Reanimal Reviews
Taking cues from Playdead’s scant yet genre-defining pair of titles and Tarsier’s most famous series, Reanimal’s premise of throwing children into hazardous scenarios within strange lands seems initially like a retread of genre classics. This foundation gives it a recognizable base that it leverages to its advantage quite well.
Reanimal stands out as a serious horror highlight, tying a bleak, personal story to tense 3D platforming and a dark presentation that never lets up. The campaign is tight and deliberate, and perfect for playing with friends through couch co-op or online using the free Friend Pass.
REANIMAL is a dark, grotesque co-op adventure and Tarsier Studios’s best to date. This is a masterclass in environmental storytelling and tension-building in horror; a cohesive and undeniably unsettling videogame, and one of the best games you’ll play this year.
Reanimal represents a natural evolution of Tarsier Studios’ talent, delivering an atmospheric, mature, and memorable horror experience. Its refined art direction, precise sound design, and carefully crafted tension stand out as its greatest strengths. The fragmented narrative, combined with a powerful and impactful story, lingers in the player’s mind long after the journey comes to an end.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
REANIMAL doesn’t give us all the answers by the time the credits roll. There’s no comforting closure here – it’s a game and a world that lingers. I have so many unanswered questions, so many theories. Tarsier Studios have taken their signature DNA and refined it – it’s not perfect, but it’s a sharp, confident experience.
REANIMAL isn't a big change from what Tarsier Studios has always done, but it is a bold step forward. It’s not as soft as other works, more like a fairy tale, and has a meaner, more emotional tone. The switch to full 3D allows for more exploration while keeping the tense atmosphere that marks the studio's style.
Reanimal is worth it if you're looking for a bite-sized horror experience that's best shared with a friend. The story is gripping, and while it leads to a perhaps not too satisfying conclusion, the journey more than makes up for it.
Despite its short length and the fact that some ideas weren't fully explored, the game's diverse gameplay, intriguing narrative, and stunning visual and sound design make it an unforgettable experience for horror fans, especially those who want to play with a friend. If you're a fan of Little Nightmares or looking for a different kind of cooperative horror experience, REANIMAL is definitely worth trying.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
REANIMAL is a great step in the right direction for Tarsier’s portfolio, with all the improvements there are still some problems with its execution.
REANIMAL, while not perfect, does an excellent job of building on what Tarsier does best—portraying childhood fears as their most intense expressions.
Reanimal solidifies Tarsier Studios' identity with a grittier and more consistently tense approach. While its mechanics may feel somewhat repetitive, its audiovisual presentation and atmospheric design make it a disturbing and coherent experience. It doesn't reinvent the horror genre, but it executes it with a distinctive style.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Reanimal feels like Tarsier perfecting a style they clearly understand inside and out. It delivers unforgettable creature designs, haunting environments, solid puzzles, and a tone that lingers long after you put the controller down. Yes, it is short. Yes, the price makes it a slightly harder sell. But it is also a fantastic game that horror fans, especially those who loved Tarsier’s previous work, should not miss. Reanimal may not give you all the answers, but it will give you moments you will not forget anytime soon.
Reanimal will feel familiar if you’ve played Little Nightmares or Little Nightmares II, but the shift into fully 3D spaces changes how you explore and move forward. You’re still relying on observation, using light to find paths, and working together to solve puzzles, but there’s more freedom in how you approach each area. If you liked how Little Nightmares made you pay attention to your surroundings instead of guiding you directly, Reanimal builds on that while giving you more room to explore and figure things out yourself.
Reanimal delivers strong atmosphere and deliciously macabre visuals, but its short runtime (2–4 hours) and steep £35 price make it difficult to recommend at full cost.
Reanimal is both beautiful and horrifying, carving out a unique identity. The blend of co-op mechanics and atmospheric storytelling mixed with nightmarish creature design creates an experience you won't soon forget. Despite playing solo, I enjoyed my time with Reanimal but felt I would've appreciated the gameplay much more with someone I know to help me navigate the island. Ultimately, Tarsier's penchant for telling bone-chilling horror stories is why they continue to make a lasting impression.
Essentially, the "real" Little Nightmares III, a nightmarish but very brief journey into the depths of paranoia.
Reanimal is the best possible comeback for Tarsier Studios. The development team has succeeded in the difficult task of building on the legacy established with Little Nightmares and creating a solid, engaging project that has been expanded in virtually every aspect. Although it does not revolutionise the concept too much, the new effort is capable of capturing the player's attention from the very beginning, thanks to its exquisite aesthetics and masterful technical aspects.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With plenty of claustrophobic feeling of dread and constant threat at nearly every turn, Reanimal handles the tense pace beautifully with a mixture of graphics, lighting and sound. Jump scares are used to great effect, really setting the feel and tone by starting off small, being used just enough to not make you expect them but still keeping you on your proverbial toes constantly expecting something to jump and try to eat, crush or stomp you. The style and look of the various enemies you meet as you progress is truly unsettling at times and the attention to detail in the dark worn down and decaying world around you is amazing, from grass and trees swaying in the breeze, to mud puddles splattering underfoot as you run through them. Add all this to a tight, chilling and genuinely unsettling at times narration and it delivers something fresh and special. I was feeling shades of an even more twisted version of reality than even the town of Silent Hill delivers with how the story feels somewhat psychological aswell as deeply emotional. It makes you think, it makes you wonder and it makes you go ‘Eeep!’ many times. And at the low-end entry point of only £34.99, it would be kind of crazy not to consider adding this title to your collection with the amount of entertainment on offer. The game is by no means the longest of its type, but it never feels like you’ve been short changed as the content, while it lasts, delivers an engrossing and powerful experience. Especially when enjoyed with a friend. Whether you’re a fan of Tarsier Studios‘ previous games or even just a fan of dark, gothic style survival horror adventure games with plenty of atmosphere as a whole, then this game comes highly recommended from this fan of the genre. Try it, you shan’t be disappointed.
Reanimal is a delightful, tense, artistic, and unforgettable experience—perfect for players who prefer a relaxed yet unique and immersive journey over pure challenge. Its strikingly distinctive world design pulls you in completely, and despite its ambiguous storytelling, it creates a haunting, hellish setting that lingers in your memory. The only things keeping the game from being truly flawless are its somewhat unsatisfying ending and a few minor technical bugs. Still, these issues are far from significant enough to take away from what is ultimately a beautiful piece of interactive art.
Review in Persian | Read full review
REANIMAL is a fantastic horror game from the Little Nightmare veterans. The atmosphere and world are wonderfully crafted with a disturbing story and creepy characters. The gameplay differences help it stand out, though it still feels a little too close to home in some cases, but that doesn't detract from how great an experience the game is as a whole. This is a horror game worth adding to your library, especially if you are a fan of Little Nightmares. And while it's weird on the Steam Deck, it's still very playable and enjoyable. We do have to sacrifice the Post Processing, which adds to the game's atmosphere, but it isn't the end of the world. We can put almost everything else on "High", get a stable 30 FPS, and survive the horrors with a good-looking experience on the go.