Tarsier Studios is an indie development team known for their contributions to the 'Little Big Planet' franchise. Their other work consists of titles such as 'Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic' and 'Terraway Unfolded': another collaboration with Media Molecule. Gamers familiar with their work on lighthearted fare such as 'Little Big Planet' and 'Terraway' will surely be in for a huge surprise with their newest title: 'Little Nightmares.'
'Little Big Nightmares'
'Little Nightmares' may be a cartoon 2D platformer like 'Little Big Planet,' but they couldn't be any more tonally different from each other.
The game centers around a small girl named Six who must escape from a twisted and oversized underwater resort called "the Maw." Armed only with a lighter and her wits, Six must be crafty if she is to avoid a gruesome fate at the hands of the Maw's freakish inhabitants. Among the dangers teased in the trailer are the disfigured twin chefs who will pursue Six like unwanted vermin in the kitchen. Other characters include creatures known as "nomes" who appear to be Six's only allies.
Environments and gameplay
Unlike the adorable handcrafted world of 'Little Big Planet,' 'Little Nightmare's' locales are bleak and uninviting. Dark corridors and bloodstained walls abound in this grim 2D puzzle platformer.
Indeed, the Maw is very reminiscent of Rapture, the decadent but hostile underwater dystopia from the critically acclaimed 'Bioshock' franchise. However, the gameplay demonstrated in the trailer does seem to bear some similarities to 'Little Big Planet.' Jumping, pushing, and climbing are major elements in both games.
Publisher and release
'Little Nightmares' will be published worldwide by Bandai Namco Entertainment. News of Namco's agreement with Tarsier Studios came a while after its initial trailer from February 2015. While previously listed as a Playstation 4 exclusive in 2014, the game is now slated for a multi-platform release to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on April 28th, 2017.