Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes Review

The Little Nightmares series began as a haunting indie gem in 2017, instantly captivating players with its eerie atmosphere, grotesque world design, and unsettling storytelling. The game snuggled into a unique space in the horror genre, blending puzzle-platforming with constant terror through its atmosphere and ambiance.

Over the years, we’ve seen many installments, even expanding into various media, but now we finally have a VR title. Dubbed as Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes, we finally get to see the world through the eyes of the protagonist and see just how full of terror it can really be. Does it succeed? Well, yes and no.

First-person Frights

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is not a complicated concept to grasp. Players are thrust into the familiar world as Dark Six, taking place after Six was kidnapped in the second game. Dark Six sets off on a journey to reunite with her missing self, which sets the premise of Altered Echoes. Although this is the case, the game can certainly be played as a standalone adventure, and those who have experienced the other titles can recognize references and callbacks that enrich it.

One of the most important aspects of a VR game is how effectively the developers have transitioned the game to a first-person view, properly communicating the environment, its scale, and movement. In this sense, Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes does an admirable job, and it’s a great example because the characters in the series are tiny compared to their environment, and seeing larger-than-usual objects, like chairs and drawers, makes it all the more interesting. Some of the environments are truly terrifying, something that you usually expect from the series.

Of course, this comes with the usual caveats of a VR title, as those with low tolerance to motion sickness may find the game uneasy, especially due to its extremely dark surroundings and just the overall “shakiness” of a VR title, depending on how much you tend to look around. Additionally, accessibility options are quite limited, so tweaking things like smooth turn is not available.

There’s a nice level of interactivity here in Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes, brought together by solid physics and, more than anything, intuitive, responsive controls that make playing a breeze. Some sequences will require you to pull, and some will need you to throw items, and the game does a good job of making these actions easy to accomplish.

The developers have done a great job of immersing players in the world, and it helps that the series’ signature atmosphere is present here as well, aided by fantastic sound design, including footsteps and ambient noises that linger even when nothing is happening.

There are a couple of staples in the series, such as stealth sections and chase scenes. Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes has both, but these aspects are unevenly implemented. The chase scenes are interesting because, while they are quite exciting, they are easy to navigate. Stealth sequences are a bit tricky from this perspective, but once you get used to them, there’s hardly any challenge to be had.

The usual trial-and-error gameplay from other series titles works here, as often you may experience a point that would stump you, but dying is a common occurrence that will teach you the correct next step. Puzzles are quite easy and won’t pose too much of a problem, and may be a little bit too casual for my taste.

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes isn’t too complicated to navigate; the gameplay is just as basic as in the other installments, but the 4-5-hour journey (at least how I played it, but it could possibly be as low as 3 hours) might deter players from trying it out due to its brevity and lack of replay value.

Verdict: Wait for it…

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is a novel experience, and the developers have done a great job of translating the series’ world into a first-person offering. Intuitive controls and a terrifying atmosphere are the stars of the show, especially when paired with fantastic audio that elevates the experience.

Sadly, the usual VR caveats are ever-present, and it has a relatively short runtime of around 4-5 hours, depending on how you play. Most sequences are easy, and maybe too easy for most, so that’s something to consider.

That said, you would mostly play Little Nightmares titles for the overall experience and the atmosphere, and in those aspects, Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes does notably well.

*Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes was reviewed on a PS VR2 with a review code provided by the publisher.