Little Nightmares 2 (Zero Punctuation)

[@theescapist]

Watch this week's Zero Punctuation episode on Breathedge. www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/breathedge-zero-punctuation/ Watch it early on KZbin via KZbin Memberships.

[@LightStrikerQc]

I'm sure he should check Hellpoint. It just came out on Stadia and the Switch. Also has physical copies for the PS4!

[@vadandrumist1670]

Yahtzee is officially a games journalist if he thinks this game is unfairly difficult.

[@JD-do9gs]

@@vadandrumist1670 cheap deaths isnt difficulty, its just tedious

[@vadandrumist1670]

@@JD-do9gs Of course, but the deaths in Little Nightmares 2, 95% of the time, are not cheap.

[@kylerivera3470]

Yahtzee, you should do a Slightly Civil War on whether or not horror games should be difficult. It could be an interesting topic to hear debated.

[@2CPhoenix]

“Sure, I could punch up this simile, or I could lay on my back for a couple of hours trying to catch chocolate covered raisins in my mouth.”

[@demrandom]

To put it in the words of a leopard with hearing problems, "pour some sugar on me"

[@Alloveck]

The part about the "classic horror game paradox" really nails the biggest problem with scary games in a way that I feel is largely overlooked. But in a larger sense, that problem exists to some extent in all games. Death works best as a threat rather than something that actually happens, but it has to be able to happen to be a threat in the first place. Truly a conundrum.

[@LK_tutturu]

that's one of the main reason why horror works better with movies. Well, good ones at that

[@YorkJonhson]

@@LK_tutturu I don't know, it's a tough balancing act but I still think that horror games resonate with me more than most horror movies simply because of the interactive element. I'm not just the one waiting for a scare to happen, I'm the one triggering it, and being forced to find a way to deal with it. That said, horror movies that stick with me are usually ones with some hefty psychological element. Like the Lighthouse, which would be pretty hard to translate into a game format without losing the tight pacing and direction it had.

[@emperortgp2424]

Joseph Anderson made a video about this same topic

[@Alloveck]

@@emperortgp2424 I searched it out and yep, he did address the issue. And pretty well too. Though his take wasn't very focused on the need to make players feel like they can die without actually ever killing them, which I'd say is at the core of the issue. If you believed a game had permadeath but it secretly had some amazing under-the-hood AI making sure you never died in subtle ways you never realized, that would finally be an actually scary game. Otherwise, the immortality thing kills the fear and redoing stuff kills the fear AND enjoyment. That being said though, I still feel like scary games can be a lower key kind of scary via their plot and concepts in the same way as a movie. The Evil Within is an example, the character couldn't really be killed of course, but the implications of a wireless mind control device controlled by an absolute psycho that could put you into a nightmare world under his control at any moment? That's spooky.

[@nelly5954]

I'm kinda sick of all the outlast clones that've kept coming out for the last ten years, we need a new gameplay model with actual risk and stakes

[@merrittanimation7721]

Little Nightmares has violently taken Limbo's throne by right of conquest.

[@Enchie]

Then skinned and ate Limbo.

@@Enchie Then wore Limbo's skin like a hat.

[@CelestiasSorrow]

@ Hey this isnt a Rimworld review.

[@pauloandrade925]

@@CelestiasSorrow nah he didnt dismember and harvest their organs first before brutally Decapitating them and Then butchering them to wear their skin.... God rimworld is such a fucked up game when you think about it....

[@gammakay521]

the king of limbo

[@SpartanXVII]

I tried doing the achievement for perfecting Little Nightmares 1 in under 3 hours recently. Gave up after perfectly sprinting through some stealth sections, only to fall off some stairs which didnt have railings, because apparently holding the stick directly to the right translated to "move right and slightly towards the camera" and Six obligingly walked off the side of the staircase and fell to her doom below.

[@marcellocatalfamo5453]

That achievement is extremely frustrating - I tallied about 20 hours in Little Nightmares 1, including the DLC levels, and got all achievements. Hard to the Core took over half of that on its own, and my final run came out to 45 minutes. While there were of course many deaths to my own error, it's incredibly frustrating to lose out because you didn't perfectly angle the analogue stick or fell just outside an arbitrarily narrow bound for survival. Fun fact: the hook conveyor at the end of the kitchen is improperly timed and will get you killed if you don't have godlike skill after reloading the checkpoint. If I hadn't completed the run on the run that I did, I would've reloaded the save I'd made in the penultimate level until I got it right. Really, I think that's kind of the core of LN's gameplay issues: it would be pointless to expect twitch reflex-accommodating platforming controls, and indeed you might argue that would actually hurt the experience, but the gameplay is *just* loose enough, janky enough, unclear enough to make you go "That didn't really feel like my fault". In the end, you have no idea how relieved I was to finally get that last lingering achievement. I'm very glad Little Nightmares II didn't have an analogue to it.

[@Merchantic]

If you're doing it on Playstation, when you finish a level, quit the game, upload your save to the cloud and log back in and continue. If you die, quit the game, download your save from the cloud and try again. Took me a few tries but this is how I got the trophy

[@GBDupree]

This is why Mario 3D World only allows 8 directional movement, so you don't fall into the foreground/background when only pressing to the right. It gives you much more accurate and tighter control over your character. These games could surely benefit from that too. I'm not sure why, with how many forced perspective games have come out, that this isn't a more common practice.

[@marcellocatalfamo5453]

@@Merchantic Also, the game doesn't actually count returning to the last checkpoint as "dying" in the relevant sense. It will add some more time to your run, of course, but if you are certain you're about to die, you can quickly pause the game and just reload the checkpoint. I tried to avoid doing this in my own runs, but I did find it useful for practicing annoying parts, such as the aforementioned hook conveyor.

[@DickTator6969]

and I hate the fact that your character will keep stick on stuff including walls , but I do think that the games are great expirences , however the control is not perfect at all .

[@maxresdefault_]

"Scary Children in small worlds" is something Disney Theme parks have been profiting off for decades

[@DoctorInk20]

I see what you mean, but I find that's more of a Don Bluth thing.

[@Bluesine_R]

Ba Dum Tish

[@lexslate2476]

I'm pretty sure that Little Nightmares 2 ends with a Scary Child in Small World scenario.

[@candlestone5397]

Lungfishopolis

[@samlipton7872]

Hooray, he brought up struggling at the part where you had to jump from a bookshelf to a dangling noose! I died so many times trying to get that jump right.

[@suckstosuck69]

I didnt die once and I didnt see how you or yatzee did, easiest part of the game definitely

[@simple-commentator-not-rea7345]

I died the most times at the part where you had to swing the meele weapons at the school bullies or the spider hands, because the janky frame of reference on where exactly the weapon will hit and when exactly do the enemies pounce on you are both even more unclear than the main plot, and this game is so proud of its plot being all mysterious and unknown that it's literally the only award you get for finding all the collectibles; more mystery

[@insaincaldo]

I seem to remember something close to this from the first game.

[@tomstonemale]

While I didn't die on that part at all, I agree with the sentiment the platforming and combat are really janky at times. It seems the inputs you press don't correspond with the characters animations sometimes. The easiest platforming section never seem to work 100% of the time when grabbing ledges for some reason. And they must have realize how janky it is because there are times I cannot fall of a platform or plank because there is an invisible wall preventing me from falling over

[@a.monach7602]

@@suckstosuck69 I guess they made my mistake of thinking that you have to aim for the noose to grab it. I only got it when I didn't touch anything and just jumped. That part really shows how the fixed camera can become awkward.

[@TheMarkoSeke]

Well ACTUALLY Yahtz the origin of the yellow raincoat is explained in the mobile game Very Little Nightmares (true story)

[@dragoniraflameblade]

I had to check if it was real and damn if it isn't so.

[@Splatcake]

I think devs are lieing to keep the ending a secret from non players watchers.

[@waltuhgaming6523]

I think the devs gave up on the story after being brought out. Cause god does make no sense.

[@J4GGoon]

I'm so sorry

[@shittyname2657]

Holy fuck this is true

[@15oClock]

"Little Nightmares" refers to both children as viewed by the adults in the games and every single gameplay set-piece.

[@mityakiselev]

(minor spoiler alert) . . . it's actually the main characters, if you finished both games you know they're fucked up

[@justinthompson6364]

​@@mityakiselev I wouldn't really blame them, imo it's pretty clear they're merely succumbing to the same corrupting force as the rest of the world, just less immediately.

[@juliantapia1407]

It's also how I refer to most children

[@mityakiselev]

@@justinthompson6364 Have you finished both games? I feel like if you did, your questions would be answered

[@justinthompson6364]

@@mityakiselev I did, and I wasn't really asking any questions.

[@Supermac97451]

I like how yahtzee at least tries to excuse lazy jokes now rather than proudly exclaiming “I got paid to write that” 😂😂

[@jonathansotelo4877]

How many years has it been and we have actually witnessed writer's block from him?

[@ThePCguy17]

@@jonathansotelo4877 We still haven't, with writer's block he wouldn't have been able to actually write an episode. Either that or these episodes are so routine that he can do them despite writer's block, but personally I suspect that having to give a game some genuine praise this week threw him off a bit.

[@lnt305]

@@ThePCguy17 Hm... I'd say this one miiight make the blandest 5 list at the end of the year though...

[@maddantekiller]

I forget the review but he mentions "poodo narrative pissonance " then immediately jokes about making money off the line. He has been doing it for a while now in fairness to him.

[@ThePCguy17]

@@lnt305 Still, compliments from Yahtzee this freely given are rare.

[@Tralfazz74]

I just had the stunning realization that Yahtzee is growing up. He's been a beacon of consistency since I was 13, and now I'm 22. Thinking back, it's a little bit amazing that I do remember a gaming trend that this Australian man talked about 7 years ago- one that he's still talking about now. Yahtzee has done this for enough years that reminiscing about "long ago" makes sense. I'm glad I've been here with him

[@martinhendry2683]

"Do not cite the deep magics to me, witch! I was there when the Heavenly Sword demo was reviewed."

[@brodericksiz625]

He's not Australian, he's British, though he did live in Australia for many years. And, if memory serves me right, by the time this video came up he had already been living in the US for a while

[@lizawithazed]

"But what about scary children in small worlds" you covered that, yatz, it was called Psychonauts

[@YorkJonhson]

"It's Goggalor!! He got the puppy orphanage!!"

[@tmfmxo]

Or alternatively Splatoon.

[@nicklager1666]

What really gets me with this franchise is the amazing artwork in the game. There are so much imagination and creativity out there. And i would take more games like this any day of the week over the annual Spunkgargleweewee games the triple AAA devs vomit out.

[@mutantfreak48]

i mean, you can just do that. it's your choice. no-one's making you play aaa games lol

[@catlady4858]

@@mutantfreak48 But what's the point of praising indie games if we're not indiscriminately bashing triple A games, the people who work on them, and the people who play them?

[@gregormcscrungus9727]

To be honest, that shit's slowed down. Now it's all "Over the shoulder cinematic walking simulators"

[@01stak72]

@@mutantfreak48 Good singleplayer horror games in general are getting few and far between though. Triple A development has all but phased it out of larger studios.

[@Invaeyncible]

Are we so far developed that we're making AAAAAAAAA games, or do you mean something else when you say triple AAA games?

[@GmodPlusWoW]

In spite of Yahtzee's putdowns, the fact that Little Nightmare 2 actually has bits where you get to kill some of the monsters puts it head and shoulders above A LOT of modern horror games. Mechanical minimalism in horror needs to die off pronto, to put it diplomatically. The less involving gameplay you have, the more focus there is on the other things like story, which is especially bad if the story was written by inept hacks willing to say it was all a dream/all in your head near the end. Companies like Frictional, Supermassive and Bloober are guilty of clinging to the obnoxious fad of mechanical minimalism, when they really ought to be doing the sensible thing by looking at games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil and Alien: Isolation. That triumvirate of studios can make some really nice graphics, but they really need to start adding some proper mechanical depth to their insultingly-minimalist interactive software. Amnesia at least had some semblance of resource management, even though it's still pretty minimal, but variety is the spice of life, and when the only things you can do with the monsters are run and/or hide, encounters become stale and dread gives way to frustration. Plus, a good way to build dread and tension is to have the aforementioned resources to manage, giving us more things to do and making us uneasy when we're running low on the things that increase our odds of survival. Plus, while collectables can be a fun extra, in a horror scenario you'll need a lot more incentive to explore than the promise of some pretty but ultimately useless trinkets. If that one dark room has the potential to hold medicine or ammunition, you'll be a lot more eager to go into it, even if there's something hunting you.

[@deepfriedeggnog6937]

You're forgetting the fact that the combat mechanics are literally the worst part of this game.

[@ALifeOfWine]

I miss the days when I clicked on a Zero Punctuation vid I was immediately blasted with loud music. My ears haven't bled in months :(

[@severignbuchanan2040]

The saddest thing is that the best part of the theme starts right AFTER his intro cuts. Like... I didn't know there was a decent solo in it till I for some reason looked it up independantly in like... 2010 or something. Which incidentally reminds me that Christ, we're over a decade closer to death now and none of it has been worth it. Oh well, the important thing is you should hear that solo

[@RepublicOfUs]

I miss the days when Yahtzee would use a song that was tangentially related to the game he was reviewing for the intro and outro, instead of the super boring generic """"""""rock"""""""" that he's had for years and years, now.

[@letmesleep4828]

Can yahtzee’s next game dev project be a platformer about a tiny ant postman delivering mail around a garden? I would play the shit outta that ✉️🐜

[@Yggdrasil42]

Like Yoku's Island Express?

[@letmesleep4828]

@@Yggdrasil42 kinda but without the pinball stuff. maybe a little more graphically simplistic

[@charlyros]

"Gives way to the right at the mini roundabout." you're proud of that one, aren't you?

[@hongquiao]

"Inside" is still my favorite "Small Child, Scary World" game.

[@heliveruscalion9124]

I think ori is mine simply for the artstyle but inside looks great too :)

[@waynehopkins6272]

I never played Inside because I played Limbo and thought it was alright but limited. Is Inside better?

[@martinszymanski2607]

@@waynehopkins6272 limbo's better imo, but inside's been free on epic like 3 times so it's easy to try lol

[@efecaktl5432]

Does hollow knight count?

[@iainjames03]

@@waynehopkins6272 They're clearly cut from the same cloth but while Limbo is arguably a neater self-contained game, I found Inside much more satisfying. There's a much more intriguing 'world' going on in he background of Inside, along with a couple of mind-blowing set pieces and genuine scares. And that criticism Yahtzee has with Little Nightmares not having 'narrow escapes' can't be levelled at Inside (or Limbo, for that matter).

[@Prizzlesticks]

LN2 greatly improved on its predecessor by increasing the frequency of checkpoints (thank fucking god) and usually snapping you onto the platform you're on so you can't fall off while fighting to figure out where you are exactly on all three axes. On the other hand, jumping to catch ropes was still a pain in the ass. Still, it's so rich in environmental storytelling, you can soak it in for hours. There's definitely story there, but like interpreting a nightmare, a lot of it is up to the player. There's a reason KZbinrs have suddenly launched themselves into huge success based on this game alone. But the best part of this game, strangely, was the puzzle-solving and mechanics involving Six. The way this game uses its mechanics to tell a story and the ending is just... **chef's kiss** I fucking love it. I love it when the mechanics of a game are used to impact the storytelling. Beautiful. Also, god damn... I'm glad its on the Switch, but that port does not do it justice. Please check it out on PS4 or PC instead, it's stunning.

[@BlankPicketSign]

3:25 *"FUCK YOU I HAD WRITER'S BLOCK!"* Holy shit I haven't laughed this hard and this out loud in weeks! FUCK ME THAT'S FUNNY!!!! HAAHHAHAHA! Thank you so much for leaving that in!

[@danhighlander]

“What about scary children in small worlds?” Isn’t that just the Genocide run of Undertale?

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

Maybe that's why Yahtz liked it so much

[@kgpspyguy]

Not gonna lie, I'm not the type to usually take an emotional hit from video games, but it's been several months, and I swear that I STILL haven't fully recovered emotionally from this games ending.

[@danhighlander]

@@kgpspyguy I can’t even bring myself to play it. I’ve read the wiki and seen enough videos to know what happens, but I can’t make myself do it. Which is probably worse, all told, given the theme of the game.

[@theshuman100]

The suprisingly common trope of small child with knife

[@Sovreign071]

1:50 A moment of silence, as we remember the lives lost in the tragic grubnedniH crash...

[@flyingfree333]

It says something that the parts I laughed at were his writer's blocks.

[@r.pizzamonkey7379]

I honestly don't think it would've worked if it were anyone other than Yahtzee. He's developed such a reputation for dry wit that when he actually cops out it's hilarious simply by virtue of being unexpected.

[@propper-g7725]

@@r.pizzamonkey7379 i was there when he first said he actually liked guitar hero

[@nubius]

"scary children in small world" is a game called [Rule of Rose] It's a bit dated now, but I still like it.

[@Benny_Blu]

2:22 Oh there's a pretty good plot. It just takes a lot of thinking and digging to get it. But when you do, *damn* is it good.

[@boxtupos7718]

The Kid in Bastion is an adult though, prolly around 21 or 22 yrs old if I'm correct. He's just called "Kid" by the narrator, because the narrator is simply just older than him. And the rain coat is actually from someone else that died, basically helped Six escape a creepy mansion (It’s in a mobile game though).

[@Temple_of_An00bis]

"It'd have been even more convincingly like my nightmares if there'd been a bit where you have to justify your choice of careers to a praying mantis with my mum's voice." The two blocks that occurred during the episode were just there to let that one through.

[@jordanj809]

I wonder how horror game enthusiasts feel about Yahtzee's tension paradox theory

[@mikairu2944]

Seems pretty spot on to me, my time traveling friend. Endless retry loops of scripted encounters will push you out of any immersion there could possibly be.

[@dimanoetske6303]

He's right. It's rife within the horror genre, especially games with no combat. They turn into amusement park rides because there can't be a genuine threat when you have no means to defend yourself.

[@Snormite]

I think you can fix that by taking the Silent Hill and Cry of Fear approach: just place the enemy at the right distance so you can become aware of the imminent threat and even escape from it, so the main fear won't be the fact that there's an enemy that kills you instantly but the more complex fact that you have a new threat that you don't know what might exactly do. I remember getting really tense at the part in Silent Hill 3 where you access the hospital and see nurses walking around even if they don't strike immediately, or at the part in Cry of Fear where the slow long haired woman appears after you pass a corner... you can run if you want, but you know you have to get through there eventually so you're tense at what they might do to you.

[@Los499]

​@@dimanoetske6303 Interesting that you say that because I completely disagree. I feel way more vulnerable and terrified in a game like Outlast where I have no means to defend myself than I do in, say, Resident Evil 7, where no matter how horrifying the enemies are (or how useless the weapons are) just having some kind of weapon instantly makes me feel safer and less tense. And Yahtzee is spot on with the paradox. It was the problem I had with Alien Isolation. The game would build up an incredible amount of tension, but as soon as the Alien killed me more than three or four times I'd stop being scared and start being all "OMG just let me get to the fucking computer, I've been in this part for like 20 minutes!"

[@ColossalM]

I think this game is easy enough where it isn't as big of a problem as it is in certain other games. And the creature designs are so good that getting grabbed multiple times in the same way still skeeved me out

[@andrazprelec8263]

4:30 subnautica did that very well actually but cause I do not want to explain it just watch the architect of game's video on the topic

[@lnt305]

Oh fuck yeah absolutely

[@glctcthnkr8059]

It’s honestly a miracle that subnautica is so good in every way

[@Alchemyst326]

Honestly, it's more like 'scary child, small world."

[@mityakiselev]

spoilers DansGame

[@alextaylor1621]

What do you mean?

[@justsomeguywithoutamoustac6648]

Shut up baby thin man

[@alextaylor1621]

Pardon?!

[@justsomeguywithoutamoustac6648]

@@alextaylor1621 you heard what i said baby thin man

[@laterferaligatr2947]

That Parkinson's joke killed TF out of me🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 bruh I choked on my blunt...u funny AF

[@NotaWalrus1]

"Scary children in small worlds" is just Genocide Undertale.

[@gamedesignwithmichael]

This was actually a very accurate and surprisingly thorough review of the experience.

[@Haan22]

"Yahtzee's mother, we must find her and contract with her." - CEOs around the world plotting Yahtzee's downfall

[@trekkinmain4974]

"If you try to explain a bad joke with writer's block, it suddenly becomes funny" -piece of advice when one is having a writer's block

[@KeithFraser82]

Zero Punctuation indie rock track of the week: *Variable Rate Mortgage From Hell* by *Shark Infested Gravy Boat* Runner-up: *Oh Thank Goodness The Ambiguity Is Gone* by the *Gruel Vouchers*

[@andrewhickinbottom1051]

"Weetabix with legs" got a genu-LOL out of me hahaha Great review, Yahtz! Very funny, and i'm glad you kinda enjoyed it.

[@CrossBorderNerds]

This made me realize that the first game had a lot more room for error than the second one. In the first game, there were sections for running and hiding. But in the second game, it's running OR hiding.

[@JesseGolo]

Someone should make a reverse where a nightmare finds itself trapped in a small child's world and must move left to find thier way out of the cutesy world.

[@brainflash1]

"The setting and atmosphere hit the mark like a traumatized veteran of the Tic-tac-toe wars who has just been jump-scared by a pirate treasure map." You're welcome

[@jlshel42]

Hope his zeppelin-crash insurance was paid up

[@Dagreatdudeman]

I'm glad gas station hotdogs are universally despised.

[@Bird_Dog00]

The part about the scary elements not killing you in order to remain scary is a trick Subnautica actually pulls off quite well. The game pulls almost all its punches. Most threats are specificaly designed to let you escape by the skin of your teeth. Most notably, most predators don't kill you in one hit. They take most of your health, but then disengage and lose agro for a moment.

[@zarathos888]

Times like this I'm reminded of original amnesia's smart decision to change up the enviroment and the point at which a monster attacks every time you die. For example in the water section the water demon thing will appear later if you end up dying a couple of times to it. This speeds you along without letting the frustration kick in and keeps you immersed in the tension and fear instead of blasting off obscenities.

[@Epicmonk117]

At first I was confused by your mention of Bastion being a "small child in a scary world" game, but the more I thought about it, the more I feel that could fit: -The main character is referred to as the Kid, implying he's underage. He's also quite short. -The game starts with him waking up to find that his world just went kaboom, so he's probably pretty freaked out (though he hides it well). Also, I can name two arty indie games that aren't about a small child lost in a scary world: Hades and Dead Cells. -Hades is about a young man who has been trapped in a scary world all his life and is trying to escape (he isn't lost because he knows this place like the back of his hand). -Dead Cells is about a blob trying to escape a scary island that used to be his kingdom. Also, in all three of these games, the world is rendered less scary by the fact that almost every challenge you face can be solved with a generous application of hammer.

[@mrmonkeyman79]

"jibber jibber nonsense nonsense Weetabix with legs" really is up there with Oscar Wilde's best quotes. One for the history books and a million university dissertations.

[@kilgoreplumbus1360]

I haven't played these games but really hope the plot is "lizard aliens walk among us"

[@CommanderViviax]

I suspect it isn't as good as that.

[@Mark73]

I honestly liked the first one. I haven't tried the second.

[@a.monach7602]

Nah, the story's annoyingly cryptic and has a random twist I find unearned. I just made up my own plot to take the piss, like the game takes place in south London kid with 5G power's goal is to reach the local Tesco.

[@kilgoreplumbus1360]

@@a.monach7602 Well that's a shame. Now I want a 'They Live' video game.

[@ThrottleKitty]

Me: Expecting Solid Snake Yahtzee: HERMIT CRAB

[@rickvath]

"= the square root of a face full of piss" is now in my top 5 punchlines

[@superspider64]

Sometimes writers block can lead to an even greater punchline than anticipated because that just floored me

[@hoodiesticks]

"It hits the mark much like a football in the movie The Room" "It's about as deep as an inflatable swimming pool that's been stabbed more times than the aforementioned balloon" How do those work?

[@squeaky1963]

*raises finger* they don't

[@but_in_space_though2919]

Is can't hear "little character, scary world" without remembering that annoying antismoking ad. 🎵"Little lungs in a great big world!"🎵

[@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa4545]

Fuck I forgot about that but now it's stuck in my head

[@ember3579]

To answer the stinger last question; Undertale.

[@BroAnarchy]

"... which is about as fun as playing _Operation_ in the Parkinson's ward" LOL... God - _Damn_

[@Kyrrial]

"Fuck you, I had writer's block." 😂😂🤣🤣

[@joaomarcoscosta4647]

My overall impressions of the first game were "Amazing visuals and atmosphere, mediocre and stiff gameplay." Looks like they've kept the tradition. I do think Little Nightmares was worth playing, though. The qualities mostly overshadowed the negatives. I'll probably pick this one as well once the price drops.

[@joeyparkhill8751]

Little Nightmares II: This Time it's personal!

[@KeithFraser82]

2 Little 2 Nightmare

[@Huxley_Day]

That actually sounds like an official title.

[@Crimsontalor]

@@Huxley_Day oh how righht he is!

[@lexslate2476]

Saw a friend playing it. It goes all Scary Child in a Small World toward the end.

[@MBOmnis]

Playing Operation in the Parkinson's ward would probably be quite hilarious. I dunno what you're on about with that analogy, Yahtz.

[@quasarulas3968]

great explanation about the concept of video game horror. once youve seen the death the entire atmosphere of suspense is gone. i had the same problem with the first game but i also figured some of it may have been due to using keyboard controls?

[@mikethewordsmith4263]

You did fine, Yhatz. When you set the bar high with your truly over-the-top pieces, we'll gladly watch anything close. We're easy that way.

[@nightcatarts]

Shallow pie metaphor works for me.

[@SnuSnuDungeon]

Gibber gibber nonsense weerabix with legs is the most accurate description of Inside that I've ever heard

[@CteCrassus]

3:16 is the backstory for the homeless man in the Condemned review.

[@dogdoe7002]

This was one of the best zero puctuation review in a while

[@cronniec.1723]

I can't imagine having a problem with the platforming. It's pretty generous, if anything

[@thebatman4279]

I enjoyed the challenging nature of the platforming.

[@pilebunker420]

these games only take 5 hours and are meant to make you experience the atmosphere, not the gameplay itself, like you said. they should just make the game easy mode with animations of them finishing each obstacle but in a way that is obvious that you failed (in this case, "forced almost failed). then unlock the hard mode where you die. this way at least you can have different animations for each playthrough and, if you only did one one them, you at least experienced a large portion of the game.

[@LddStyx]

The chase sequences could have used some rubber-branding maybe with variable tension where mistakes cost more. As it stands you make no mistakes and get so far ahead that there is no question that you'll escape or you make one mistake from witch there is no escape.

[@freekbertens4729]

What would probably help for keeping that tension is rubberbanding but with a base value for speed

[@Shinobi10598]

For some games the controls can absolutely be something to be scrutinized, but with this game i barely saw anyone fail 90% of the puzzles in the game. This is in stark contrast to the first game, where people failed as consistently as a communist state.

[@QualityGarbage]

A few people did mention that it felt like they restricted your 3d movement in certain 2d walking areas just so that walk-off-the-side thing wouldn't happen

[@th3element]

I love how the answer to a deadline can be: *self-aware mediocre joke* "I had writer's block. Fuck you." 😂😂🤣

[@Angry_ananab]

I usually hate spoilers, but that was smooth

[@InjuredPelican]

This episode must have been a nightmare for Yahtzee to write.

[@oddcrafter1270]

Only a little ;)

[@Yawbus1976]

The most annoying thing about pixel perfect jumps, is that I'll often manage to do it first time easily and without any conscious effort, but as soon as I start thinking about it I mess up *every* *single* *time*

[@Roariken1]

"Scary children in small worlds?" You mean the It's a small world ride at Disney land?

[@darthxenos7743]

"I had writer's block f**k you" stealing this for daily use

[@warhead811]

Can't say I agree with ur verdict but meh as for me as least it's a short single player it works for what it is I do agree the 3rd dimension aspect is kinda wonky and wasn't necessary but great vid

[@lovinani7]

Am I missing something with LN's platforming cause I rarely had issues with it. Even now as I'm revisiting the first game, I hardly run into the issue of jumping to or onto other platforms, although LN2 did spruce up the platforming a bit. Heck, there's even this autograb-like function when you hold the grab button during your climbs and jumps that makes things more easier. Maybe it's more of a hassle if you're trying to speedrun it? One thing I can say is that some of the chase sequences or timed door puzzles do require you to be almost spot on with your running, but it doesn't take that much effort in achieving.

[@ItiIsHere]

Intro song: the process - lakey inspired

[@OfNoImport]

If the day comes when Yahtzee's reviews can't make me laugh, it will well and truly be the day I've died inside.

[@wepeanutthree5553]

the problem it sounds like with this game is that there are too many puzzley elements with only one way to deal with them when in retrospect, Arkham Asylum 2’s mr freeze fight can serve as a template for how to create diverse horror experiences.

[@somitomi]

1:53 Oh the γtinɒmυʜ!

[@TheSentinelStone]

It’s been stated by the creators that 2 is an actual sequel not a prequel. Current prevailing theory is that it’s all one massive, incredibly f***ed up time loop that the two characters are trapped in.

[@DaLoler1]

I'm wondering what kind of pie did yahtzee have in mind

[@Chris_Sizemore]

The kind that has a thick crust and not enough filling to keep the taste of the crust from being overwhelming.

[@joematthews2333]

The mini roundabout pun had no business being that funny

[@bird3713]

Yahtzee with writers block still makes me laugh

[@RatelHBadger]

5:00 Jeff Hardy has entered the chat

[@freezekitto4370]

Anyone know the song from 0:00 - 0:29 ? Really dig it, haven't been able to find anything about it online.

[@tarrker]

4:06 - I thought Subnautica did this really well. Not sure about the second game yet but, the first did it well. You'll go into a new area and get killed repeatedly. But there's always some tech you can get that will make those threats way less threatening. Like, yeah I've been bitten in the ass a bunch of times by stalkers but, now I can zip past them in my seamoth while laughing. :)

[@deadslota]

I was literally eating a petrol station sausage roll and pie while watching this.

[@DeadSparkMan]

Ending : "But what about scary children in small worlds ?" So Undertale Genocide Route ?

[@genkaiba15]

Why has noone created a 2D Survival Horror where you play in the animated scenes of Monty Python? Some of those character models are horrifying without any tweaking. Imagine a Bobby Cop chasing you down and if it reaches you tearing your head from your shoulders and eating it. Tell me you wouldnt run from that!

[@thesquishedelf1301]

Yahtzee, I believe terrifying children in a small world is stuff like Omori, Bully, and Pokémon. Ngl though, it would be cathartic I guess to have a hide-from-the-bully simulator

[@xenosmoke8915]

I’m kinda sad you didn’t enjoy this one. I too believe that most ‘small child, scary world’ games are kinda dull but also believe that Little Nightmares stands apart from them all. I’d certainly never buy another game attempting to do the same thing. This one is simply gold.

[@kilroy987]

I liked the game a lot except for the somewhat sudden ending. At least in the first game we got some information about the main character and got to absorb it a bit before the ending came up. In this game you're trying to do something, trying, trying, you succeed, and then the ending just happens. And by ending, I mean sudden plot development that had no foreshadowing except for everything you knew from outside the game. There was no buildup to it narratively within the game itself. Had the ending been handled better, I'd give the game top scores.

[@kristapskrumins5676]

the stop motion eastern european thing is so damn accurate

[@TheCatull]

"setting and atmosphere hit the mark like a boxer who hates people named mark" - Regarding yahtzees usually brilliant and funny analogies this maybe provides a peek into why they are so good? - does he think a lot about them?

[@eganl]

Surely the problem of unlimited lives is solved with limited lives, or at least unlimited lives but rescinded checkpoints? It’s a life/time/distance triumvirate of annoyance but if you give one, you should reduce the others.

[@Starfals]

I want the kids of all of these games to have a Battle Royale game where they all fight for the crown (of best video game) Kind of like the hunger games for horror games lol.

[@YorkJonhson]

"And welcome back, to Small Kids in a Big Ring. It looks like the Two Brothers have Limbo kid in a sleeper hold, no respawning here today I'm afraid. The Child of Light is keeping her distance, good strategy, or indicative of her fear of growing up? INSIDE child is still the wild card here, there's been a lot of lag in his decision-making. I don't know if... Wait! What's this?! It's Six! She's Giving Them The Chaaair!! She is now EATING the younger Brother! We haven't seen that move since her last swing at the title belt last year, I'm truly glad to be here witnessing it today!"

[@a.monach7602]

Wait, the kids at their respective starts or ends? If the latter, I think it'd just be between Six and the Weetabix with legs.

[@jscarborough9928]

Scary children in a small world is just another name for quarantine parenting