Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-11-02, 04:05:
This is an interesting game for me. I recognize that it's really well made, but absolutely hated it. I found the gameplay extremely stressful-far more than any other strategy or survival horror game. I can't think of any game that stressed me out like this one, even if the player is fairly helpless like in Amnesia the Dark Descent.
I don't normally play survival horror games. I tend to soak in the atmosphere, which means I am quite susceptible to being scared/nervous. I guess this is the goal, but I don't like it. Not for long stretches of time. I decided that FNaF is OK, simply because of how short it is. Of course, once the game has been dissected, jump scares are not as surprising anymore, and not as scary.
Trying to understand how such a simple, low-budget game became a huge hit and a franchise, I think it simply hit the nail on a combination of a few features. Horror and humor work well together. You are genuinely stressed and spooked, but in the back of your head can't take it seriously. It's also not the type of graphical, gory horror, where the fear factor is often secondary to the grossness factor.
The interface is extremely simple to operate, but there is a lot of depth to the game. Each animatronic works in a different way, and you are only given very subtle hints about it, so the only way to figure it out is trial and error. The game also gives you a grace period where during the early nights only some of them are active, so you have the opportunity to learn their modus operandi, before new enemies are introduced. You must combine all the tools at your disposal, because no single tool will protect you from everyone. You must play a game of resource management and optimization, and there is also a factor of luck involved, which keeps you on your toes even after you find the optimal strategy.
Truly a masterpiece, albeit with virtually no replay value after you beat it. It's good that there are sequels.
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