Review - Little Nightmares 3: When fear forgets to evolve

The Little Nightmares franchise has always had a rare talent: transforming fear into something almost poetic. It was the kind of horror that didn't need cheap scares or gore, just the constant feeling of being lost in a living nightmare.

When Bandai Namco announced that Supermassive Games — the studio behind Until Dawn and The Quarry — would be taking over the third installment, many expected a big leap, both visually and narratively. But what Little Nightmares 3 delivers is, in practice, a new walk through the same labyrinth: dark, beautiful, and unsettling, but without the boldness that could’ve taken the series to another level.

This time, the game puts the player in control of two characters: Low and Alone. From the start, the focus is on teamwork. The idea is that each protagonist has a unique role — Low uses a bow and arrow to activate mechanisms and distract enemies, while Alone carries a wrench used to open passages and solve mechanical puzzles. This system should be the big innovation, but the execution doesn't live up to the concept.

When played online with another person, the game works well; there are moments of genuine cooperation, and seeing the two small figures facing the bizarre world together is beautiful. But when playing alone, the experience drops drastically. The partner's artificial intelligence is limited, hindering crucial parts and breaking the fluidity of exploration.

The biggest mistake, however, lies in the absence of local cooperative mode. A game that sells itself as "made for two" not allowing players to share the same couch is a difficult choice to understand. The concept of unity and partnership loses some of its strength when interaction only happens through an online connection.

Even so, there are moments when the game manages to convey a sincere sense of bond between the two protagonists, especially in the sections where one needs to help the other escape or face enormous creatures. It’s in these moments that Little Nightmares 3 reminds us why the franchise has won over so many fans.

The visuals remain the highlight of the series. Supermassive preserved the visual identity created by Tarsier Studios, but added movement and texture. The environments continue to be deformed, dirty, and full of unsettling details. There's something handcrafted about each setting, as if the entire world were handmade and then distorted by a feverish nightmare. Light and shadow still work as an essential part of the narrative—the game makes you see very little, and it's precisely this "not seeing everything" that fuels the fear.

One of the most praised chapters is "Carnevale," a kind of decadent amusement park, illuminated by colorful lights and populated by figures that seem to have come from a hellish circus. It’s in this type of setting that the game shines: when it mixes beauty and horror in an almost enchanting way. The atmosphere remains the main reason to play Little Nightmares 3. Even those who are already used to the formula will be impressed by the level of visual care and the use of the soundtrack to reinforce the discomfort.

The gameplay additions seem more symbolic than truly transformative. Low's bow and arrow and Alone's wrench add variety, but are underutilized. Most of the puzzles are simple and predictable—usually involving pressing buttons, pushing objects, or solving obvious situations. It's a shame, because the game clearly tries to suggest progress, but retreats when it comes to taking risks. Even the physics and movement system seems the same as in previous games, with the same limitations in depth and perspective.

Control and camera issues persist. The series has always had that mix of platforming and side-scrolling 3D environment, which creates a cinematic aesthetic but makes jumping and interaction difficult. Perspective errors are still common, and certain deaths seem unfair, caused more by visual glitches than player error. This may frustrate those who expected Supermassive to refine this aspect. Instead, the studio preferred to keep everything almost the same, with only a slight graphical polish.

One of the hallmarks of the series is telling stories without words, and Little Nightmares 3 firmly maintains this. There are no dialogues, no explanations, only gestures and expressions. Everything is told symbolically, leaving room for the player to interpret as they wish. It's a type of narrative that relies heavily on the setting and empathy with the characters. And, in this respect, the game succeeds: the connection between Low and Alone is the thread that runs through the plot, even if the larger story remains a mystery.

The theme of cooperation is the most evident. The game suggests that, in a cruel and distorted world, survival is only possible with mutual help. But there's also a tone of melancholy, as if the very act of trusting is risky. This ambiguity gives the experience an emotional weight that few horror games manage to achieve. It's subtle, but it works—mainly because the game never forces the emotion, only lets the player feel it.

Not everything flows smoothly, however. The first few hours of Little Nightmares 3 are slow and predictable. It lacks rhythm, and the game takes a while to deliver something truly exciting. The initial scenarios are repetitive, and the challenges are too simple, which weakens the fear. Only in the final half does the game seem to gain confidence, with bolder levels, creative enemies, and moments reminiscent of the impact of previous titles. When it finally gets going, it ends—and this reinforces the feeling that there was potential for much more.

The inconsistency also affects the horror. The tense moments work, but they happen less frequently than before. The predictability of the scares and the slow pace diminish the overall impact. There are still memorable scenes—chases, gigantic creatures, and blood-curdling sounds—but they appear too spaced out. The game creates the perfect atmosphere, but doesn't always know what to do with it.

The overall impression is that Little Nightmares 3 tries to innovate, but lacks the courage to truly change. The cooperative mode is a good idea that's poorly explored, and the characters' new tools are underutilized. Everything seems designed to avoid alienating existing fans, but this ultimately keeps the game stuck in the past. The feeling is one of security: it's beautiful, atmospheric, and technically sound, but it lacks something to make it memorable.

Even so, the game has moments of pure dark magic. There are sections that recall the original feeling of the series — that silent, almost childlike unease that makes you look into the darkness and imagine what might emerge from it. It's the kind of horror that remains more psychological than direct, and that's still one of the franchise's great merits. But now, with the weight of a third title, you can feel the lack of a bigger leap, of something that shows real evolution.

Pros

• Impeccably tense atmosphere

• Striking, dark visuals

• Good emotional immersion

Cons

• Lack of innovation

• Poorly utilized co-op mode

• Very irregular pacing

Little Nightmares 3 is a beautiful and engaging game, but predictable. It maintains its essence, but avoids risks. The setting remains spectacular, the horror still works in just the right doses, and the visuals are impressive. On the other hand, the lack of innovation, the uneven pacing, and the limited co-op prevent the game from achieving the same impact as its predecessors.

Those who already love the franchise will feel right at home—perhaps even too much so. Those expecting something new will find only a familiar, polished, and comforting nightmare. It's the kind of sequel that respects its roots but forgets to grow. In the end, the fear is still there, only domesticated. And that, ironically, is what's most frightening: realizing that the terror of Little Nightmares has become trapped in its own shadow.