The nightmare is not over. Seeing little Six come out into the sunlight - transfigured and contaminated but finally with the strength to rebel against the evil that surrounded her - left too many questions unanswered: what else was hiding in the depths of the Maw? How many other defenseless beings had been imprisoned in the cages scattered around the depths of the ship? Little Nightmares: Secrets of the Maw is the DLC that answers these questions and, if in the first chapter "The Depths" we learned about the fugitive and his story, in “Il Nascondiglio” we will deepen the knowledge of Nomini and their role (finally active) in the defeat of the terrible monsters hidden in the darkness of the Maw.
Nightmare in parallel
As we already know from the previous episode, the story of the Fugitive takes place parallel to that of Six: during the adventure the two do not physically meet, but on a couple of occasions it is possible to see at what point of the main adventure the little girl dressed in yellow is, which makes the plot more coherent and cohesive with the general plot told in the DLC.
Not that it's about who knows what plot, however: as happened for Little Nightmares, the experience is comparable to a graphic novel, completely devoid of dialogue and with most of the events left to the player's interpretation. The real protagonists of "Il Nascondiglio" are the Nomini, the little beings with pointed hats scattered throughout the game world: this time we will be shown where they take refuge (hence the title of the chapter) and their role as companions will be deepened active del Fuggiasco, rather than simple (and useless) supporting actors as we have known them in the role of Six.
How I teach you a Nomino
Most of the gameplay in the role of the Fugitive does not differ from what has already been seen: flashlight in hand you will have to climb, solve puzzles and explore the darkest recesses of the Maw, escaping the antagonist on duty, this time recycled from the main adventure.
The most interesting novelty is the active use of Nomini, who once trained will help the protagonist in solving much more stimulating environmental puzzles than in the past. The first step will be to capture the little friends, damn suspicious and fast: you will have to chase them and use the environment to your advantage to be able to capture them, an action that will immediately change the disposition of the Nomino on duty and will transform him into a faithful companion ready to follow you and help you. This opens up a new series of possibilities, ranging from simply throwing a Nomino on a handle that is too high to using two or three to move an element of the scenario too heavy for the forces of the thin Fugitive alone.
Thumbs up for this stimulating novelty, which has seen us try our hand at those who are probably the most interesting puzzles seen in Little Nightmares to date. Despite the good news, however, we point out some inaccuracies in the management of the Nomini, which on some occasions during our test got stuck in the scenario or remained behind forcing us to run a little back and forth to carry them in our arms where they would have been. useful. Small inaccuracies that partly spoil the good feeling that pervades the player when, after analyzing the available variables, you understand the solution of a puzzle.
Second negative side that we would like to point out is the total absence of a boss fight: if "The Depths" ended with the dangerous confrontation with Granny, "The Hideout" requires only escaping the Keeper, the long-armed blind monster who will subsequently have a bad end at the hands of Six. Precisely the choice of the antagonist and the point of the plot in which his encounter with the Fugitive takes place, therefore, prevent the latter from dealing with the monster, reducing this part of the adventure to a simple escape. In short, a real ending with a bang is missing, which at this point we sincerely hope will be in the last episode of the trilogy, which will be contained in the Complete Edition coming out in 2018 and from which we expect great things.
Terrifying seasickness
The graphics package of Secrets of the Maw: The hiding place is basically the same already analyzed in previous reviews: grotesque and deformed at the right point, the disturbing rolling of the Jaws will allow the virtual director to lull you and at the same time terrify you with a simple play of light and shadow, crudely representing the antithesis between the corrupt world and the innocent characters who find themselves imprisoned inside it despite themselves.
Music is also slightly more present and inspired than in the past, always mysterious and disturbing at the right point. The total absence of dialogue allows you to better focus on the sound effects: playing at night with a good pair of headphones definitely helps to appreciate the thrill that can give a drop of water or the creaking of a floor in the dark, not to mention the feeling of helplessness when you feel the breath of the Keeper who has just smelled you on your neck.
Little Nightmares: Secrets of The Maw - The Hideaway is a delightful addition to Tarsier Studios' little nightmare which, we will never tire of saying, was really too short in its earliest form. The new puzzles and the ability to use Nomini to solve them are a stimulating addition to the gameplay, which for this chapter only takes a little over an hour. Too bad for the absence of a boss fight, which leaves a bitter taste in the mouth for the sense of incompleteness which, in the same way, gives hope that the developers are preparing an ending with a bang. In view of the next and final chapter, we recommend the experience to both Little Nightmares fans and newbies, who will finally benefit from that extra couple of hours of gameplay that they miss terribly once Six's adventure is over. .
