Little Nightmares II has been playable on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC since its launch earlier this year, but it’s only today that a new Enhanced Edition upgrade will offer a higher level performance to match the platform. It is available today to download across all platforms.
The free upgrade adds the following graphical features to the experience:
Ray-Traced Reflections let you see live reflections in shiny surfaces throughout the game, like the cold, damp tiles of the Hospital wards or the dull glass of a deactivated TV.
Improved Volumetric Shadows add even more depth and detail to every object and enhance how rays of light are interrupted by moving objects, like the Hunter ripping away at his prey in front of his boarded-up workshop window or the Doctor tending to his patients under a swinging ceiling lamp.
Interactive Particles dance and swirl realistically through the air as characters move through a scene. It’s so evocative you might almost feel the need to sneeze when landing on a dusty rug in the attic or flinch when motes of burning ash spills through a furnace vent.
Immersive Audio wraps you in a three-dimensional soundscape if you’re using 5.1 or 7.1 speakers or headphones. You’ll hear each echoing swat of the Teacher’s ruler getting closer and closer as you creep through the School’s air ducts and track the clatter of hordes of Patients as they snatch at you from the dark.
Console players will have two performance modes to choose from, one offering 4k, 30 fps gameplay, while the other locks the framerate at 60 fps at a dynamic resolution up to 4k. PC players will be able to adjust each individually.
A new trailer today offers a lengthy look at the new performance with a 36-minute playthrough of the Hospital section.
Twinfinite reviewed Little Nightmares II back in February and was thoroughly impressed, scoring it 4.5/5 and concluding:
“Chase sequences and the overall ambiance are as bone-chilling and thrilling as ever, while puzzles are even more challenging and satisfying to complete thanks to the tragic duo of Mono and Six. Even if you aren’t a horror fan, I’d highly recommend you play Little Nightmares II, as it currently sits as my favorite game of 2021 so far.”