The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope Review

Little Hope is the second game in The Dark Pictures Anthology series. Created by Supermassive Games, the franchise is meant to be an expansive horror anthology spanning eight games. While the various titles take place within the same universe, each is a separate story. The developer has said that they envision every game exploring a different element of horror.

With Little Hope, Supermassive focuses on witchcraft across multiple timelines. There are also several gameplay improvements following feedback from players. But the game still falls short of being a great horror experience.

Story

Little Hope starts with four college students on a field trip with their professor. A series of unfortunate events lead to the group having to stop in a New England town. In this fictionalized history, Little Hope was a hotbed for witch trials during the 1500s. It, therefore, has some connection to supernatural elements that slowly become more prominent. From this moment on, flashbacks help the player understand the history of the town. The group largely experience life as former residents who have met horrifying ends.

Like its predecessor, Little Hope isn’t a game that relies on jump scares. Instead, it’s a slow build that takes obvious inspiration from other psychological thrillers. The narrative builds up suspense deliberately over time. The developer also tries to avoid the over-the-top antics of other horror games. But the serious parts are simply not all that interesting. Ultimately, the story ends up being rather predictable and fails to properly engross. That doesn’t stop it from doing a job and it’s entertaining enough, especially given the short length of the game. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking or a story on the level of a Stephen King novel.

On the plus side, a major improvement in Little Hope compared to Man of Medan is the cast of characters. Most of them in the original game were unlikeable and difficult to relate to. This made their choices and actions seem even stranger than they were. Little Hope gets around that problem by using an array of individuals who seem very human. What that means is that it is easier to emphasize with them and get more involved in their lives.