The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope Reviews
With The Dark Pictures Anthology, it is quite obvious and explicit that Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games is attempting to muck about with as wide a spread of horror tropes as possible. It’s certainly an advantage for the ambitious project — there are countless horror cliches and gimmicks stuck in our collective minds. But in the midst of my first playthrough of Little Hope, the sophomore entry of The Dark Pictures, I questioned whether or not these tropes were worth having any affection over.
This had the potential to be their best game to date, but due to the direction they chose to take it at the very end, it all fell apart. It’s crazy to think just how much five minutes can kill the whole experience.
The latest entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology delivers on the scares but really drops the ball during the run-up to its lackluster ending.
Little Hope is a fun way to burn a couple of hours by yourself and a fantastic way to spend a night with friends but is let down by a disappointing conclusion, some uninspired performances, and general pacing issues.
Little Hope has an interesting story but lacks as a good stand-alone horror title. The game is cinematic and the choices you make do influence the outcome of the game. Multiplayer is fun, but unfortunately, the game relies too much on jump scares which get annoying over time. Let's hope the next installment in the anthology is scarier than this one.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Supermassive Games made a name for themselves with Until Dawn, the PS4 exclusive horror game that was inspired by classic slasher films and their cliches/tropes. It was loved by both critics and players alike, compelling the developers to start work on an anthology of games that would continue its legacy. The first of these games, Man of Medan, was a solid adventure, but could not recapture what made its predecessor so great. Little Hope offers a similar experience in many ways. This is a sinister game full of excellent scares, improving some aspects, but also suffering from the same issues.
Little Hope shines a glimmer of hope despite being far from perfect. It has moments that make it stand out, and moments that will make you dislike it. If you care for storytelling, writing, and engagement, you will love this game for sure. Its gameplay is… not the best in its genre. It has clunky and broken moments, but it most certainly tries to be the best version it can be.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is an unoriginal game and, in many ways, a repetition of previous Supermassive Games titles that still suffer from acting problems. However, the mood and atmosphere of its story is similar to the Silent Hill series which turns this title into a heartwarming experience for horror fans.
Review in Persian | Read full review
It's hard to say whether this game is better than Man of Medan, but in terms of story and ending Little Hope feels like a step-backwards. The characters were also not as interesting, despite having some cool moments. Where Little Hope excels is with its varied spooky locations which lend themselves far better to the horror experience than the gloomy and often confined ship interior of the previous game.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope aims to keep you stuck in front of the screen for about four hours, inviting you to play multiple times if you want to witness each different outcome of the script.
Review in Greek | Read full review
The Dark Pictures: Little Hope is a stronger second offering in the standalone horror game series. A more engaging story and interesting setting help overcome the shortcomings in gameplay.
It seems that Supermassive didn't have enough time to fully realize the potential of "Little Hope". There's less interactivity and branching of the story here in comparison to previous studio's titles. This year's project is okay, but Supermassive definitely can do better.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Little Hope renewed my faith in the Dark Pictures Anthology but is held back a bit simply from the lack of quality of life features.
A fun, brief adventure that draws on the genres strengths but doesn't really reach the heights of the developer's Until Dawn, never mind surpass it.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The second entry into The Dark Pictures Anthology is an improvement over the first. As much as we enjoyed Man of Medan, Little Hope ups the ante in just about every way.
Little Hope makes the direction of The Dark Pictures anthology clear, but it makes up for its evident formula with an interestingly convoluted story and increasingly nuanced branching paths.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is a notable improvement over Man of Medan, thanks to its vastly superior plot that manages to keep you hooked and interested in the characters as you try to keep them alive.
While still creating horror games with fairly visible flaws, Little Hope is a vast improvement of Man of Medan. With another — and perhaps the last — in The Dark Pictures anthology seemingly teased by the mysterious Curator in this one, I’m rather excited to see what Supermassive learns for next time around.
Little Hope doesn't deliver the tightly written, well-paced scares of Until Dawn, but it's a much better, more focused experience than Man of Medan. If you can overlook so ridiculous writing and a few technical shortcomings, it's a spooky adventure that's work a look.
As a short, enjoyable romp that can be shared with friends either locally or online, Little Hope is worth the price of admission. The title's move to more accessible gameplay ensures that it can be enjoyed by a wider audience without issue, and the visual prowess of its characters is second to none. In both scares and narrative however, Little Hope doesn't come close to matching the same heights reached by Until Dawn, meaning that true horror lovers should probably look elsewhere.