Little Nightmares Review - The Hideaway
Little Nightmares remains one of the most charming horror games on the virtual market a long time after the original release. The unique style balances almost perfectly on the wafer-thin line between fairytale and shuddering, while the barely elaborate, yet outwardly immediately iconic creatures from the game world force you to shamelessly speculate. Show do not tell, they call it - and also one of the hearths of the undersigned. The previous expansion package contained a pleasant, but not exactly innovative extension. And this second DLC level actually does exactly the same.
Subject Know-I-Much
The Hideaway follows again one of the unfortunate young souls who as prisoners on The Maw - a monstrous, floating complex where... yes, nobody really knows exactly what is going on - must undergo all kinds of inhuman experiments. At the start of the level, which brings about an hour of extra gameplay, you escape from the body bag in which you are locked up. Then you can endure some environmental puzzles, while you stay out of the clutches of your pursuers and desperately seek a way out, in the hope that you will soon be able to leave The Maw behind for good. Cozy is different.
Gnomes
Where in The Depths you dealt with a monster that Jaws-wise stood underneath the surface of the water, The Hideaway is far less popular with the grotesque nightmare machines that made the main game such a dreary experience. This time the focus is on puzzling, with the most important gimmick being the cooperation between you and the Nomes - or the little gnomes that you regularly see popping up in the corners of your eye. Tackling the youngsters and tensing for your cart is the message; figuratively then, since you have to get them in one way or another to help you.
Same old
The emphasis on cooperation initially works refreshing, although it soon appears that this turn has no definite consequences for the gameplay. You still move through a sinister 2.5D world in which deep shadows and proportioned furniture swing the slab, while you avoid the occasional enemy and try to figure out exactly how you hit the next room. Once again, the level design is a hit, even though we miss a room or object that makes this episode memorable in itself. The Hideaway does indeed very emphatically opt for more of the same.
The level design and graphic style may well be high tops, the same can not be said about the gameplay, which will still cause the necessary frustration. The 2.5D levels contain a deceptive depth view, so you will regularly grab the objects that you really need. The catching of the Nomes could also have been done a little easier; running for ten minutes like a silly behind a gnome spitting around a table is not my definition of a fascinating gaming experience. Oh, and I am reasonably convinced that at a certain moment I have been further moved by 'unconsciously cheating'.
Conclusion
The Hideaway offers more of the same. Nothing more nothing less. Fans of Little Nightmares can therefore take this new level into the house without hesitation, while people who have previously disappointingly missed the credits of the main game can safely keep their wallets in their pockets. It is a pity that the developer is not able to make the gameplay a little more intuitive and to lower the frustration level down. Too happy it will never be happy; The Hideaway has enough tricks to keep you on the screen for at least an hour. And that should suffice... right?
Thanks for your precious time.
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