Review

Nightmares in virtual reality - "Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes" tested

23-4-2026

Translation: machine translated

The first VR spin-off of "Little Nightmares" is a successful experiment that unfortunately doesn't feel quite finished.

The «Little Nightmares» games are known for their dense atmosphere. I slip into the role of a small child and puzzle my way through oversized, nightmarish 2.5D environments. The creatures I encounter are grotesque monsters that only remotely resemble humans. I feel small, lost, alone.

After three main parts, Bandai Namco has teamed up with French studio Iconik for a VR adaptation of the game formula. And it works surprisingly well - even if the potential of the realisation is never fully exploited.

Change of perspective

The 2.5D world of «Little Nightmares» would actually lend itself perfectly to a VR realisation in diorama style - similar to the excellent «Moss» games. However, Iconik has opted for a different approach. Instead of observing the action from a distance, I see the dark nightmare world from a first-person perspective for the first time.

Marvellous to experience this dark world from a new perspective.
Source: Bandai Namco

Personally, I would have preferred the diorama style. I love intervening in small VR worlds as a powerful observer. Nevertheless, the first-person perspective convinced me as the game progressed.

The already surreal world of «Little Nightmares» is made even more grotesque by the change of perspective. Even seemingly harmless toys such as teddy bears suddenly appear like menacing monsters from my frog's perspective.

Admittedly, these teddy bears look like shit.

The enemies also look more dangerous in VR. I have to lean my head back so that I can see them fully. Moments when I hide from them and carefully peek out from behind my cover to plan my escape are particularly exciting. Running away from monsters is also more intense than in the main games. In the doll's house perspective, I can always see where the enemies are behind me. From the first-person perspective, I can only see forwards - and if I turn round, I risk losing valuable seconds to escape.

Speaking of enemies: fans of the main series will recognise some familiar faces - such as the thin man and the teacher with the infinite neck. But there are also new additions among the monstrosities. My favourite: a conductor who crawls around the train like an insect and puts passengers to sleep with his whistle. Marvellously grotesque and disgusting.

Trial and Frustration

When I'm not hiding from enemies or running away from them, I'm solving puzzles. If you've ever played a «Little Nightmares» game, you'll know what to expect. Flicking switches, turning cranks, collecting items. Many of the encounters with the monstrous enemies are also structured like puzzles. I have to work out how to get from point A to point B unseen and usually collect something along the way. If I'm discovered, I'm immediately finished off. I can't defend myself in this merciless world.

It's a shame that the VR spin-off also adopts the frustrating trial-and-error gameplay of the mainline games. It's not about thinking for yourself and finding a clever solution to a problem, but doing exactly what the game tells you to do.

I often don't realise what the developers have thought about. In practice, this means: Try option A, die. Try option B, die. Option C... Once I've arrived at the right solution G, I don't have an «aha moment». I just stubbornly ploughed my way through until I happened to fulfil the will of the game.

There is only one way - the one the game suggests.
Source: Bandai Namco

The problem is further exacerbated by the new medium. For a virtual reality game, «Little Nightmares VR» is surprisingly restrictive. I can only pick up a few objects. Climbing is only possible in predefined places. The difference between interactive and non-interactive objects is usually not clearly labelled, which makes the trial-and-error principle even more frustrating. Can I get through here? No. Could I take this object and shoot it to distract the enemy? No.

Pro tip: There is an option in the settings to highlight interactive objects in white. It may look ugly, but it helps.

I had to resort to this aid from time to time.

There are also some teething problems with the controls. For example, I got stuck a few times for inexplicable reasons when I bent down through a narrow passageway. Have I done something wrong, or is it just an annoying bug?

At least the checkpoints are distributed much more fairly than in the mainline games. This at least saves a little frustration during the inevitable failed attempts.

One of the coolest VR moments: Lighting matches with a matchbox. But: Why can't I also light the candles standing around?

The journey begins and ends again

«Little Nightmares VR» is a short adventure. I see the end credits after around three hours. If you want to find all the collectable items, you can add another one to two hours. That's too short for my taste. Many levels feel like little appetisers. Concepts that promise something bigger.

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This is a shame, because the game really turns up the heat, especially in the second half of the game, and serves up some unexpected, action-packed passages that make use of virtual reality. I climb around on a mechanical music box with a rotating nubbed roller and dodge tongues of clay. Or, even more exciting: I run around on the roof of a moving train. The conductor chases me as I dodge railway signals and other obstacles - running, ducking, looking behind. Panic, sweating, immersion.

I would also have liked more original settings and monsters. Yes, it's cool to see the ugly teacher again (definitely a phrase you shouldn't say at your class reunion). But looking at the genius insect conductor, I think it's a shame I didn't get more surprises.

«Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes» is available from 24 April for PS5 (PS VR2), PC (Steam VR) and Meta Quest. The game was provided to me for testing purposes by Bandai Namco for PS5.

In a nutshell

An atmospheric but frustrating nightmare

"Little Nightmares" as a VR game? Yes, it works. And amazingly well. It's great fun to get to know the dark world from a new perspective. The environments and enemies appear even more oversized, threatening and grotesque.

It is therefore all the more regrettable that the game does not fully utilise the potential of the medium. There is a lack of interaction for a VR experience, which leads to frustrating trial-and-error passages. In addition, some sections seem more like interesting approaches than consistently developed ideas - the game barely starts before it's already over. Fans of the series can still pick it up.

Pro