Videogame Five Nights at Jumpscares: Electric Boogaloo
Originally planned for 2015, the sequel to the popular game Five Nights at Freddy's was released first as a demo in early November, before ending up being the full game after the success and lack of glitches it received. The good news is that if you liked the first game, you might like this one as well... because it's the exact same thing. The sequel (at least, that's what it was marketed as) doesn't bother to try to change the formula of the original outside of the mask and "no doors" gimmick. Repeating what is probably the biggest sin of the original, this installment doesn't offer much after the third night and only becomes a gradual increase in difficulty. And, like the first, if you are not spooked by jumpscares, don't expect too much from this game. In fact, compared to the original at least, the atmosphere is minimal which hurts any sort of impact the game might have had. The jumpscare animations even suffer from being lackluster and too simplistic (Toy Bonnie leaping at you with the silliest, most nonthreatening look on his face immediately springs to mind). The fact that it's all made by one guy isn't exactly an excuse, as the first game was at least passable in regards to the art direction and good indie games actually do exist. Maybe Scott should have spent more time on it, who knew?
As an attempt of being more story-based, there is a more detailed in-game plot to be had in regards to the phone messages you receive at the beginning of each night. While still being vague enough to lead a lot of things to speculation (I won't go into detail here as you can check the tropes page for that), the game offers a "twist ending" of sorts... which is so easy to figure out for anybody who actually pays any sort of attention to the phone calls. Hell, I figured out that the game was not actually a direct sequel to the original with only the first phone call and common sense.
In the end, this was a poor excuse for a follow-up to an already over-hyped game with an obnoxious, snobby fanbase who probably never played another horror game in their lives, at most. The lack of variation kills this game the most, almost being a complete carbon copy of the first except weaker. Reminds me almost of another certain franchise in fact, except it's by an indie developer...
Videogame Five Nights At Freddy's 2: Some steps forward, more steps back
After the smashing success that was the first Five Nights at Freddy's, it was probably a given that a sequel would spawn somehow. It generated lots of buzz through stylistic teasers before finally being released on November 11, 2014. Compared to the first game, it tried more of everything, adding new enemies, a truckload of lore, a denser narrative and much, MUCH higher difficulty. The result is a fan favorite, and while it definitely improves on the original in some aspects, I found it to fall short in many others.
Let's start with the gameplay. 2 removed the iconic doors and power meter, instead using a Freddy Fazbear mask, a flashlight and a wind-up music box that you interact with through the camera. The mask essentially works the same as the first game's doors, warding off most of the game's 11(!) threats when you put it on. The flashlight is essential to stunning Foxy, who returns alongside the other old animatronics. The music box keeps a new character called the Puppet at bay, and if it runs out, you're done. Due to how many threats there are, the gameplay is consistently fast-paced and keeps you moving. The map is also bigger and has a lot of easter eggs like the first game, though a few feel more random than important.
The first game's animatronic cast returns, but the game is initially framed as a sequel where Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria is undergoing a grand reopening. The older models are said to have been phased out, leaving the game to introduce a shinier generation of the Fazbear crew alongside the Puppet and the infamous Balloon Boy. The threats have memorable designs with the old crew being heavily damaged, but it quickly turns out that most of them work the exact same (head to your office, get fooled by mask, repeat), which hurts the cast's memorability. In fact, the gameplay sadly boils down to only checking Cam 11 to wind up the music box, with no reason to check the others as it wastes time. It becomes more of a repetitive reflex test than an appropriately scary, nerve-wracking experience. Since the jumpscares are no longer rendered with the room, they seem stiff, almost cheap-feeling at times. The atmosphere in general is also brighter, further diminishing the scare factor.
The story is the game's biggest boon. Phone Guy returns, which players of the first game will find odd. He'll worldbuild each night, making the pizzeria feel more alive. This game also introduced "death minigames" as a then-revolutionary storytelling device, depicting how the animatronics were haunted in the first place along with the murderer (Purple Guy). These also provide potential origins for more mysterious animatronics, such as the Puppet and Golden Freddy. Like the first game, these craft an expansive mystery for players.
While the story is more fleshed out and has some cool twists, I found the gameplay to be much more lacking (albeit still fun) than the first game. It's fun and chaotic, but also disappointing and not very tense nor engaging. 6.5/10.