TGS 2024 | "REANIMAL"
Something wicked was in the wings of THQNordic’s Tokyo Game Show booth. And yet, the line to check out REANIMAL — the latest game from the creators of Little Nightmares — was long and filled with anticipated gamers. After being led inside a dark demo room, I was set up to experience the first ten minutes of REANIMAL. Once the demo ended, I felt like I had played one of this expo’s best titles!
REANIMAL has you take control of two siblings in a dark and scary world. They’re attempting to escape from the things that go bump in the night, and then some. They have no weapons, save for the occasional brick one might find, but the terrors that await may be far too intimidating for a child to go head-on with. As such, there’s only one option: run!
The demo gives you a good feel of what to expect from the game. Since you need both characters to initiate things like pushing heavy doors or reaching high places, you cannot leave anywhere unless you’re together. It adds a bit of a puzzle element to the game, as there are times where you can’t move on until you find a way for the two children to stick by each other’s sides. And that made some of the more intense moments of the demo even more harrowing.
Throughout the demo, a giant furry behemoth with a dozen arms is on your tail. It can’t see you, but it certainly can hear you. In one instance, you need to sneak past it, avoiding anything that may make the slightest sound. I found that out the hard way when I accidentally walked into some glass bottles, resulting in the children’s demise. But even when you find a way to avoid the monster, it will find a way to start chasing you.
At the end of the demo, that chase commences. I had to push objects, jump over broken floorboards, and quickly crawl through narrow openings to avoid being caught. Unfortunately, how the demo ends leads me to wonder how these kids are going to get out of this mess, with the behemoth hovering over the girl as it spews out living faceless humans.
After going through all that, a game that wasn’t on my radar at all had quickly become one of my most anticipated. REANIMAL is shaping to be the game that’ll spook many players once it launches. What’s more, players will be able to experience it alone or in couch or co-op mode. So if you don’t think you can tackle these freaks of the night by your lonesome, you can at least find a friend willing to tackle the darkness together.
But be warned: even with a pal in tow, REANIMAL will no doubt still give you nightmares the likes of which you’ve never ever seen before. So, erm, maybe save up for those future therapy bills.
