Five Nights at Freddy's

Many things can make a game really popular. Whether it is the marketing, the graphics, the gameplay, how innovative it is, it is great when your game goes sky-high in popularity. But it's even better when your game goes viral, and Five Night At Freddy's was one of the most viral games out there some years ago.

If you were somewhere around Youtube in 2014, chances are your favorite YouTuber playing it. It was the latest sensation in the scene of small, indie horror games. And that alone is a huge success since there are so many games in that category. But what's this game about and why was it so popular? Well, let's talk about that.

About the game

The premise at Five Nights At Freddy's could not be simpler, you are the new security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a restaurant with animatronics in the style of Chuck E. Cheese's. You take on the night shift in this restaurant full of big human-like animal animatronics. Sure it must be an easy job, right? After all, everything is shut down, and who would come to steal a children's restaurant?

The real problem in Freddy's is not a thief trying to come in, or some exterior threat, what's dangerous in Freddy's is actually what's inside. On your very first night, you find out quickly why there was a vacancy at this position, when the night falls and the kids are not around, the animatronic being jump to life. They are much creepier than they usually are, and they want you dead.

Your job as a security guard will have you guarding your life inside the security room, checking at the cameras, locking the doors, making wise use of the energy you have available. But beware, for if you hear a sound in the dark, chances are they are on your back.

Once they get to the security room, if you don't lock the door on time, you have no way of fighting back. It can be a very frightening experience, not only do you have to be careful of Freddy, but of his whole gang. At night they are all alive, and none of them want you there.

Less is more

The game mechanics are pretty simple, as you don't even have to move or explore from your guard station. Even though it is a thriller game, it is time-limited, and time plays a huge factor in the gameplay. Every night is a level basically, you just have to survive them all to win the game. That's not to say it is an easy task though, as they can get pretty hard.

The strategy element can get to be complicated too. You have to pay a lot of attention to your surroundings and make your energy last as much as you can. Not only is it scary, but it is also hard and complicated, so it is a pretty tough game to beat.

Reviewing Fight Nights At Freddy's can be a bit hard, as it is pretty simple. You shouldn't just go ahead and compare it with many other games, but instead, judge it completely on its own. It works great at what it does. The design of the creatures can be pretty creepy, it works in the same way as Robbie the Rabbit in Silent Hill 3, where the innocent look of the character is what makes it even scarier. The jumpscares are tough, and the gameplay can be thrilling even though it is technically a simple game. The difficulty level gets all crazy as you progress, and it’s nearly impossible to finish the game on your first run.

Pros:

• Great gameplay
• Thrilling experience
• Terrifying jumpscares
• Great art
• Excellent design

Cons:

• It’s a bit short
• Even though it gets harder, it can be repetitive
• It can feel a bit unfair