Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 Review – Delivering Scares and Laughs in Equal Measure
The sequel to the VR sensation serves up a slice of frightful delight with toppings of charm and polish.
VR Only
last updated Dec 18, 2023
Compelling gameplay, exceptional audio, and a rich visual palette make for a delicious recipe that will leave horror and VR enthusiasts salivating for more.
Joysticks, Jump Scares, and Jamborees
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 whisks players back into the unsettling embrace of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, but with an all-you-can-scream buffet of new features. The sequel cranks up the variety of mini-games – whether you're into navigating neon-lit nightmares or fancy flinging Minireenas like they've personally offended you, there’s something for everyone. Gameplay is more captivating and fluid than its predecessor, ensuring that you'll be too busy wiping sweat from your palms to notice time whizzing by. And hey, if the jump scares don't get you, Helpy’s high-frequency squeals just might.
An Auditory Assault of Animatronic Anthems
Now, let's talk soundscapes – Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2's audio is a chilling symphony that tickles the spine with every creak and clank. The game's soundtrack is a mix of creepy melodies and rhythmic beats that punctuate your pulse. Voice work adds flesh to the metallic bones of our animatronic hosts, and I'd be lying if I said DJ Music Man's bops didn't make me want to both dance and dash for the hills. Mix that with the supremely on-point sound effects, and the game's audio could even make a statue jump.
A Visual Feast of Frights
In the graphics department, we’re served a banquet of visual treats that make every scare a little sweeter. The animations are astonishingly detailed, giving each character a creepy brand of life. Little nuances in their movements or a sudden stillness in the shadows crank the terror-dial to eleven. While some industrious players have reported bugs, you'll mostly find that performance is as smooth as molten cheese on pizza, assuming your rig isn’t powered by a hamster on a wheel.
The Extras on the Pizza
Beyond the main course of mini-games and scares, Help Wanted 2 does a bang-up job in creating an immersive experience. Secrets sprinkled throughout the game like parmesan on marinara invite explorers to dig in. There's also an undeniable fluidity in the VR physics that adds to the realism and, by proxy, the terror. Although it's a bit disappointing that the animatronics seem to have been through a shrink-ray, making them less imposing, it’s a minor hiccup in an otherwise immersive experience.
STEAM RATING
Developer
Steel Wool Studios
Publisher
ScottGames
Release Date
December 14, 2023
Verdict
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 manages to outshine its predecessor with what feels like an endless pizza party, albeit one haunted by merciless animatronics. While not all mini-games will have you hiding behind the couch, and some of the horror has been traded for stone-cold fun, it’s a titanic win for the series. Compelling gameplay, exceptional audio, and a rich visual palette make for a delicious recipe that will leave horror and VR enthusiasts salivating for more. And if you can make peace with a few glitches and Helpy’s incessant screeching, this title is well worth the dive into virtual terror.