After four fairly static entries, Sister Location marks the first real evolution for the franchise. Gone is the simple, single room survival scenario where the only thing that changes across each night is how tough it gets. Now each stage follows a linear series of objectives that offer a variety of unique scenarios and challenges. Cawthon also gave the property an added dose of personality with a more story-driven approach that includes cutscenes, a greater amount of voicework, and a large emphasis on satirical humor.
As interesting as this all is, the title is really held back by the brand's 5 level structure. The experience is over so quickly that it feels more like a compelling proof of concept than a full-fledged game. Mix that in with FNaF's always questionable difficulty balancing and the somewhat awkward controls of the console ports, and you're not getting the most fulfilling horror adventure.
SL does try to extend the life you can get out of it by including secret methods of unlocking alternative endings with extra gameplay segments. The reward for which is more "lore." However, even hardcore fans and completionists might find it hard to justify the task of uncovering everything given how the actual true ending is acquired simply by playing normally and that the overarching plot, which has always suffered from its creator's lack of a consistent narrative vision, makes absolutely no sense. Your animatronic enemies have gone from being malfunctioning machines, to mascots possessed by the vengeful spirits of dead children, and are now self-aware AI robots here. Plus, I'm not sure I could accurately tell you when in the timeline this takes place even if I still cared at this point.
Despite its faults though, the future of Five Nights at Freddy's has never looked brighter. The creative, varied tasks hint at more diverse offerings going forward. The small scale just means that it feels like a paid teaser rather than the next truly substantial installment it should have been, and the less randomized, unchanging nature of encounters makes it so this doesn't have the same replay value as its predecessors. What's here is certainly intriguing, but it seems its intention is to get you excited for what's coming next instead of completely satisfying you in the moment.
6/10
As interesting as this all is, the title is really held back by the brand's 5 level structure. The experience is over so quickly that it feels more like a compelling proof of concept than a full-fledged game. Mix that in with FNaF's always questionable difficulty balancing and the somewhat awkward controls of the console ports, and you're not getting the most fulfilling horror adventure.
SL does try to extend the life you can get out of it by including secret methods of unlocking alternative endings with extra gameplay segments. The reward for which is more "lore." However, even hardcore fans and completionists might find it hard to justify the task of uncovering everything given how the actual true ending is acquired simply by playing normally and that the overarching plot, which has always suffered from its creator's lack of a consistent narrative vision, makes absolutely no sense. Your animatronic enemies have gone from being malfunctioning machines, to mascots possessed by the vengeful spirits of dead children, and are now self-aware AI robots here. Plus, I'm not sure I could accurately tell you when in the timeline this takes place even if I still cared at this point.
Despite its faults though, the future of Five Nights at Freddy's has never looked brighter. The creative, varied tasks hint at more diverse offerings going forward. The small scale just means that it feels like a paid teaser rather than the next truly substantial installment it should have been, and the less randomized, unchanging nature of encounters makes it so this doesn't have the same replay value as its predecessors. What's here is certainly intriguing, but it seems its intention is to get you excited for what's coming next instead of completely satisfying you in the moment.
6/10