Little Nightmares 3 will be missing a key co-op feature

Little Nightmares 3 will not have local co-op, as confirmed by the developer Supermassive Games. Continuing the tradition of its predecessors, Little Nightmares 3 offers horror fans the opportunity to explore a twisted side-scrolling world inhabited by deadly hazards and towering monsters.

Publisher Bandai Namco unveiled Little Nightmares 3 with a trailer at Gamescom, confirming the new setting, playable characters, and the fact that the game will offer co-op gameplay. Co-op is a first for the Little Nightmares series, although one could argue that the second installment already took a step in that direction by focusing on two characters simultaneously. Little Nightmares 3 takes it a step further by making both characters playable at the same time.

When it was first announced, it was confirmed that Little Nightmares 3 would have online co-op, but there was no mention of local co-op. GamesRadar later confirmed that Little Nightmares 3 would not have local co-op. According to Supermassive Games, local co-op was considered for Little Nightmares 3, but the decision was made to stick with online co-op to preserve the "atmosphere and immersion" of the game. It was not explained why local co-op would compromise these elements. In any case, it is likely that this revelation will disappoint some Little Nightmares fans who were looking forward to playing the game in local co-op.

There is at least one advantage to Little Nightmares 3 not having local co-op. With the focus on online co-op, Little Nightmares 3 could theoretically allow co-op partners to be disconnected from each other and explore the levels more freely. It has already been revealed that the characters in Little Nightmares 3 will be separated at certain points and will have to solve unique puzzles to reunite, but it is unclear if players are otherwise forced to stay close to each other. More information on this subject should come to light as we approach the release date of Little Nightmares 3, which is currently scheduled for an unspecified time in 2024.

Some fans may be surprised that Little Nightmares 3 doesn't support local co-op, especially considering who developed the game. Supermassive Games has been offering local co-op in their games for years, such as in the Dark Pictures series and The Quarry. Although Little Nightmares 3 won't have an option for local co-op upon its release next year, fans can rely on other titles from the studio to continue supporting this popular feature.

Little Nightmares 3 will be released in 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Source: GamesRadar