The fifth release for Freddy fans, now for iOS
Five Nights at Freddy’s was a hit indie game which not only spawned some copycats, but made waves on PC and mobile with its unique gameplay and real jump scares.
The game went on to produce four sequels, each adding something new, but now a fifth is on the horizon and this time we’ve got an exciting subtitle: Sister Location. Prepare for all-new frights to keep you up at night, with new creepy characters.
What to expect from Sister Location
For those new to Five Nights at Freddy’s, the game is surprisingly simple. Like all good small studio games, it trades on an interesting mechanic rather than cutting edge graphics or a big brand name.
You play as a night guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a children’s restaurant with an animatronic bear mascot. These life-size creatures sing and dance for the kids… but at night, they’re a lot more sinister. They creep through the restaurant, murder in their hearts. You’d think it would be easy to avoid being caught by them, but the hitch is that your power supply cannot watch all cameras and lock all doors at once. Sooner or later, one will slip through… leading to the infamous FNaF jump scare!
This game looks set to continue the popular mechanic, based on first glimpses of the game’s HUD display. The name of the game hints at a second restaurant or other themed venue, but developer Scott Cawthon undoubtedly has some tricks up his sleeve.
The other Five Nights at Freddy’s games are infamous for hidden secrets and hints, building up the lore behind the game. There’s even a book and talk of a movie, so it’s likely that Sister Location will delve into the plot and flesh out Freddy’s world.
Graphically, the videos released so far indicate a step up in both complexity and artistic quality. It’s hard to tell in a game that’s so shrouded in shadow, but the animatronics seem to have a higher polygon count than before. The atmosphere of tension and darkness is certainly still in place, playing with classic horror tropes like flickering monitors and creepy characters.
Indeed, this instalment is set to introduce a new animatronic assassin based on a clown-like girl, whose identity and relationship to Freddy is unknown. Perhaps a sister figure is in the works, but one thing’s for sure- she isn’t your friend.
Make or break for the franchise
With four titles and an RPG already released, a new Five Nights at Freddy’s title may seem like overkill. The game will have to introduce new mechanics and characters to keep things interesting, so Freddy fans are sure to get some fun from this title.
Given that these games are typically short, you might consider Sister Location to just be the latest in an episodic game. Hopefully, this episode will keep the series alive, not just highlight how repetitive the idea is.
