As an avid horror fan for almost 15 years now, you don’t always know what’s going to inspire true terror. However, if there’s one thing that’s always proven effective, it’s fear of the unknown. Of the undefinable, the unthinkable, sometimes unpalatable – and in Reanimal’s case, the near-unfathomable. It’s a feeling that I only fully began to grasp when the credits rolled, and at this point, every potential clue is like tugging a thread that just won’t come undone. And that’s really all I can say without getting into spoilers, because this is really something you need to experience for yourself.
Far be it from someone like me to really classify Reanimal as “effective horror.” It is in more ways than you’d think, but it’s also so much more. I went into this without playing the demo, only watching the trailers. Yet I’m still reeling. It’s that itch in my brain – like I’m on the verge of understanding and connecting all the pieces, letting the despair wash over me as much as the brilliance of the storytelling.
Let’s start with the set-up, or rather, the lack thereof. The player awakens in a boat out at sea as The Boy. Following the flashing red buoys, he eventually happens upon The Girl, pulling her in and being rewarded with a pair of hands around his throat. Once she regains her composure, the two set out, following the buoys to the nearest island in search of their friends.
“At times, it feels like an analogy for childhood – where things appear so much bigger and scarier than they actually are, but as you go along, it quickly becomes obvious that things aren’t what they seem.”
Because something has happened to the world, and it’s all fractured apart. Boneless bodies are slithering about the first location, the Trainyard. A tall, slender man – not the Slenderman, but still just as aggressive – mulls about, harassing the duo and…doing his laundry, for lack of a better term. Even when they find the first of their friends, there’s no joy in the reunion. It’s rather hard to celebrate among desolate skies, after all.
Contrary to what you would think, the reason the world became like this isn’t the core driving force of the narrative, at least not at first. At times, it feels like an analogy for childhood – where things appear so much bigger and scarier than they actually are, but as you go along, it quickly becomes obvious that things aren’t what they seem. And really, the crux of that is what makes Reanimal such a compelling title.
Of course, the presentation is paramount as well. There’s no HUD; tutorials are minimal, simply instructing you how to carry out certain actions. Dialogue is scarce and sporadic. All the lore is in the environment, whether it’s the way that creatures have been butchered or the drawings left behind. There’s an undercurrent of turmoil throughout, and when it explodes, the attention to detail is some of the best in the genre. It’s simply astonishing to see how much work the developer has done to bring the world and its myriad of horrors to life. From the movement of electrical wires in the background to the animations of its characters, there’s as much nuance to appreciate and covet.
I could go on about the lighting, the use of shadows, and much more, but it really does speak for itself. Even amid its dour colors and ever-present darkness, Reanimal is a gorgeous-looking game. The cinematography deserves as much credit in that regard as well. Massive wide shots out at sea reinforce that feeling of being dwarfed by whatever is out there. The way that the camera seamlessly tracks during some of these chase sequences is also simply incredible.
The fact that it’s so seamless belies just how difficult it is to have everything flow so smoothly, but I’m also impressed with the more subtle displays. Walking around outside a building to enter through a window, and seeing the camera follow through as if it’s a living being, is some A-plus stuff. However, it’s a shame there’s no HDR support (at least on PS5 at this point).
“The worst I can say is that some trial and error is involved in certain places, but with the generous checkpoints, they’re easy enough to figure out without the pacing getting bogged down.”
With how much I love the presentation, art direction, and attention to detail, you would think there’s a catch when it comes to the gameplay. Granted, Reanimal isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when it comes to the genre or even co-op games, but within its own twisted wonderland of horrors, it’s presenting some incredible stuff.
Platforming is still very much a big part of the game (and carries the appropriate amount of weightiness), but a heavier emphasis is placed on exploration and observation. Shifting from a 2.5D platformer series in Little Nightmares to a 3D action-adventure means not always knowing where you need to go. Oftentimes, it’s quite obvious, but at others, you’ll need to swing the camera around, perhaps noticing that alley that’s otherwise not visible. Maybe you’ll happen upon a padlocked cellar door and, not knowing where the key is, proceed to smash things apart, leading to one of my favorite “Wait, didn’t I just” moments.
Of course, there’s also the usual sneaking and chase sequences, though they never really feel out of place or forced. The worst I can say is that some trial and error is involved in certain places, but with the generous checkpoints, they’re easy enough to figure out without the pacing getting bogged down. As a whole, it feels like Tarsier had a vision of what it could accomplish in the 3D space and set about building it in as uncompromising a fashion as possible.
One aspect that somewhat hinders immersion is how the focus of much of the horror is on you, at least while playing solo. What this means is that various monstrosities will be within clawing distance of The Girl, and she’s…fine. I know, I know – it’s a nitpick (sort of), and while it doesn’t outright kill the tension, I couldn’t help but find it amusing on more than one occasion.
“Reanimal isn’t very long, but quite frankly, it doesn’t need to be. It feels like the perfect length, taking the player on what’s essentially a horror odyssey, challenging them to understand what’s happening and then flipping those expectations.”
The other element that I can see bringing things down for some is the ending. No spoilers, but after some reflection – the proverbial lighter illuminating the darkness – I felt like it delivered and then some, adding a whole new dimension to the journey. I haven’t discovered all the secrets (like the unlockable concept art and alternate masks), so perhaps there’s something more to it that I missed, which excites and concerns me in equal measure.
On a technical level, the experience felt near-flawless throughout, with perhaps only one instance of the frame rate dropping. At one point, the game suddenly became unresponsive, which required quitting and relaunching it (thankfully, this did not affect progress). There’s also the odd minor bug or two stemming from interactions with the terrain. Otherwise, this is an incredibly well-polished experience.
Reanimal isn’t very long, but quite frankly, it doesn’t need to be. It feels like the perfect length, taking the player on what’s essentially a horror odyssey, challenging them to understand what’s happening and then flipping those expectations. You never quite know what to expect, and to Tarsier’s credit, it finds interesting ways to up the ante without sacrificing the pacing or needlessly padding the runtime – all in service of the story it’s trying to tell. Suffice it to say that I’m not so much scared about what I don’t understand as saddened that there may be even more to pull me ever deeper into despair. If that doesn’t speak to the true emotional weight of the experience, then I don’t know what does.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
