, gives the game it’s title. The way most of the animals are openly hostile to the children and will contort themselves just to snatch them hints at a problem with the children themselves. It’s almost as if they don’t belong in the world they inhabit. This is further driven home by the girl bringing the sheep into the world, an otherworldly animal that hungers and takes elements of what it consumes. It is almost as if the sheep is cleansing the horrors the world provides, which unfortunately, includes the children themselves.
The Gameplay
Against giants, you are largely powerless. The majority of the gameplay involves running and hiding from creatures as well as moments of teamwork between both players. These moments of hiding together, huddled in a corner behind a box, are tense and exciting. The sense of fear and adrenaline carries the player forward. Both children do have melee weapons, and they work quite well against minor enemies like the dust children. Usually, one hit is enough to take them down. Still, against the major enemies, your melee weapons mean nothing.
That, however, does not mean the children are entirely powerless. At the end of each set piece, there is almost always a boss fight where you take down that which hunts you. Despite the persistence of these giant creatures, they are not that bright and put themselves in a position that allows you to ultimately take them down. These segments are really fun and incredibly exhilarating, often sacrificing the horror built up earlier in favor of offering a moment of vengeance and thrills. Beating a boss and moving on to the next set piece offers a sense of relief that is indescribable. Between my partner and I, these were some of the best moments of the game.
Conclusion
Overall, would I recommend this game?
Absolutely!
Would I recommend this game given the $40 price tag (just for the standard edition) and the short game time?
Since it allowed my partner and I a moment to enjoy a game together, yes, but for many others, I would recommend waiting for a sale.
From start to finish with a good amount of exploration, it took my partner and I roughly 7 hours to beat the game. Admittedly, this is awfully short, but as I described before, it is a compact, non-stop horror adventure that hardly let’s up. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if you think this game is worth it!
What do you think? Please let me know in the comments below!
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