FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S: HELP WANTED Review
Step back into the pizzeria, now with more pixelated terror than a Chuck E. Cheese after dark.
VR Support
last updated Dec 18, 2023
It's a must-play for horror junkies and those that fancy sleepless nights.
Bumps in the Night
Venturing into the realm of 'Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted', the first thing that'll hit you is a blast of dread and exhilaration. A delightful mélange of revamped mini-games, this title simultaneously honors its source material and elevates the fear factor. Each mini-game is lovingly crafted with enough variety to ensure that repetitiveness isn't on the menu tonight. Even in a non-VR mode, the game has a knack for making your palms sweat, but strap on that VR headset, and you'll find yourself phoning your mommy in no time. And let's just say, having an animatronic's jaws just inches from your face gives 'in your face' a whole new meaning.
A Symphony of Squeals
The auditory experience in 'Help Wanted' is a finely-tuned engine of suspense. Every creak and groan is like a symphony of squeals designed to keep you teetering on the edge of your seat (or hiding behind it). The soundtrack, oh the soundtrack, is the metaphorical cherry on this terror sundae, enhancing every moment without overwhelming the senses. It's the kind of audio that makes sure every hair on your body stands at attention. Love letters to the game's audio design are written in the trembles of your hands and the increased frequency of your heartbeat.
The Fright Pixels
Graphically, 'Help Wanted' has mastered the art of 'less is more'. The environments and character models are just detailed enough to pull off the creepiness required, with shadows and flickering lights painting a picture of pixelated paranoia. Performance-wise, it's mostly smooth sailing, save for the occasional stutter that serves as an unintended jump scare. The VR component only intensifies the immersion, making every texture seem that much closer to your eyeballs. Bugs are apparently not a feature, so you can explore the various nooks and crannies of Freddy's abode without anything snapping you back to the comfort of reality.
Hide and Seek With Bugs
It’s all fun and games until someone loses a frame...rate. 'Help Wanted' isn’t immune to the peculiar joys of buggy controls and the occasional computer performance hiccups that remind you it’s still a game made by mortals. Such issues don’t detract from the overall nightmare, but rather add an unpredictable element to the mix. Who needs planned scares when you can have the unpredictability of a technical snafu? A word to the wise: while 'Help Wanted' is busy trying to give you a heart attack, make sure your PC doesn't have one.
STEAM RATING
Developer
Steel Wool Studios
Publisher
ScottGames
Release Date
May 28, 2019
The Verdict
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted' takes the template laid out by its predecessors and amplifies it with a VR twist that's more potent than expired pizza at a birthday party. With gameplay that's polished enough to reflect the light of your screen as you jump out of your skin, and bugs that are more rare than a happy ending in this series, it's a must-play for horror junkies and those that fancy sleepless nights. The sum of its parts creates an experience that'll have you laughing nervously one second and staring at your closet door with suspicion the next. It's not just a trip down terror lane; it's the whole spooky theme park.
