Ten years have passed since the world was shocked by the phenomenon called Five Nights at Freddy’s. Thematic horror, with excellent pixel graphics and great sound, can be considered a great gift for such a significant date. The game turned out to be atmospheric and exciting, but it also has problems – we will talk about them in the review.
The game is based on the first book in the short story collection Fazbear Frights – Into the Pit . The action takes place in a dying city, where the economic situation forces people to leave their homes. A man who has lost his job has to leave his son Oswald in a mossy pizzeria all summer. Oswald decides to punish his father and hides in a pool with plastic balls. This prank leads to monstrous consequences.
The ball pit transports Oswald back in time to a time when the place was known as Freddy’s Pizza. The boy was happy about the change and had a great time. However, the fun ended when a yellow animatronic rabbit began kidnapping children. The monster chased Oswald all the way to the pool and successfully kidnapped his father.
The events that follow are reminiscent of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary or the anime JoJo’s Bizzare Adventures: the monster takes the form of Oswald’s father and takes up residence in his home. No one but the boy is able to recognize the deception. He alone must confront the killer, who now lives in the next room.
The game is traditionally divided into five segments. Every day Oswald needs to go to school and explore the city. At night, it’s time to run away from home and look for his father, who disappeared in the past. The pizzeria of the present allows you to entertain yourself by repairing slot machines, which contain various mini-games. The pizzeria of the past hides horrors and trials.
The main obstacle in the search will be the notorious yellow rabbit. He tirelessly patrols the area and moves between rooms. If he sees the protagonist, a chase will begin. The only salvation is in the shelters, which you need to climb into in time. The shelters are unique in their tests: holding your breath; throwing away spiders; avoiding the monster’s gaze. If you fail, you will become the rabbit’s dinner.
Every night, reinforcements arrive for the rabbit. These are the famous animatronics: Freddy, Bonnie and Chica. They do not take direct part in the hunt for Oswald. Their role is limited to attracting the rabbit’s attention and sabotaging the protagonist. If desired, this trio can be deadly dangerous.
Oswald’s strategy is to run and hide. He can move through the vents and use items he finds. Running makes a lot of noise, which attracts attention, so you should only speed up if necessary. You can take a risk and activate a noisy item to lure the rabbit away from the target.
The atmosphere is created by high-quality sound. The animatronics squeal and make electronic sounds, which makes them even scarier. But the sound also helps to determine the location of the enemy in the neighboring rooms. The habit of listening will definitely help in survival!
The game has great pixel graphics and smooth animations. Periodically, the events are shown from Oswald’s point of view, when a monster rushes at him. Or when a rabbit is prowling near a shelter. These moments are executed qualitatively and atmospherically.
The walkthrough will be especially enjoyable for FNaF fans. References to games and books about the universe are scattered everywhere. But even a stranger to the franchise will not be dissatisfied – he will simply be scared well.
There’s also content for those who like challenges. The game has plenty of secrets to find to get alternate endings. Some of them are stupidly difficult. And advanced difficulty settings let you tweak enemy behavior to your own preferences.
Unfortunately, this time there are also the usual bugs for the games of the series. There are both harmless rough spots and serious malfunctions. If you move between rooms several times in a row, the game’s performance will drop to zero. This can only be cured by restarting. At one point, you need to talk to a kidnapped girl and look at the monitors. If you do not perform the actions in this order, Oswald will simply leave reality. The situation is worsened by a strange autosave system, which can significantly throw off progress.
Diagnosis
The anniversary gift for fans of the franchise can boast of quality – it is a love letter with a huge number of references. And it is also an opportunity to return to the old Freddy’s Pizza, where the classic animatronics live. Ten years later, they are already perceived as family.
A stranger will be greeted with high-quality pixel graphics and excellent sound. The game is played quickly, but in those few hours it will manage to scare you many times and make you feel like a hunted animal. And the story of a boy trying to save his father touches the soul. It is simple, but very effective!
Pro:
- A story that makes you empathize with the protagonist
- Creepy atmosphere
- Lots of secrets and easter eggs
- Good pixel graphics
- Great sound
- Nice music
- You can pet the cat
Contra:
- You may encounter unpleasant bugs and freezes
- Strange autosave system
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All images copyright Mega Cat Studios. Preview image from SteamDB
