Reanimal review: the most beautiful horror game in years

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Horror video games don't have any enterprise being this lovely. No, scratch that; horror video games have each enterprise being this lovely. Throughout my 6+ hours in Reanimal, I have been eaten by seamonsters, stalked by spider-like villains, bullied by phantom kids, and picked aside by birds, and I would undergo all of it once more simply to have one other take a look at what could be probably the most dazzling horror journey I've ever performed.

Think about a baby sitting alone in a small boat, surrounded by nothing however water, mist, and the sound of the waves. As you are taking management of this baby, you steer the boat towards a faint crimson glow. It is a lighted buoy; maybe it's going to lead you to land. Immediately, you notice a physique floating within the water; it jumps at your throat, however as soon as you have recovered from the bounce scare (the primary of many), you notice it is your still-living sister. Behind the 2 of you, steep cliffs emerge from the fog; an outdated forest and a creepy mansion lie behind them. It would not seem like the form of place any sane particular person would willingly enter, however you have no alternative. No less than you are now not alone.

<img width="2600" height="1462" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="A child in a boat approaches a light buoy in Reanimal." data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" class="img-brightness-opt-out"/> Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon Though I received to play a Reanimal demo at Gamescom, I had not but seen the magnificent opening sequence I simply described. With its atmospheric lighting and sudden bout of fright, it varieties the right introduction to Tarsier Studios' first recreation since Little Nightmares 2, which follows a brother and sister as they discover an exceedingly creepy island searching for their three lacking buddies. In addition to setting the temper, the boat journey reveals Reanimal's secret recipe for greatness: It by no means does greater than it ought to.

<img width="2600" height="1462" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="Reanimal's protagonists use a boat to approach a scary mansion." data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" class="img-brightness-opt-out"/> Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon Make no mistake; visually and narratively talking, Reanimal is sort of extravagant. Whereas the puzzle platformer is not lengthy, it is fast-paced; inside the span of some hours, you may outrun a military of deflated corpses, sneak by means of deserted buildings, dodge explosives, get kidnapped, survive the conflict trenches, and battle aggressive seagulls. You will additionally go boating, diving, and driving — normally in automobiles extremely unsuitable for kids. Each time I felt the primary tinge of "I have been on this locale lengthy sufficient now," an surprising occasion would shake issues up.

Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon This narrative chaos is what saved me on the sting of my seat, as a result of Reanimal's gameplay consists of exploration greater than anything. To me, exploring a world is simply pleasurable so long as I am unable to wait to see what lies past the nook, and Reanimal by no means lets that flame die out. This additionally means I did not miss the brain-racking challenges I, as a puzzle fanatic, had initially hoped to come across: There was however a single "standalone" puzzle that concerned a hidden code and corresponding buttons (whereas most exploration hurdles ranged from "pull a hidden lever" to "discover a key"), which allowed me to immerse myself within the eventful story with out prolonged interruptions.

<img width="2600" height="1462" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="Two kids look upon a chasm with a large monster behind it in Reanimal." data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" class="img-brightness-opt-out"/> Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon Among the gameplay moments that received my coronary heart beating sooner than probably the most intricate puzzle ever may embody outrunning a haunted automobile, dodging gunfire, strolling throughout a slim chasm whereas tied to my in-game sister, sneaking previous bosses, and taking pictures a very creepy seamonster. If that appears like lots of working, you are proper; many encounters in Reanimal can solely be survived by fleeing as quick as you possibly can, however I used to be all of the extra shocked by the instances I did not must run. As soon as I received my palms on a crowbar, a stack of needles, and a cannon, among the nastiest fiends received precisely what they deserved.

Reanimal's minimalist controls — the entire above is finished by means of motion, "interplay," and "use merchandise" buttons alone — create little visible disturbance. Just like the gameplay, they appear to be in service of the cinematic expertise. There is not any HUD, no quite a lot of tutorial traces pop as much as clarify the management system, and each door, hatch, lever, or merchandise that may be interacted with is marked with nothing however a tiny white dot upon method. By no means will a big "press X" immediate defile your display.

<img width="2600" height="1462" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="A house with a balcony and a doorway with an interaction dot in Reanimal." data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-7.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-7.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" class="img-brightness-opt-out"/> Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon That is extremely essential as, maybe greater than the brother and sister, Reanimal's true star is the digicam. Relatively than sticking with the identical angle all through the sport, the "directed digicam," because the builders name it, follows the kids throughout the haunted islands; generally close by, generally far-off. However it's not only a matter of zooming out and in. When the youngsters stroll right into a tunnel, the digicam follows them inside. Once they enter a grand constructing, the digicam takes place in a excessive nook. Once they encounter a terrifying monster, the digicam dives right down to their standpoint. The consequence? Almost each second of Reanimal is screenshot-worthy. I am not exaggerating; the angles and lighting are at all times completely positioned to get probably the most cinematic view.

<img width="2600" height="1462" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="Three children exit a cinema in Reanimal." data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" class="img-brightness-opt-out"/> Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon Since Reanimal's visuals do a lot of the storytelling, it was stunning to seek out that the characters are voiced, although it is no quite a lot of traces, or reasonably whispers, all through the whole recreation. When brother and sister reunite within the opening sequence, for instance, the brother says, "I believed you have been lifeless." A while later, whereas the youngsters are ready at a bus cease, the silence is damaged by a single query: "You recognize why we're right here?" to which the one response is "No concept."

In Reanimal's case, voicing the characters is a harmful balancing act. Whereas listening to their ideas underlines the kids's humanity and vulnerability, I am relieved the voice traces are used sparingly and solely within the quieter moments. It might've been a horror (within the unhealthy sense) to seek out them functioning as a method to clarify feelings, narrate occasions, or instruct the participant. A way of loneliness and despair is extra successfully induced by means of silence, whereas an emotional bond is proven much better by means of useful actions and the occasional hug than by means of outward declarations of affection.

<img width="2600" height="1462" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="The brother and sister find their first friend in Reanimal, but he's stuck behind bars." data-img-url="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-5.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" src="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/reanimal-review-5.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1300&dpr=2" class="img-brightness-opt-out"/> Picture: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic by way of Polygon Fortunately, the identical knowledge is utilized to Reanimal's soundtrack. Though monster assaults are accompanied by bombastic scores befitting the adrenaline kick, more often than not, all you hear are ambient appears like creaking flooring, footsteps, a groan within the distance, seagulls, and splashing waves. The utter silence imbues a sense of desolation way more successfully than eerie music would.

Reanimal is not the scariest or most difficult horror recreation I've performed, however I am going to crown it probably the most visually hanging, and on high of that, one in all my most memorable gaming experiences. I am unsure how grateful I'm to have been inflicted with claustrophobia, acrophobia, thalassophobia, automatonophobia, and some different phobias, however the profound combination of horror, awe, and unhappiness I felt by the tip of this cinematographic masterpiece makes it well worth the wrestle. Let's hope Tarsier Studios preserves its minimalism in future tasks — no want for voice appearing and different such nonsense.

Reanimal will probably be launched Feb. 13 on PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, Xbox Sequence X, and Nintendo Change 2. The sport was reviewed on PC utilizing a prerelease obtain code offered by THQ Nordic. You'll find further details about Polygon’s ethics coverage right here.