20 Video Games Of This Generation You May Have Missed
6. Little Nightmares (2017)
PC: 81% | PS4: 78% | XBO: 83% | NS: 79%
Play as Six in a game dominated by the themes of hunger, gluttony and consumption as you try to escape a vessel called the Maw. The oppressive characters that litter this microcosm are grotesque figures in both appearance and behavior, and best demonstrate the themes of the game.
In the creation of Little Nightmares, developer Tarsier Studios manages to set you up as an outsider in the horror show: the yellow coat has you standing out from the rest of the ensemble, you are very much on the menu, and amidst all this you have your own hunger to think about.
As you struggle your way to freedom, Six is never actually fighting back her assailants but constantly fleeing from the oppressors, and this adds to the dimension of vulnerability.
As progression is made inversely it feels like the acquisition of experience is a descent into madness as opposed to an escape from the Maw's lunacy: you started off as a vulnerable child who was incapable of fending for yourself, and along it all you begin to emerge as a figure that can fight back in the most morbid of ways.
What this does for the game is set up an interesting backdrop for a sequel.