Five Nights at Freddy's is a PC horror game that brings horror to players for the wrong reasons. It is not that it is a bad game; well, this depends on who you are asking. Just like the game itself, it is capable of being a jump scare to players when the least expect it. Whether be in its constant release dates or the whole game trilogy overall, Five Nights at Freddy is a new franchise that has made a great impact. But why?
A known practice for games is a yearly release. Famous games like Call of Duty and sports games have done this for years. Release time frames such as this has brought some innovation and changes to games, but usually stick with concepts and mechanics from previous installments. Five Nights at Freddy's has literally released its newest installment every four (4) months! Each new installment has made attempts to make the game different, by adding and changing new mechanics. But the game has failed by not providing anything new. How you play a game and how the game is are two different ways to identify differences in a game. Plus, wouldn't people get tired with release dates happening right after the previous installment?
Jump scares. In horror games, these are sudden scares that greatly startle, or bring quick bursts of fear, to players. This is literally what Five Nights at Freddy's is all about. Every game in its franchise, you know that all it will bring are jump scares. The game has tried to mix it up, and build tension. But this can only bring an effect that cannot do well over and over again. The sad part is that this is the main mechanic that people expects, and wait for throughout the game. For a horror game, this is not good. If you have to expect the jump scare to happen, if you have to rely on this only mechanic to scare your audience in a horror game, then it does not deliver if it can be anticipated so easily.
Logic does not need to be considered in games, as games are free to break the laws of logic and reasonable thinking. But when games are too obvious and make you question how it is, then it is a problem. This is generally an issue for the franchise. Wouldn't the main character report killer robots after the first night? Wouldn't people be more aware about this? Wouldn't the facility at least be considered as well? There is much that can easily be questioned in this game. And if you have to question the obvious, it really pushes the logic in the game. As said, logic does not need to be considered in games. But when it has to be, to the extent of questioning the game as a whole, then there is an issue.
Just like any franchise, this game has a right to exist. In fact, this game should get a fourth installment. But changes need to be considered. Add new ways to scare your audience. Give a better reason or motive to play. Add more time to implement new features and such. People are already getting tired of generally the same game being released right after the previous installment. Yes, it has done greatly to become well known, something that is generally hard for many Indie games. But when you keep pushing it, and not making much to make the experience different, then the effect does not become as satisfying as before.
So if another game is made from this franchise, good luck. This is a sincere good luck. If those that made Five Nights at Freddy's are capable of implementing feedback from the fans, the next game can have potential. Who knows, maybe the jump scares may have more impact. But a different approach should be considered. If this franchise is here to stay, it should give new reasons and innovations for players to accept its existence.
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