Quick Review: Five Nights at Freddy's 2

The first game was Scott Cawthon’s last attempt at striking it big in the indie market before giving up. Fortune smiled to him. The massive and unexpected success of FNAF1 was great news, and grounds for a sequel, which came out a mere three months later, on November 10th, 2014. I’ll cut to the chase, since all of this is well-known by now: This title is actually a prequel to FNAF1, and is (arguably) the first game in the franchise’s chronology. It gets confusing sometimes.

I could've sworn there were three of those
earlier on this screen...

As a result, the animatronics here look brand-new, and there’s even a handful of new faces, some of which are more worrisome than others. Freddie, Bonnie and Chica are toy-like versions of themselves, but don’t let that denomination fool you; they’re out for the night watchman just like damn near every other animatronic. The creepiest is Toy Foxy, a mess of parts nicknamed “Mangle” that’s still somehow functional as a “robot”. New faces include Balloon Boy and Girl, an uncovered endoskeleton, a shadow Bonnie and a mysterious Marionette. Oh, and the animatronics of the previous game may come by for a surprise visit, too…

Oh great, this place is too cheap for doors now.

As for new mechanics, well… your office is a pretty open space; no doors, and two open air vents, which animatronics can come in and out through. There’s nothing to close if one of the inhabitants shows up unexpectedly; instead, you’ve got a big Freddy Mask to wear, to fool them into thinking that you’re one of them. You better be quick with it, though. There’s also a music box in one room of the place that must be kept wound up and play all night (through the camera system), or else the Marionette will come for you; said music box takes your attention away for several precious seconds, during which a guest might come in... Last but not least, you can shine a flashlight or turn the light in any room through the cameras, to see if any of the beasts are coming…

Cheap-ass company, can't even keep the lights on.

Should we be worried about that purple guy
up there?

Also of note, getting killed in this game can actually be beneficial, as some Game Over screens become mini-games that reveal more information regarding the story… although, as with everything else, several of these are vague enough to mean a whole lot of things. As an example, a game where you control Freddy delivering cakes to some kids while another kid, off to the side, is caught and murdered. (Don’t worry, answers are given… sometimes… in later games.)

I’m a bit split on this one; in spite of the additions to the cast and mechanics, it doesn’t feel like it does things differently enough from the first game. However, the difficulty has been upped and it shows. More animatronics can screw things up while you attempt to survive, and some might even help each other to get to you. You have to be ready for them coming in through the vents. An unprepared player will likely fall prey to an animatronic on Night 1, unlike in FNAF 1 where the first night is eventless. Fuckin’ Toy Bonnie, sneaking up on me while I was rewinding that goddamn music box… Bastard rabbit.

BOO!

The changes aren’t sufficient to make this game feel fresh, but there’s at least an attempt. The larger number of enemies to worry about makes the entire thing a lot tenser. This is also where the plot thickens greatly, feeding a lot of details, several of which are still somewhat mysterious. The mini-games are a good addition, if you find them. It's to be tried if you actually want the precious puzzle pieces it offers… but then again, it’s been almost 7 years, most people with even the slightest bit of interest in the series already know those details.

Scott Cawthon seemingly took the “it’s too similar” critique to heart, seeing as FNAF 3 and 4 shook up the formula (albeit with mixed results), and the next game I’m covering this week goes far beyond…