(Every Child's Worst Nightmare) Five Nights At Freddy's: Into The Pit
Oh god, help me. Why do I do this to myself? Horror games have been kind of plenty as of late, and the new Silent Hill 2 remake is well on its way late this year. I never played Five Nights At Freddy's, I don't think I could stomach it. Yet, I did watch the Lets Plays on the originals.
The franchise itself has expanded into movies, but nothing beats the games. Into The Pit is not as scary, but it is fear inducing enough, while providing an interestingly fun adventure game with a lot of horror elements. Also, the jumps scares are here as well. I can't speak much for the lore savvy types, all I can say is, the guys who made Wrestlequest, and Renfield knew what they were doing.
One kid has to unravel the absolute nightmare of the 1985 party going wrong in Freddy's Fazbear Pizza, rescue some of the kids while also figuring out a way to get his dad back. Jumping into an old ball pit to travel between two timelines.
Oswald is a typical nervous kid, stuck dealing with a terrible summer in a town that's been falling apart ever since the mill closed down. People started to leave in droves, including his close friends, no one to hang out with, and starting middle-school soon, until one odd night at Jeff's Pizza joint.
Yeah, this synopsis was taken from the wiki here, it's based on a book story, the first volume. How it factors into the video game? Well, it feels like narrative wise, there are a few missing pieces that properly explains why things are so bleak in this town. Besides a trim, run down version of the main plot, gameplay helps to immerse into the horror experience.
It's not as if things could go immediately bad, Oswald meets a couple of kids, they dare him to play a couple of games with them, which involve actual mini-game, I could score higher and beat the kid or let him win. Maybe that branches the main story out, after all it's a companion narrative to the FNAF's main arc, which there were children from the party, taking place in June 1985.
Chip and Mike, Oswald's new friends, want to play hide and seek, leading to him hiding in a Fazbear suit which he successfully hid from. Afterward, a slobbering, shrieking bunny animated gets out from the storage, and shows their killer eyes. I had to hold my breath, not knowing how this works exactly, it implies I have to use my survival skills in order to know when to hold my breath, and when to release. There's no second wind to it, it means I have to be quick or get killed.
All the fear and anarchy ensued, with people screaming, lights being turned off, and Oswald running around finding out where his two friends are. Only to be led by the bunny into a secret room, tentatively following before seeing several dead kids in the party room.
A QTE action only saved him, but I had to run, and navigate the area on my own to find out where the ball pit is, and go back there. No worries, I had a map. First off, I want to get this out of the way, I really think the 2D animation captured each of the character's essence. A lot could be told by their facial changes, body movement, one of the things that 3D games nowadays can't easily replicate.
This is an adventure game, but trying to stay alive comes from relying on the audio, not tripping on items like brooms, running on water, and walking slowly. Stealth mechanics are embedded with a noise meter on the below right.
The absolute sheer horror begins when Oswald's dad, gets dragged by the bunny into the pit, tapping the button and saving him. Only to realize too late that the dad was possessed. This is where the next area for hide and seeking comes. Like, the kid isn't even safe at his own home now, he has to sneak around, hide, even go as far as running to the next room.
Part of Oswald's new struggle is now trying to fit in, while not knowing whether his father is alright or not. Creating a new suspense of disbelief, which involves struggling with a newfound threat to his family's life. Not even his own mother believes him, I mean appearances are deceiving.
Certain objectives involve looking around, finding where his mom's number is, even the phonebook didn't have it, and has dad can't save contacts. Wait what? This has Oswald resorted to going back to Jeff's Pizzeria, and into the pit. Of course, he finds a kid being stuffed into an animatronic.
This game is mentally taxing, you feel sorry for the kid, yet it's upto you to figure some things out, and help him achieve his objectives. Good story writing, and game design will do all that. It's an adventure game, but not the kind you're having a great time with. Rather it's pretty anxiety inducing, unless you're really into that thing, being a horror sleuth that you are.
Not everything is lost, he finds help whenever he can, asking kids who sell firecrackers, and having a POC girl give a notebook of her grandad's sketch, kind of similar to the one Oswald drew. There's a good chance he can save some kids, and get his father as well.
It's a short ride, but with multiple endings that play out. Often times even more busy work side stepping from the main goal, some can lead me to finding out more about what Jeff's Pizza place used to be, why this town has a curse upon it, the house cat being too scared to help, and maybe winning that game from Mike would have changed things.
Even for a FNAF fan, this one goes a little beyond of being a scare tactics title. Some of you probably grew up, and had kids, heck I think even children could play this, provided they aren't absolutely traumatized by the experience. Plus less brain-dead and more educational as well.
