For the longest time, the only original Scott Cawthon-created Five Nights at Freddy’s games I owned were the first two. This was largely due to the fact that these games were originally only available on the PC, and I’m more of a console gamer. Nevertheless, I still tried the first two games for myself, then proceeded to watch people play FNAF 3-6 on Youtube. But at long last, I managed to get my hands on the FNAF Core Collection on the PS4 (which was $14 instead of the usual $40), which includes the first five games. Deciding to record the first four for October, I’d like to quickly recount my experiences and compare the games now that I finally have some first-hand experience with them.
FNAF 1: Sometimes the Simple Things in Life are the Best
Oh yes, the original game, in all its glory. I have now beaten this game up through Night 6. Twice. And the second time was way easier. I’m not sure if this was due to experience or because playing the game on a PS4 controller just makes reacting to the animatronics’ presence far quicker, as you don’t need to navigate to the door or light controls with a mouse. Whatever the case may be, my second playthrough consisted of one jumpscare when I failed to take Freddy seriously in Night 3 and literally one try each for every other night. Quite surprising, really, when my first playthrough years ago was such a trial.
Now that I’ve played the first four games, I think I can still safely say that the first game is my favorite of the bunch (and my second favorite FNAF game ever, after the recently released Into the Pit). It’s pretty simple compared to some of the other games, but I think that’s what makes it perfect. You have only four animatronics to deal with. Bonnie goes for your left door and Chica for your right. You must check the cameras to keep Foxy from leaving Pirate’s Cove and zooming down the hallway at you. And you must keep an eye on Freddy to keep him from progressing towards your location, laughing gleefully all the way.
Honestly, gameplay is pretty simple, as most of the cameras are not really necessary. Just check the left and right door-lights, then check the cameras for Foxy and Freddy, and repeat. (Oh, and make sure you don’t run out of power, but if you’re careful, it’s not too big of a deal.) Nevertheless, as the nights progress, you’ll need to be fast, and seeing Bonnie or Chica’s dead eyes staring at you from a doorway has never ceased to give me chills. This game has some of the best ambience in the series and proves that, sometimes, simplicity is underrated.
FNAF 2: More Does Not Always Mean Better
While I have now beaten the second entry in the series twice, I have never been able to get through Night 6. Although I must admit that FNAF 2 has some of the best animatronic designs in terms of creepiness (Withered Bonnie and Withered Chica are easily some of the scariest characters to come out of this series), it’s also just too hectic, with a grand total of ten animatronics to deal with! This time, you don’t have any doors to close, and these guys will be coming down the hallway and crawling through vents to get you.
And yet, despite there being so many characters to dispel, getting rid of most of them isn’t too bad. Eight of the animatronics can be dealt with by putting on a Freddy mask. As long as you do so fast enough, they will take one look at your shoddy disguise and leave the room. Mangle also makes a strange radio noise, so her presence is even easier to detect. The only one who is unique out of this group is Balloon Boy, who will disable your flashlight if he gets in the room. This makes you vulnerable to Foxy, who must be flashed with your flashlight to make him leave, as the mask doesn’t fool this sly pirate. And lastly, you must keep the music box wound up because if you don’t, the Puppet will seek you out. (Oh, and Golden Freddy shows up on Night 6. So I guess there’s actually 11 characters that are out to get you!)
The biggest fear factor in this game comes from how creepy certain animatronics look in the cameras. Flashing your light in a room and illuminating Withered Chica standing there with her beak open wide and her arms stretched out from her sides is a deeply unsettling sight indeed. Unfortunately, you’ll be so busy dealing with all these threats that you really don’t have any time to check the cameras unless it’s to wind up the music box. Which then just makes the game more hectic than scary because you’re stuck spending all your time frantically dispelling nearly a dozen animatronics in a brightly lit room. Overexposure is this game’s greatest weakness. Seeing these guys ambling through my office all night just starts to make them more annoying than terrifying.
FNAF 3: This Time, It’s Personal
Now I think everyone agrees that this is one of the weaker entries in the series, although the design for Springtrap is one of my favorites. This guy’s truly creepy, especially when you learn the truth about who he is. (I’m not gonna spoil it, even if most people already know…) So in this game, you’re only dealing with one actual threat, and your goal is to use these audio lures to keep him as far from your office as possible. You’d think this would be pretty simple, but there are several ways in which this normally straightforward task becomes more complicated.
For one thing, the cameras are filled with a heavy static, so sometimes, locating Springtrap is next to impossible. I even looked up screenshots showing exactly where he can be found in every camera, and I still struggle to find him! Secondly, your system goes down frequently, forcing you to leave the cameras and reboot the audio, camera, and ventilation systems, making it even easier to lose track of him. Lastly, there are these phantoms that can attack you. They won’t kill you, but they are very distracting. They’re not too terrible once you learn to change cameras the moment you see one, but it can sometimes make the hunt for Springtrap feel that much more futile when you’re scared to linger, but absolutely must stay in one camera to better scour it for any trace of Springtrap.
The first few times you see Springtrap peeking into your office is super creepy, but after that, this game became more frustrating than anything. Because again, I sometimes couldn’t find him anywhere. Once you lose track of him, it’s very hard to find him again, and you also have vents to deal with (you can seal one vent at a time to halt his progress, but that’s pretty much useless when I don’t know where he is to begin with). I spent about 1.5 hours trying to get through Night 5, and I got super close once, too. But eventually, I just gave up after getting another Game Over after I scoured every camera with no trace of him. I appreciate that this game took the opposite approach from the chaos that is FNAF 2. I just wish Fazbear’s Fright had invested in some better cameras.
FNAF 4: It’s Quiet, Almost Too Quiet…
While the first game is my favorite of the bunch, this game is definitely the scariest. This one mixes up the formula in several notable ways. One, you’re playing as a child in his bedroom instead of a security guard in an office. Two, you can run between four spots instead of being stuck in a stationary position. And three, there are no cameras to check. Rather, you must check two doors, your bed, and your closet. On your bed, little Freddies can appear that you must scare away with your flashlight. Nightmare Bonnie and Chica can come down your left and right hallways, respectively. And Nightmare Foxy can sneak into your room and hide in your closet, forcing you to hold the closet doors closed for brief periods of time until he reverts back into a plushie, his safest form. (Oh, and the Nightmare animatronics easily have the scariest designs in the series. Though the reason I consider Springtrap and Withered Bonnie and Chica to be the creepiest and best designs is just because the Nightmares are so over-the-top.)
Foxy and Freddy are rather easy to deal with, but Bonnie and Chica…not so much. You see, this is the first game to require you to listen for sound cues. Sure, sound was helpful in the other games, but you could still technically beat them with the volume down. In this game, you have to listen for breathing at either door. If you don’t hear anything, you can flash your light, but if you hear someone there, you must hold the door closed until they go away. And if you flash your light when someone is there, you get an instant jumpscare.
In theory, this creates some really scary and tense moments. I dreaded going to those doors and poking my head out into that dark hallway, listening for the presence of a massive abomination who could be inches from my face. It’s absolutely terrifying. But the breathing is just so darn quiet that you must turn up the volume fairly high in order to hear it, leading to some loud jumpscares if you get it wrong. This game was clearly meant to be played with headphones, but for anyone who doesn’t want to employ such a method, you’re in for a hard time. I’ve even heard other PS4 users call the game unplayable, and if the trophy percentages are anything to go by, it’s clear most people can’t even get past Night 2.
Fortunately for me, I was able to find the right volume where I could hear the breathing (which sounds more like someone blowing into a microphone) without the jumpscares being too awful. Once I got the hang of things, I really enjoyed the gameplay and how satisfying it felt to successfully hear that subtle breathing and close the door, followed by the sound of footsteps shortly after. Part of the trick is being patient and waiting a few seconds before making a decision, as the sound may not play right away.
But then I got to Night 5, where the gameplay is changed up, and you are required to listen for footsteps and laughter, and this is where my time with the game came to an end. While I could sometimes hear laughter, I never ever heard the footsteps, making it impossible to know if my foe was in the left or right hallway. And herein lies the problem. Listening for sound is fine, I suppose, but that sound shouldn’t be so much quieter than the jumpscares. Not everyone can use headphones easily, and not everyone wants to have to listen to super loud jumpscares because the breathing or footsteps are so hard to hear.
It’s rather frustrating because, otherwise, I would have placed FNAF 4 as my top FNAF game because of how scary it feels to play as a small child in the familiar confines of your own home, being hunted by terrifying creatures lurking in shadowy hallways. It just evokes that feeling of being a kid and waking up in the middle of the night by a strange sound, terrified that something’s hiding under your bed or is lying in wait for you on the other side of your door.
In the end, I had a pretty fun time revisiting the first two FNAF games, in addition to checking out the third and fourth installments for the very first time. It’s just a shame that FNAF 3 is rather lackluster in comparison to the others and FNAF 4 relies so heavily on sound cues. Which leads me to ask, dear readers, which FNAF game is your favorite? And which game did you like the least? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below!
VIRTUAL BASTION 