After the series’ third main installment was released in October last year, we now have Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes. This is the second spin-off in the series, following 2019’s Very Little Nightmares. As its name implies, Altered Echo is a virtual reality game that’s available on PS VR2, Steam VR, and Meta Quest.
Instead of following Low and Alone’s story, Altered Echoes brings us back to the continuity of the first two games. You don’t play as Six here, though, as you take on the role of Dark Six, whose goal is to become whole again.
So, what can you expect in this spin-off? Well, it should offer an experience that offers similar thrills to the main Little Nightmares games, complete with a story that you’ll need to piece together. Though the fact that this is a VR game transforms the experience, especially as you actually see and feel the world’s scale.
Great Sense of Scale
One of the biggest appeals (and sources of horror) of the Little Nightmares games is that you play a small, defenseless character who must navigate eerie spaces while evading large, nasty foes. You get a good sense of scale in the mainline games thanks to the view, but in VR, this aspect is even more enhanced.
As you experience the games directly through the eyes of Dark Six, Altered Echoes amps up the tension and the scare-factor. Sure, this isn’t the scariest VR horror game that you can get, but the fact that you feel just how small you are in the game’s levels enhances the game’s horror aspect. For this reason alone, Altered Echoes is already a must-play for long-time fans of the series.
In terms of how the game works and flows, it doesn’t differ all that much. Here, you can still expect to solve puzzles and avoid enemies while doing so. Thankfully, given how transformative the virtual reality experience is, Altered Echoes still feels fresh, even though it doesn’t feature a lot of new mechanics and elements. Plus, there are some faster-paced set-pieces here that are thrilling in VR (though I won’t spoil those as they are some of the game’s biggest highlights).
What is worth noting is that, while the game feels big, your view is obscured by Dark Six’s hood. Aside from being a stylistic choice, the developers over at Iconik Studio and Bandai Namco have done this to “help focus the player’s gaze” and to “reduce motion sickness.”
I will admit that I liked the hood, as it was not only more immersive (given that you’re playing as Dark Six), but it also helped a lot in reducing motion sickness. As someone who easily gets motion sick in VR, the hood helped, as moving my head in the virtual space felt a bit less disorienting. On the flip side, it would’ve been nice to have the option to remove the hood, as I imagine some players used to VR would rather have a wider view to better appreciate the game’s surroundings.
What’s also worth noting is that the game only has smooth locomotion movement, though to balance this, it also only has snap turning. This combo worked for me, as having smooth turning and locomotion is too much for me to handle in VR. Again, as with the hood, it would’ve been better to have more options so that VR fans can get an experience more tailored to their preferences.
Gameplay is Fine, but the Overall Experience is Good
While exploring the levels, players must also be careful and avoid enemies. These stealth sections work as you’d expect, as getting spotted by certain enemies will result in a game over. Thankfully, this isn’t frustrating as the game has plenty of checkpoints, so you don’t have to redo big chunks of the game if you make a mistake in stealth sections.
Similar to the previous games, this isn’t a combat-focused experience. Coupled with the motion-sickness-reduction choices that the developers made, I found this to be a great game for players who don’t often play intense VR games. That’s not to say that this is just a walking sim, as there are also various puzzles to solve.
Puzzles in this game are fairly simple overall. While I admit that there were some puzzles that stopped me in my tracks, that was more on me, either being distracted or just my brain not working. At no point were the puzzles frustrating, though some players may find them a bit too easy overall.
As such, it’s fair to say that Altered Echoes’ gameplay is just fine, but the VR experience is a big part of what makes the experience good overall. Aside from the added tension, the fact that you’re experiencing the world through Dark Six’s eyes also means you get some more immersive additions. For instance, you can get peeks at certain areas that you may not see if you’re playing in a 2.5D perspective. This makes the world feel more alive.
Note that a full playthrough of this game is a bit shorter than the mainline Little Nightmares games. Specifically, you’ll only need three to four hours to finish this game. While that’s fairly short, it’s a good length as it means the game doesn’t get repetitive enough that it overstays its welcome.
Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes Final Verdict – 8/10
Altered Echoes is definitely a good game for Little Nightmares fans. From this view, you are treated to a more intense and immersive game that truly makes you feel small. While it doesn’t bring much new to the table in terms of gameplay, the virtual reality aspect is more than enough to make it a memorable experience.
Now, if you’re a big VR enthusiast, this is also a must-play, even if you haven’t played the other games in the series. On the flip side, if you have a VR headset gathering dust somewhere, you may want to bring it back out for Altered Echoes.
This review was made via a PS5 game code provided by the publisher.