REANIMAL: The Prisoner Reviews
After the main story of Reanimal comes ‘The Prisoner’, the first post launch DLC of three available to buy. With a full review of the base game of Reanimal already done when the game first was launched (go check it out on the Complete Xbox website now, if you already haven’t), this review will obviously only focus on the DLC story and gameplay. As such, it will be a somewhat shorter review.
In the heat of the moment, The Prisoner is every bit as excellent as REANIMAL's core game. The fun ends when a bug pops up and crashes the game, leaving players frustrated and hungry when it's over so soon. A little more to do would have been appreciated. REANIMAL's foundation is very strong when it works, and the developer has an eye for visuals and storytelling. They just need to do more of it and let players stew in the world they created.
Reanimal: The Prisoner retains the stunning art direction and creepy atmosphere of the base game, but offers very little substance to justify its standalone existence, turning this short episode into a prologue that feels more like a promise for future chapters than a fully realized expansion.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I enjoyed the new levels that The Prisoner had to offer, but was a little gutted with the overall length and main threat. It seems like just a little more time with flamethrower soldier would have felt a little better instead of one chase scene. But I am looking forward to seeing both of our new characters prevail on the dark journey ahead. So if you loved the base game you will love the DLC, however maybe holding off for a complete story might be best. Well, if you hate cliffhangers like me anyways. Reanimal: The Prisoner gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award from me. It would have been higher, but the end segment felt a bit cut short.
Whether you decide to play it one by one, or wait for all three parts of the DLC to drop, The Prisoner is an unsettling but solid start to a story I'm genuinely excited to continue.
REANIMAL: The Prisoner preserves Tarsier's atmospheric horror and effective co-op design, but its brief runtime and episodic cliffhanger make it feel more like a narrative setup than a complete expansion. The environmental storytelling remains compelling, though limited puzzles and replay value weaken its overall impact.
The Prisoner expands REANIMAL with new ideas, threats, and a war-torn setting that reaffirms Tarsier's talent for the grotesque. It's a great return to this nightmarish world, especially in co-op mode.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Reanimal: The Prisoner is an expansion that showcases the narrative potential of this world with new characters and themes that maintain the horror aspect, but it falls short by focusing too much on contemplation and fails to introduce new and differentiated gameplay mechanics.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Since there are still two more sections of this DLC remaining, giving a final opinion about it is not an easy task. However, so far, the development team has shown that they are moving in the right direction. As I mentioned at the beginning, unlike the original version, they are making this product feel more like an actual “game” rather than just a somewhat scary animated experience. That said, I still think the difficulty level and gameplay challenges could use more work, as the experience is currently a bit too simple and easy. The appealing environmental design, more engaging gameplay and puzzles, an innovative and interesting combat system, exciting boss fights and chase sequences, combined with a dark and mysterious story, have created a strong start for Reanimal’s new content. I’m eager to see how this new direction develops and how it ultimately comes to an end.
Review in Persian | Read full review
REANIMAL: The Prisoner is the first part of a DLC series to expand the world of REANIMAL. As such, it feels like the DLC is doing more setting up than it is providing a full experience. Whilst I did enjoy the game, I would recommend waiting for all three DLC chapters to come out before jumping into this one.