Summary
Poppy PlaytimeChapter 4 has just been released, so it’s a great time to get reacquainted with the series so far. As with allvideo game franchises, not all the installments are created equal. Each game has things that it does exceptionally well and issues for the developers to learn from for future installments.
For example - Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 are longer, falling victim to some of the pitfalls of longer horror games, including excessive back tracking and sequences that outstay their welcome. On the other hand, the narrative and characters are becoming more refined and intriguing as the series progresses.
Pros:
Cons:
Chapter 4 starts strong with some excellent analog horror that reminds players that we are dealing with the dark history of Playtime Co. Players then rejoin Poppy as they travel to the subbasement looking for help. What they find is a terrifying ensemble cast of Mini Huggies and Nightmare Creatures that lie in wait in the blood-soaked hallways in the hidden depths of Playtime Co. It takes place in the subbasement, prison, andSafe Haven.
The player starts following the troubling journals of Riley through piles of destroyed toys. What follows is a series of puzzles and dark storytelling that lets the player know that whatever is down here is NOT MESSING AROUND. The illusive main antagonist for this game is The Doctor, who is suitably imposing, even as a disembodied voice. The flare hand attachment for the Grab Pack is back and essential when traversing floors littered with human-eating toys.
The player continues on their journey through Playtime Co. and the sinister second purpose of the factory begins to be revealed. While it was always unsettling for an industrial toy manufacturing plant to have an orphanage built into it, players get hints as to exactly how terrifying it may have been for the children who lived there.
As the main antagonist of the chapter, Mommy Long-Legs is motivated by revenge which she exacts on the player, who is confirmed to be a former employee of thefactory. Considering the carnage evident throughout the factory, that may make the player character complicit in some serious atrocities against children. The game ends on a cliffhanger with the defeated Mommy Long-Legs being dragged down into the depths of the factory by a skeletal mechanical clawed arm. This is The Prototype who will become the main antagonist and puppet master of the series.
Chapter 3 signals a sharp shift into more explicit horror and gore. The grotesque truth behind the Bigger Bodies Initiative and the orphanage itself becomes painfully clear as the chapter progresses. The player makes their way into the orphanage and begin the arduous process of reconnecting the power to the various areas in which the children were kept. The voice of a young boy named Ollie guides the player through thesepuzzles, providing some much-needed exposition and clues at this stage of the series. Although many players were suspicious of him, with due cause.
This is the game in which the Smiling Creatures and their creepy open-mouthed smiles are introduced. How a company thought these toys would be adorable is anyone’s guess. Especially CatNap, who emits red smoke from his mouth that puts people to sleep, or in some cases induces hallucinations. He is a devout worshiper of The Prototype, killing anyone who defies him. Luckily, with the introduction of new enemies with new attacks comes the new and improved Grab Pack 2.0 with additional safety features and easy-to-swap attachments.
The first moments of Poppy Playtime are a real treat for analog horror fans and indulge in the uncanny valley of doll production. It establishes the retro sci-fi chops of the franchise. But this is quickly eclipsed by the giant spectacle of a huge blue furry toy with long gangly legs. This is Huggy Wuggy, themascot horror antagonistof the first chapter, and he stands motionless in the abandoned toy factory the player is exploring. But when the player re-enters the area the giant toy is nowhere to be seen.
What follows is a frantic chase through the factory. The player is given the Grab Pack, complete with comically cartoonish hands that bounce around at the bottom of the player’s field of vision. The Grab Pack takes a bit of getting used to, but throughout the series, it becomes the player’s greatest asset. We are still above ground in the public-facing operations of Playtime Co., so the colors are bright and cheerful, in sharp contrast to the emptiness and decay of the abandoned factory and its inner workings.
