REANIMAL was a fantastic game from Tarsier Studios, the original creators of the Little Nightmares franchise, and they are back again with the first DLC, The Prisoner. It is a shorter and more focused DLC that will not take long to complete, but it tries to answer some lingering questions that fans might have after finishing the main game.
The story is set in the same world as the base game but introduces two new protagonists: The Soldier and The Prisoner. Narratively, it starts without much explanation, simply introducing us to this new group of children as they make their way through a besieged city. There is no major dialogue or written text to explain the story, and it is all conveyed through environmental storytelling and interactions between the two leads.
REANIMAL is quite effective at establishing horror elements, and the DLC is no exception. It introduces new threats, including multi-limbed creatures, and also adds humans into the mix, with both adults and children showing hostility towards the two lead characters.
The bigger issue with the release of this DLC is its episodic structure. It is part of a larger narrative and will gradually be expanded upon as more chapters are released. However, as far as this chapter stands, it focuses on establishing the new leads but ends on a cliffhanger that teases more to come, which can be disappointing for fans. There is no immediate need to hurry and play this DLC, and while it is fun to play and experience, it would be best to wait until all of the post-launch DLC is out before attempting it.
REANIMAL was a co-op-focused story, and I am glad to see that Tarsier Studios has stuck to this formula even for the expansion. If co-op is not possible with someone else, AI can take over the other character too. While it works well enough, co-op elevates the game into a much better experience in my opinion.
Since this is supposed to be a smaller-scale DLC that takes around one hour to beat, there is not a lot to add here. There are a couple of major boss encounters, but most of it consists of simple run-and-jump puzzle design that fans are accustomed to by now. There are collectibles for those who want to replay it, but other than that, there is no major incentive to go through it again.
The biggest negative of The Prisoner DLC is that it is just one part of a much larger story. While it manages to do a decent job of setting things up, there is still a question mark over how well the narrative will be resolved by the time the story ends. On the other hand, those who have finished REANIMAL and are looking for more content might want to experience this DLC, or simply wait until everything is released.
REANIMAL: The Prisoner Game Information
- Price: $9.99
- Publisher: THQ Nordic
- Developer: Tarsier Studios
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
