In an official PlayStation Blog post today, Adam Michel, Director of Content Acquisition and Operations revealed the three PlayStation Plus monthly games for September. All three games become available on PS+ on September 3, the same day the headline title, Quidditch Champions, is set to release. The other two titles for September are MLB The Show 24 and Little Nightmares 2.

The headliner title, Quidditch Champions, allows players to immerse themselves in the world of Quidditch straight out of Harry Potter lore. You know, the broom flying game. Players take the sky as one of the classic positions in Quidditch: Chaser, Seeker, Keeper, or Beater. Quidditch Champions features a variety of Quidditch Arenas and maps including those never-before-seen in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Quidditch Champions will also launch with a career mode as well as solo play or online co-op with up to three f??riends. There are?? also online player vs player matches, which are sure to be quite the competitive broomfights.

MLB The Show 24 is Sony's exclusive annual baseball game, and as expected, this latest iteration seems to feature home runs, strike outs, and even the fabled grand slam. MLB The Show 24 has reviewed rather well critically, averaging an 8.0/10 at the time of this post on Metacritic.

The final title for the September PS+ Monthly Game lineup is the horror title Little Nightmares 2 which is the platforming adventure sequel to the original Little Nightmares. In the sequel, you control Mono, a young boy trapped in a distorted and broken world while being accompanied by Six, the hero from the original. The duo must work together using stealth and coordination to overcome tricky puzzles and horrifying en?emies.

It's sort of a mixed back for September. If you're excited about Harry Potter or Quidditch, getting Quidditch Champions on release day is probably a delight. Alternatively, if you're a baseball fan, you probably already have MLB The Show 24 but if not, well, it is the latest one. And I'd recommend anyone who likes spooky games to give Little Nightmares 2 a try, especially before the release of Little Nightmares 3 next year.

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Nightmares into Dreams

[Update: Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4/PS5), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4/PS5), and Little Nightmares (PS4) can now be claimed by PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium subscribers �and more Yakuza games are on the way.]

Right on cue, the sneaky petes over at Dealabs have leaked Sony's PlayStation Plus offerings for the coming month of August �and this one is a real doozy, as subscribers at the Essential tier or higher will bag themselves the fantastic releases Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4/PS5), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4/PS5), and Little Nightmares (PS4).

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkygiqC7ulQ

Released in January 2020, Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon had some mighty shoes to fill, specifically the snakeskin shoes of beloved protagonists Kazuma Kiryu. If a change of protagonist wasn't enough, the developer Team Yakuza also took the bold step of replacing the series' brawler action with a suitably slapstick take on turn-based strategy. Against all the odds, the changes were a hit with the majority of the fanbase, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon launched to rave praise, becoming one of 2020's best-lo??ved titles.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=axVbpHqiwO4

Developed by veteran studio Vicarious Visions, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 was a ground-up remake of two of the most iconic PlayStation releases of all time. Meticulously recreating the original titles' maps, mechanics, and rhythm to a 1:1 capacity, Vicarious Visions absolutely delivered, with a title that sports the modern aesthetics of today's technology, married to the excellent and compelling gameplay of the '90s classics. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is one of the most authentic re??makes ever crafted.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOadxZBsPiA

Over on the spooky side of life, cult puzzle platformer Little Nightmares was developed by indie outfit Tarsier Studios and published by Bandai Namco back in the fall of 2017. Featuring a compelling and unnerving creepy-cute aesthetic, Little Nightmares sees players guide our brave hero, Six, as she picks her way through a twisted, dark world, solving puzzles and avoiding dangers on a quest to return to the real world as we know it. Highly praised for its atmosphere and smart design, Little Nightmares would be followed by a sequel in 2021.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, and Little Nightmares will be available to download for all PlayStation Plus subscribers t?hroughout August.

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Oh, the irony

DJ2 Entertainment has been making their rounds in the news lately �last month, they went public with news of their upcoming film adaptation of It Takes Two. In the same vein, this time they've signed a first-look deal with Amazon. Although DJ2 owns the film/TV rights to all kinds of games, such as Disco Elysium, Life is Strange, Sleeping Dogs, Echo, Little Nightmares, and many more, this deal basically means that Ama??zon gets first dibs on any of the IPs DJ2 owns, if they want them.

With game-to-fil?m/TV adaptations becoming more and more prevalent, studios and production companies are doing their bes??t to grab up rights as fast as they can �and this appears to be Amazon's latest move to secure the bag.

What this deal doesn't mean is that any of these shows are in acti?ve production, but I'd wager that that's going to change within the next few months.

Properties like Disco Elysium and Life is Strange in particular a??re hot right now, and would telegraph well to a serialized television format if executed well. So with all the ?rumors flying around, let's set the record straight: these shows aren't getting made... for now.

//t?witter.com/Sphynxian/status/1494478686195650560

I was one of the people who previously said that a Disco Elysium show is one of my dream adaptations, but now that it might be happening, and by the hand of Amazon no less, I kind of want to take it all back. For a game that's so blatantly Marxist and anti-capitalist, the irony is not lost on its fans that its adaptation rights currently rest with the biggest corporation in the world. The worst part is, even if Amazon does go through with a Disco Elysium show, I'm go?ing to watch it anyway, if nothing else out of morbid curiosity.

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'We can't wait to share with you what's next,' says Bandai Namco

The creepy horror-adventure game Little Nightmares II has cleared one million sales in its first month. After recently getting into the original game in preparation for the sequel and ending up loving them both, it's nice to hear. If you enjoyed the panicked intensity and dread of Inside, add 'em to your list.

In a press release today, publisher Bandai Namco also confirmed that the "Little Nightmares franchise has now ??reached over five million players, a very important m??ilestone for this western-lead franchise."

What's on deck for the series? We're for sure getting PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Little Nightmares II this ?year, and if you're upgrading, you won't have to pay again??. I also have to believe there will be DLC sooner than later – like the original game, there's great potential for side-stories here.

"We can't wait to share with you what's next in the Little Nightmares universe," the publisher said.

We can't talk about the future of Little Nightmares without acknowledging that the developer, Tarsier Studios, was added to Embracer Group's staggering lineup. That said, Bandai Namco owns this brand. Based on the early sales for Little Nightmares II, I have a feeling there will be a third game.

It?? can be dodgy whenever a series is handed off to a new team, but I'd ??be down for more.

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A fitting next step for the horror-adventure series

Little Nightmares II has ??this entertaining intensity to it that's as fun to watch as it is ??to play.

The formula is no secret, but that doesn't make it any less successful. Time and time again, you're going to slowly, safely get a lay of the land – and a few impossible-to-ignore glimpses of some big nasty brute in charge – before needing to fetch a key in plain sight or otherwise cause some racket to progress. There's no other way. You've gotta face your fears. And when you do, the chase is on. It's a? mad dash to carve your way through an obstacle course with a boogeyman breathin??g down your neck.

In the wrong hands, when things aren't tuned just so, this can prove frustrating. You can hit the point of "too many deaths" and, despite knowing what you need to do, still fail to pull it off, shattering the atmosphere. It can feel like the scales have tipped – like you're no longer at fault. I struggled with this feeling in Little Nightmares, but I avoided it in Little Nightmares II. I died loads, yet I never felt cheated.

The sequel is bigge??r, more elaborate, and better balanced – ever??ything I was hoping to see.

Little Nightmares II (PC [reviewed], Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Released: February 11, 2021 / TBA 2021 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
MSRP: $29.99

In a desperate world in which tiny kids try to slip by unnaturally tall and grotesque adults who want to snatch them up, you'll play as Mono, a masked boy trying to push ahead – but to what end? Trying to piece together what the hell is up with this place and why nearly everyone and everything is wretched is a huge part of the appeal of this series. My mind races. That was true of The Maw, a hulking?? vessel as impressive as it was oppressive, and it's absolutely true of the sequel's journey across the mainland.

Early on in this six-hour-or-so platforming adventure, Mono groups up with Six, the hooded protagonist of the first Little Nightmares. Neither of them are normal – not even by this world's standards – and they'll need each other's help to traverse a formidable path into the city center where a tow?er waits.

There are five leve??ls, each with a different visual theme and thick mood. Four of the five – including a treacherous school dominated by a long-necked teacher and a hospital overrun with prosthetic mannequins who shuffle in the dark – are compelling enough that they could house their own game.

I'm flipping through hundreds of screenshots I took while reviewing Little Nightmares II, and i??n the process, I'm reliving every tense encounter and eve??ry beautifully bleak set piece. This game is a looker.

At a glance from a trailer or game summary, you might think Little Nightmares II has co-op support. Let me be clear – it doesn't. Six will stay by Mono's side more often than not, but that doesn't mean you can throw a second player into the mix. She's completely AI-controlled, and while there will inevitably be minor hiccups, she stays out of the way when it matters most and is an excellent addition to the flow of Little Nightmares. I never felt like I was at the mercy of Six's d?ecision??-making or that I had to escort her.

Sh??e'll be there to boost you up, catch you from falling after a leap of faith, and occasionally carry an important item related to an environmental puzzle. You don't have to prompt these actions – she kind of just does them as the character intuitively should. I can't imagine this was easy for Tarsier to implement, but the payoff was worth it. The partner premise gives the sequel a distinct identity.

I'd also say that Little Nightmares II is less of a chore to navigate than the first game could be; Mono tends to latch onto and climb surfaces more seamlessly, and he won't randomly walk off a narrow ledge because the camera angle tripped you up and you weren't perfectly angling your path to compensate. That said, the sequel is still challenging. I'd argu?e that failure – getting ??caught – is all part of the fun.

Could the player's movement still be a little tighter and feel more in-tune? Yeah. I think so.

There's plenty of tricky platforming moments and zigzagging exploration like before, as well as a greater emphasis placed on discrete environmental puzzles. None of them stumped me too hard, but I appreciated how natural they felt within their surroundings. Little Nightmares II's setting has this way of coming across? like a believable (albeit twisted)?? world, not some artificial video game backdrop.

Another big change in the sequel is the ability to wield weapons. That's right, weapons.

It's a fairly straightforward system – you won't have to worry about breakable items, limited reso?urces, an inventory, or anything to that effect. During certain sequences, you'll be able to pick up and drag, say, a pipe. Everything's oversized; as such, there's a bit of a windup, so you'll need to deliberately time your attacks. It's a trade-off. I won't reveal who or what you'll smash, but you will undoubtedly enjoy doing it.

Well, to a point. A couple of the melee encounters may frustrate you if you don't h??ave the foes' tells (and your own delayed wind-up attack animation) paced out. Timing really matters. Two scenes – one in the school, one in the hospital – vividly stand out. I kept botching them at the last possible second.

Little Nightmares II also builds on the first game's DLC with an aimable flashlight, and it's vastly better here. I don't want to spoil the hospital, but the way it incorporates light and dark is devilish. If the limited types of interactions in Little Nightmares le??ft you wanting, y?ou shouldn't run into that issue again.

I already alluded to one of my only major gripes with Little Nightmares II: one of the levels (I won't say which) relies too much on its out-??there aesthetic and the player's curiosity about where the story is heading next. Compared to the rest of the game, I found it way too one-note and not that enjoyable to actually play through. I was starting to lose steam, and ??I never felt that exact sensation anywhere else.

I was super late to the first game, having only picked it up last year in preparation for the sequel. I'm so glad I finally did. As much as I struggled with the too-rigid movement controls, I fell in love with Tarsier's messed-up world o??f horrors, and I wanted more. With a few improvements, the potential felt sky-high.

After finishing Little Nightmares II once, I'm searching for time to go back and soak it in even more (while hope?fully finding all of ??the collectible hats and "glitching remains" I missed). Much of the game rivals the original's high points, and it's far more well-rounded. I had an overwhelmingly great experience.

Whether you're a seasoned survivor or an all-new player, you'll have a thril??ling time with the sequel. It's ideal to start from the beginning, but it's not mandator??y – this freaky story stands on its own.

_{[This re??view is based on a retail build of the game provided?? by the publisher.]}

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Listen to the music

Whether I totally overthink the solution or I'm just not in the right frame of? mind, I have this silly habit of getting tripped up by the simplest puzzles in horror games �the kind that make you go "oh duh!"

Like clockwork, I got all the way to the final chapter of Little Nightmares II before stumbling �and the puzzle that confused me ended? up being dead simple in retrospect. I?'ve got a quick hint if you're stuck.

Early in the fifth level, you'll enter a room with two glowing doors, and you can't go back the way you came in. If you head into the right-most door, you'll end up walking out of the left-most door, and vice versa. It's a classic loop! I instantly recognized that f?act, but I couldn't figure out how to break fr??ee.

I'm sure most people will quickly latch onto the solution, but I'm even more sure that someone else out there will be stumped. Here's the hint for how to escape: listen to the music, and keep listening.

My first time poking around this room, I kept thinking there was somehow more to it �I thought I needed to look at my protagonist as he warped through the portals �but it's just the music that matters. The "correct" door to walk through is whichever one has the music playing full blast.

In this case, the order is: right door, right door, left?? door, left door. You'll then appear in this room:

The musical clue concept shows up again and again in chapter five �it's the whole gimmick of this level �so even if it is straightforward, it's important to know precisely how it works. Yo?u're almost done.

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Sweet Dreams

[Update: The Little Nightmares II demo is now avai??lable on PS4, Xbox?? One, and Nintendo Switch.]

I know that you've probably only just woken up, but it might be time to go back to bed, as it appears that the demo for Bandai Namco's Little Nightmares II has started to roll out on PS4 and Xbox One.

The demo, which was made available on PC back in late-2020, offers fans a sneak peek at the haunting sequel, allowing them to? guide hero Mono through the creepy foliage of the "Wilderness" stage. Pick your way through the haza??rds to discover the Hunter's cabin, but do try not to become the latest talking point of their trophy cabinet.

The demo quietly popped up on the Microsoft store overnight, though there has been no official announcement from either Bandai Namco nor developer Tarsier Studios. The demo has also been spotted on the PlayStation Network in selective territories, so if it is not currently accessible to you in your locale, be sure to check again later t??oday. There is currently no sign of the Switch edition of the demo, but no doubt it is coming soon??.

In addition, it appears that Bandai Namco is currently offering free Steam keys for the original release of Little Nightmares. Interested parties should head on over to the Bandai Namco website and open an account on-site in order to claim a code. As of this writing, there's no word on how long this offer will remain valid, so move fast! Oh, and be aware that the site has been struggling a little under the in?flux of users, so expect a little pushback when applying.

Little Nightmares II will launch February 11 on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Ni?ntendo Switch, with PS5 and Xbox Series?? X editions to follow later in 2021.

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