Little Nightmares III Review Summary

Faithful to Series' Core: The game successfully maintains the distinct atmosphere, art style, sound design, and gameplay mechanics of the Little Nightmares series. Many players feel it's a worthy and authentic continuation, even improving upon previous entries in some aspects.

Excellent Co-op Gameplay: Players overwhelmingly praise the co-op experience, noting it enhances puzzles, makes the game more enjoyable with friends, and adds a new dynamic to the horror/adventure genre. The online co-op implementation is particularly well-received.

Stunning Visuals & Atmosphere: Reviewers consistently highlight the game's beautiful graphics, impressive lighting, and meticulously crafted environments. The dark, unsettling, and immersive atmosphere is considered a major strength, enhancing the horror experience.

Strong New Protagonists: The new characters, Low and Alone, are well-liked, and their unique tools (wrench and bow & arrow) introduce fresh mechanics that enrich puzzles and reinforce cooperative gameplay.

Enjoyable Chapter Progression: Many players found specific chapters, particularly the first and third, to be very enjoyable. The game is noted to improve and become more interesting after the initial acts.

Lacks Series Identity & Innovation: Players believe the game fails to capture the essence, atmosphere, and horror of the previous Little Nightmares titles. It's seen as unoriginal, lacking innovation, and feeling more like a spin-off or imitation rather than a true successor, especially given the change in developers.

Overpriced & Short Content: Many players feel the game is significantly overpriced for its extremely short duration, often cited as 3-5 hours. The practice of selling additional story chapters as delayed DLC further exacerbates the perception of poor value and a 'cash grab' strategy.

Disappointing Story & Lore: Players found the story weak, predictable, and lacking meaningful connection to previous games in the series. The narrative felt rushed, confusing, and failed to build upon established lore, leading to an underwhelming and unsatisfying ending.

Excessive Bugs & Glitches: The game is plagued with numerous bugs, including game-breaking soft-locks, AI issues, and graphical glitches. These technical problems frequently force players to restart sections or even entire chapters, severely impacting the gameplay experience.

Uninspired & Easy Puzzles: The puzzles are criticized for being overly simplistic, repetitive, and lacking challenge or creativity. Many feel like recycled mechanics from previous games, offering little engagement and contributing to a monotonous gameplay experience.

Co-op is central but divisive: The game is heavily designed for cooperative play, featuring online co-op and a 'Friend's Pass' system. While some appreciate this focus, others feel it detracts from the series' signature tension and isolation, and some found the co-op repetitive. There is no local co-op.

Shift in tone and gameplay: Developed by a different team, the game is perceived as more combat-based and less scary than its predecessors. While graphics are improved, some puzzle elements from earlier games are removed, and the overall gameplay feels similar until later chapters.

Lovecraftian horror and biomes: The game features Lovecraftian horror and imagery, set across four disturbing biomes within 'The Spiral'. Gameplay involves puzzle-solving, stealth, and atmospheric tension amidst grotesque dangers and nightmare creatures.

Nods to previous games: The game includes various references and elements from previous Little Nightmares titles, such as little dolls and static children, and features doll mechanics.

Underutilized mechanics: Initial cool mechanics like the umbrella glide and wrench gears were introduced but seemingly disappeared or were underutilized after the first section of the game.

Excellent Steam Deck Performance: The game performs very well on the Steam Deck, maintaining stable frame rates even at medium settings. This indicates good compatibility and optimization for portable gaming.

Long Loading Times: Players reported excessively long loading times, with the game taking several minutes to launch. This can be a significant barrier to entry and disrupt the flow of gameplay.

Co-op Character Animation Issues: During co-op play, the other player's character animation appears to run at a very low frame rate (20fps). This visual inconsistency can detract from the multiplayer experience.

DualSense Vibration Requires External Tool: To enable DualSense vibration, players needed to use a third-party DSX program. This indicates a lack of native support for controller features, requiring extra steps for players.

Good for Performance Testing: One player noted the game's graphics are suitable for testing GPU performance, suggesting it can push hardware to some extent.

Mixed Reception & Value Concerns: Player sentiment is highly divided, with some recommending the game and others strongly advising against it, often citing disappointment and regret. A significant portion of feedback revolves around the game's perceived value for money, with many suggesting it's not worth the full price.

Play with a Friend: Many players emphasize that the game is best experienced in co-op mode with a friend. This is often highlighted as a way to enhance enjoyment and mitigate issues, particularly concerning AI.

Wait for a Sale: A strong consensus among players is to wait for a significant discount before purchasing the game. This recommendation is often tied to concerns about the game's current price point and overall value.

Patches and Future Content Needed: Players are looking forward to future DLC and hope for patches to address current bugs and issues. Some indicate they will only change their negative reviews once these fixes are implemented, and some hope for local co-op to be added.

Consider 'Reanimal' Instead: A notable portion of players suggests looking into 'Reanimal' from the original Little Nightmares developers as a potential successor. They believe it might capture the essence of the first two games more effectively.

Developer Change Impact: A major point of discussion is the change in developers from Tarsier Studios to Supermassive Games. Players note a different 'vibe' and often compare the game to its predecessors, with some acknowledging it as a separate entity while others feel it doesn't quite capture the original essence.

Desire for Co-op Features: Many players express a strong desire for local co-op, specifically split-screen, to play with friends or family. While some understand the developers' stance on immersion, the demand for this feature is significant.

Long-Term Player Engagement: Players are investing significant time, planning multiple playthroughs, and actively seeking hidden details, secrets, and collectibles. This indicates a strong engagement with the game's world and a desire to fully explore its content.

Miscellaneous Feedback: This includes various isolated comments such as specific character interactions, price comparisons, and external media like comics. These points are less frequent and specific.

Anticipation for Reanimal: There is considerable excitement for 'Reanimal,' a new horror game being developed by the original creators of Little Nightmares (Tarsier Studios). Many view it as a spiritual successor and are more hyped for its release.