Thanks to Tarsier Studios' new horror game Reanimal, I'll never look at a sheep in the same way again

A shadowy figure lurking in the background of an alleyway while the protagonists run across the foreground in Reanimal
(Image credit: Tarsier Studios)

Tarsier Studios has announced Reanimal, a co-op adventure horror game that may instill fear in even the biggest of animal lovers—but I might just be projecting. With a spooky trailer shown off at Gamescom Opening Night Live, I guarantee anyone who loved Little Nightmares & Little Nightmares 2 will be excited for what the game has to offer. 

Reanimal Seems to present a visually dark world inhabited by enemies I'm already struggling to describe. In the background of one scene, a long-limbed man with a twisted face (and an iconic big hat we've seen in both Little Nightmares games) is dragging something into the cinema. In another scene, the protagonists are being chased down by a sheep. Except it's not a sheep, because its body seems to extend and it has far more legs than necessary. Basically if you think of something that would've petrified you when you were a kid, there's a chance that Reanimal has brought it to life. Even though we've only had a single look at them, I know playing the game will probably keep me awake for at least one night. 

Reanimal - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube Reanimal - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube
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Although it isn't a part of the Little Nightmares series, Reanimal seems to wear its inspirations on its sleeve. I've spent hours in the world of Little Nightmares, so I'm pretty confident in saying Reanimal draws a lot of its gameplay from the series. From its hauntingly gangly and inhuman enemies, to the thick layer of smog that forces you to question whether or not you really did see a shadow in the distance, there's a lot of similarities that are bound to help make it equally as haunting. 

Fortunately, if you are easily scared when it comes to spindly beings or being chased by possessed animals, you don't have to do it all alone. Reanimal offers co-op to embark on the adventure both online and splitscreen. Players will have to work together to solve the labyrinth of puzzles that await on the hellish island you're trying to escape from. But mostly, I'm excited to have someone to hide behind when one of these not-quite-human beings comes hurtling toward the screen.

Reanimal currently has no release date, but hopefully it isn't long before I have to comprehend what other horrors this game might present. What we've seen is limited, but that hasn't stopped me from already speculating what could possibly emerge from the shadows of the new diabolical world from Tarsier Studios. 

Kara Phillips
Evergreen Writer

Kara is an evergreen writer. Having spent four years as a games journalist guiding, reviewing, or generally waffling about the weird and wonderful, she’s more than happy to tell you all about which obscure indie games she’s managed to sink hours into this week. When she’s not raising a dodo army in Ark: Survival Evolved or taking huge losses in Tekken, you’ll find her helplessly trawling the internet for the next best birdwatching game because who wants to step outside and experience the real thing when you can so easily do it from the comfort of your living room. Right?

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