Tarsier Studios has finally cooked up another adventure for us with Reanimals new DLC, The Prisoner. Now, we step into another dark adventure in the twisted world from the eyes of two new protagonists. The common theme this time is centred around WW1 which is I find interesting. You can grab The Prisoner DLC on Steam right now for £7.99, while season pass holders will have access right away. While you’re here, why not check out my review for the base game too!
Although a prisoner, we must soldier on.
Gameplay
This time around players will assume the roles of Prisoner, and Solider, these names are from when I checked the mask menu. With The Prisoner DLC starting with solider speaking to Prisoner through some bars, things quickly change as we end up parachuting into a war zone. Players will expect exactly what you encountered in the base game when it comes to environmental puzzles and occasionally running from the large monstrous threats. Such as the new flamethrower soldier who will hunt you down – which I aptly named Benson Burner. Both characters throughout the DLC get their own little item unique to them, a camera for Prisoner, and an axe for Soldier. Due to me playing solo, I was forced to play as Prisoner. Her camera is used to unveil hidden clues in briefcases or temporary stun some threats. Other than that you will use it for a source of light.
Graphics & Audio
Just the same as the base game, The Prisoner has some great visuals. It looks very darkened and moody, with things like fire and gunfire taking a bright centre stage when it occurs. The twisted faces of the soldiers and the overall visuals makes you feel like you’re watching a dream or nightmare, where things seem realistic, but something feels slightly off, in the best and most ominous way. My favourite and most grotesque visual feature was the way you travel between some areas via… Crawling into a bloated corpse’s open stomach, which really wasn’t on my bingo card for this DLC. It’s incredibly uncomfortable to watch (and listen to) and instils the unsettling feeling even further.
It was also interesting to hear (albeit minor) voice acting in this DLC. Regardless, the few lines you hear are performed quite well. The music during the chase/fight scenes also do an excellent job at instilling a sense of panic. The game is eerily quiet besides that, making every loud or sudden noise incredibly startling, and easily catching you off guard.
Longevity
The Prisoner DLC isn’t particularly long with it only taking me about 2 hours. It does bring some new masks and collectables for the players to find, although I only found a squash.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the new levels that The Prisoner had to offer, but was a little gutted with the overall length and main threat. It seems like just a little more time with flamethrower soldier would have felt a little better instead of one chase scene. But I am looking forward to seeing both of our new characters prevail on the dark journey ahead. So if you loved the base game you will love the DLC, however maybe holding off for a complete story might be best. Well, if you hate cliffhangers like me anyways. Reanimal: The Prisoner gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award from me. It would have been higher, but the end segment felt a bit cut short.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast