Hello people!
My name is Dave Mervik and I’m the Director of Narrative at Tarsier Studios, creators of the soon-to-be-released co-op horror game Animalwhich will be released on PS5 on February 13, 2026.
For those of you who are fresh to the world of Reanimal, it is the story of a group of orphans brought together by the world they grew up in and torn apart by what that world has become. The Boy and the Girl are playable characters in the story and they find each other very early on, at the beginning of the game. After saying hello, they set out on their boat to find and recover their missing friends – Hood, Bucket and Bandage – from various unpleasant places and even more unpleasant monsters. It’s protected to say that these kids have a complicated history with this place, so don’t be surprised if they’re a little surprised to see you at first, but all good friends come to those who wait!
This year we visited Gamescom and the Tokyo Game Show to present Reanimal to the public and the reaction exceeded our wildest expectations, hearing the screams of joy and terror as players worked together to survive was music to our ears and exactly what we had hoped for when coming up with the idea of shared fear. So to everyone who gave up their time in Cologne and Tokyo, we extend our sincerest thanks. This kind of reception makes it worth devoting many years of demanding work. Almost!
As the full game release approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to announce to you today that pre-orders are now open! All Reanimal pre-orders unlock a pair of exclusive masks – Foxhead and Mutton – which each character can employ to make their hardships in this hellish world a little more enjoyable or blind you to their horrors!
As a studio that made a living making hats and costumes for LittleBigPlanet, it’s strangely appropriate to come back here after all these years and talk about Reanimal masks. For those of you who’ve already played the Reanimal demo, you’ll know that our newest headgear offering goes to a much darker place! Yes, gone are the days when you put on your silliest hat and play carefree in a world of happiness and creativity. Reanimal is a completely different beast, it’s a world of loss, violence and shared fear, and a birthday cake hat would ruin everything!
At Tarsier, we strive to make our worlds as luxurious and full of character as possible, and the story lives in the world around you, as much as in what our characters say and do. Paying attention to the little things and filling in the background with details that tell us more about the world we are in is both fun and rewarding IN and the world we have come to With. Masks and costumes also fall into this category. Decorating your head or covering your face does not always have to be a pointless act, and in many cases a mask (or reason instead) is as much a part of the story as the person behind it.
The process of creating masks for Reanimal begins in a similar way to previous games – artists start sketching ideas around the main themes we explore in the game, then iterate on them until they hit the elusive Tarsier™ quality bar. The Foxhead and Muttonhead masks resonated particularly well because they had that beastly flavor we were looking for; while their predator/prey characterization silently repeats the game’s theme. They seemed like the right couple for an exclusive because they carry a lot of baggage with them, just like our heroes.
So, when looking for friends, even though you may be afraid to do so, it’s worth exploring the world around you to see what secrets it may hold. There are bonus story bits, hidden story bits, Easter eggs; and of course some of the most unpleasant masks we have ever created. We can’t guarantee that wearing them will protect you from what’s ahead, but at least you’ll look like you belong!
