REANIMAL: The Prisoner Is Out Now, and It’s a Strong First Chapter
Worth the wait.
REANIMAL is one of my favorite releases of the year and a standout co-op horror title that left me wanting more. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we’ve got with the release of its first DLC in a series of shorter expansions, starting with The Prisoner, which is available now.
REANIMAL: The Prisoner DLC
The Prisoner follows two new characters, The Soldier and the titular Prisoner, as they navigate REANIMAL’s bleak world during an active military engagement. Like the base game, it’s fully playable solo or in co-op, and its shorter length means you can finish it in just a few sessions.
The first DLC is part of the Season Pass included with the Deluxe Edition, but you can also purchase it separately for $10 if you only want to play this chapter. It’s available now on Steam, Xbox Series S|X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2. Just like the base game, cross-play is available if you’re interested in playing online, and you can still make use of the Friend’s Pass.
You can purchase the DLC from the links below:
My Impressions
My impressions of The Prisoner are really positive. Just like the main game, the team has experimented with a few new mechanics, including an instant camera that shoots Polaroids and allows you to travel in a surprisingly inventive and grotesque way. The first DLC is tightly paced, ensuring that not a second goes to waste as you constantly feel the pressure of a relentless soldier pursuing you with a flamethrower.
It’s a bittersweet feeling to return to REANIMAL because its world is so bleak and gloomy, yet beautifully rendered with incredible attention to detail. The sound design is another standout, and you can really feel each bullet and artillery shell fly by as you continue to descend into its nightmarish world. It’s an audio-visual feast!
REANIMAL is currently discounted on both Steam and the PlayStation Store, and I’d recommend picking up the Deluxe Edition while it’s on sale, especially since it includes access to all of the upcoming chapters.
The second chapter is slated to release sometime between October and December 2026, while the third and final chapter is expected to launch between January and March 2027.
