Jumpscares are a big part Five Nights at Freddy’sbut they may not be the franchise’s scariest inclusion. There is no doubt that The series’ many sudden, loud scares were a defining factor in FNAFsuccessS. The immediate, isolated moment of terror brought about by a jumpscare elicits a unique emotion that creates a horror experience that is both terrifying and exhilarating.
However, as time passes, it may become more difficult to maintain the same level of fear, as jumpscares are repeated with each entry. Happily, there is another part of FNAF series that helped keep the series’ distinctive horror alive. In fact, this inclusion proved to be scarier than the franchise’s signature jumpscares, as it does much more to create and maintain a disturbing atmosphere for the player.
FNAF Jumpscares quickly became repetitive
Repeating loud scares became tedious
FNAF it often relied on the use of large jumpsuits, and that’s where the series ended up failing. Jumpscares worked well in the original Five Nights at Freddy’s as it went well with the game’s restrictive gameplay. Being confined to a single room while being forced to keep an eye on multiple animatronics caused the player to panic, knowing that they could be caught at any moment. Jumpscares, therefore, served as a perfect release of the panic and fear that had built up over time, creating a moment of true horror for the player.
Jumpscares were certainly effective when first released, but they only worked for so long. As subsequent sequels were released for the FNAF series, the same panic and fear felt in the original has subsided, with subsequent titles offering very little variation in the core gameplay and the way jumpscares were included. Jumpscares worked in the original FNAF as there was a sense of uncertainty, with players unsure of what could happen around the corner. Once players know what to expect,The same jumpsuits that were once truly hideous have become loud, obnoxious, and ultimately tedious screams.
FNAF 2 minigames were strangely scary
Minigames cleverly created a disturbing atmosphere
Fortunately, a new feature added to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 helped keep the horror alive in the form of minigames. Among player deaths, FNAF 2 would load one of a series of Atari-2600 style minigames that the player had to play to proceed. Each minigame involved a different objective, whether following the animatronic Puppet, placing gifts for dead souls or passing cakes to several children at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.
The minigames were able to effectively create a sense of fear thanks to its ability to create a disturbing atmosphere. The pixelated animatronics, pitch-black background, and distinct lack of sound or music have come together to create a series of minigames that feel strangely unnerving to play. While the jumpscares include a single, isolated moment of terror, the minigames in FNAF 2 carried a continual sense of foreboding that made the player’s every move and action feel like their last.
In fact, the minigames were arguably scarier in FNAF 2 than jumpscares due to maintaining a constant feeling of fear. Jumpscares certainly came as a shock to players when they first dealt with them, but they also became very easy to get used to. About that, mini-games force the player to continually linger in its terrifying atmospheremaintaining that terrible feeling of uncertainty that jumpscares couldn’t maintain. The way in which the minigames offer an alternative and more consistent horror makes their inclusion in future FNAF even more inevitable entrances.
These FNAF minigames created a disturbing narrative
There’s no escaping the nightmare
FNAFThe 8-bit minigames don’t simply stop at disturbing atmosphere, but take things a step further. Starting in FNAF 2, several entries used minigames to build the series’ main narrative. For example, the cake minigame in FNAF 2 forces the player to witness the murder of an innocent child outside the restaurant with no way to prevent it. Meanwhile, the minigames in Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 Follow a scared child fighting his fear of animatronics before his head is crushed by Fredbear at a birthday party.
Various minigames in various FNAF entries include moments like this, reinforcing a disturbing message that this seemingly family-owned restaurant chain is plagued by a long history of death and trauma. The initial fear that comes with the jumpscares can be easily overcome as players progress each night, fending off the animatronics and eventually emerging victorious, providing much-needed relief. FNAFThe minigames do not offer the same courtesy, with the endless cycle of death and horror seems inevitable to the playermaking them that much more terrifying.
The minigames are without a doubt a horrible addition to the FNAF series in the best way possible. They not only add variety FNAFWith the core gameplay admittedly repetitive, they undoubtedly achieve more than the franchise’s signature jumpscares in scaring the player, keeping them trapped in their hellish nightmare. The endless fear and dread that these minigames easily provoke is one of the best and scariest additions to the game. Five Nights at Freddy’s series as a whole.