Reanimal review: Skin-crawlingly beautiful

Arguably one of 2026’s most anticipated releases for fans of atmospheric horror, Reanimal is the latest Tarsier Studios gem to emerge from the darkness. The game is tense and eerie, with some particularly fascinating creatures to discover… and run away from.

Despite some bugs, Reanimal is a delightfully dark adventure that’s well worth embarking on – if you’ve got the stomach for it.

The Escapist recaps

• Reanimal is a horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios. It’s visually striking, with an atmospheric spin on horror and tension.
• In Reanimal, players must help a brother and sister escape their former island home, facing terrifying encounters and solving puzzles to save their friends along the way.
• As you might expect from Tarsier Studios, the island is overflowing with eerie, skin-crawling monsters. The siblings must stealth past monsters or run away from them to avoid getting eaten.
• Reanimal’s run time feels perfect for a horror game – it’ll take most players around 6 to 8 hours to experience the story; not too short, but it doesn’t drag its feet either.
• Aside from a few occasional quirks, Reanimal performed well and looked fantastic during my time with it on the PlayStation 5.

Deeply atmospheric

Horror games aren’t always beautiful – unless you’re playing something by Tarsier Studios. Reanimal didn’t disappoint right off the bat, starting off with the two main characters – a brother and a sister – having to navigate stormy seas in a little boat, landing on the shore of a seemingly desolate village.

The game follows the two siblings as they attempt to escape from an island that was formerly their home, saving their friends from certain death as they go.

The island is vast, with scenes ranging from neon-tinged cinemas to haunting forests, and as you might expect, you won’t be alone as you explore. I’m keen not to spoil some of the bigger monster designs dotted throughout the island, as they’re incredible to witness first-hand; Reanimal has spectacular monster designs.

One of the main monsters is a sentient skin suit that crawls around like a snake. Yummy. The island is positively teeming with the critters; you’ll be able to find them hanging from trees or slumped over in train seats. 

The gameplay in Reanimal largely revolves around exploration and puzzle solving, with a generous helping of stealth sequences and chase scenes. 

Regardless of whether you’re playing with a friend or an AI partner, you’ll need to creep across the island, hiding from enemies and picking up tools like keys or plungers to progress to the next area.

Something that stood out to me while playing is how distinct each area felt. Even in the very early stages of the game, there was a definite tone shift between each area, keeping me intrigued about what areas might come next and wanting to play on to explore them all.

There were little secrets to pick up along the way, too, like collectible masks or posters that rewarded beautiful concept art. 

Eerie enemies and baffling beasts

It’s possible to complete Reanimal in roughly 6-8 hours, depending on whether you’re playing solo or running the wrong way from its creepy foes. If you’re someone who wants to get every collectible – like the masks or concept art posters – then it may take you a little longer.

While some folks may argue that this runtime is too short, I felt it was perfect for the atmospheric style of horror. My run was on the longer side as I kept going hunting for new masks, which can be found in secret areas and worn by the player character, but the story’s pacing felt smooth and well-timed throughout. 

In terms of difficulty, Reanimal had just the right level of challenge. The puzzles weren’t particularly brain-melting, but they were fun to work through. I died in a few chase sequences, but this was largely due to my not knowing the layout of the map well enough – they never felt unfair or too tricky. 

Reanimal doesn’t have quest markers, logs, or excessive prompts to guide you. This may be a negative for some players, but for others, they’ll find it charming. Despite being a linear experience, it felt rewarding to run through the world and stumble upon the item I needed for a puzzle. 

In terms of performance, Reanimal ran well, for the most part. I did encounter one issue where I almost softlocked the game by getting stuck in the corner of a door with a boss standing in front of me; I had to die and reset, which was a little frustrating, but it didn’t seem to be replicable. There were also a few minor cases of frame drops throughout my run. 

Aside from these minor quirks, I found Reanimal to be a delightful experience overall; it’s visually impressive, with a well-built world and some gorgeously gross monsters. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, too. 

If you’re a fan of atmospheric horror and immersive adventure games, you’ll fall in love with Reanimal. It’s dark and oppressive in places, but also whimsical and charming in others. The world it paints a picture of is horrible and beautiful, all at the same time, meaning dedicated Tarsier Studios fans are in for a treat. 

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