Burn It Down (Five Nights at Freddy's: Pizzeria Simulator Review)
Foreword
It has come to this. The penultimate battle of good vs evil – father vs son – a reviewer vs a really well put together horror game and franchise. Five Nights at Freddy's: Pizzeria Simulator (which I loving short to Pizza Sim cause it just sounds funny) is the sixth installment and the final (Haha – fat chance) game in the Afton story line. This game was released on December 4, 2017 for FREE and has received pretty much universal praise (9/10 via Steam, 7.1 via Metacritic). Perhaps the most lore intensive game, most of the burning questions that remain are answered while delivering both a familiar gameplay style with some exciting new mechanics. Let us descend into the madness for one final time.The Story
The game opens, innocently enough, on an atari style mini game. You control Mr. Fazbear himself as he launches pizza pies of your own creation into the faces of hungry waiting children. As you rack up points, things turn south pretty quickly as a shadow Freddy appears to block your shots. The mini game soon glitches out and the game truly begins.
A scene transition brings us to an interview style table where we are sitting across from a grimy, dirty Circus baby. A tape player sits in front of us and upon pressing play begins a narration from one of my favorite characters (and performances), Henry Emily. He explains that the animatronic sitting in front of us is part of our job description. That Baby is an animatronic that we found in a back alley and that we must perform a series of tests to determine if she falls under specific criteria labeled under paragraph four. The tape then plays a series of... unsettling audio cues before prompting us to document any kind of result. This repeats a few times before Baby interrupts Henry's countdown, voiced again by Heather masters, completing the “2...1....”. The screen fades to black and we are introduced to the game proper.
The screen fades into a corporate video congratulating us on our unwise and risky business venture of opening our own Freddy's Fazbear location, voiced again by the incredible Andy Field. He explains the newer mechanics, in his official company way, about how we will be building our new business. As we proceed through the nights, we are given the option every night to bring in an animatronic that was found outside the restaurant. These animatronics are the familiar ones we have dealt with in previous games, however they are now burnt, grimy and otherwise grotesque forms of themselves. It is our job, as we are reminded frequently, to make sure everyone is in the same place before the end of the week.
And thus is the main, surface level story of the game. There is a climatic ending, that I will get to in just a moment, but first I would like to dive into the speculative lore section. In order to really understand the impact of this game and the ultimate climax, it would help to understand the story – or at least what I believe the story to be – first.
Speculative Lore Time! Everything in this section may be 100% or 0% accurate.
As stated in previous reviews, the story of Five Nights at Freddy's is a story, ultimately, about the Afton Family. William Afton is a genius engineer who built the animatronics that we face in the games, as well as the infamous Spring Lock suits. In cooperation with his friend, Henry Emily, the two launch the Freddy Fazbear mega corporation, starting with Fredbear's Family Diner.
At some point, for whatever twisted reason, William Afton murders five children. First being a girl named Susie, as is established in the “Fruity Maze” mini game. She is lured out by William, who informs her that her dog was hit by a car (who is presumed to be possessing Mangle). He then proceeds to murder the other four children, stuffing them into their suits. It is... difficult to say if William intended for the spirits of these children to possess the robots.
At this point I'd like to introduce a story element that is never explained during that game but comes up often in the extended universe. There is a thing called “Remnant” which is explained simply as soul energy. It is the thing that allows the victims to possess the hulking forms of metal. It is assumed that William is aware of Remnant and is experimenting with it by murdering the children.
A theory that I came up with as I am writing this is that, for obvious homicidal reasons, the working relationship between Henry and William becomes strained. William was being forced out of the business. Afton was careful, so the murders could have never been blamed on him, but Henry knew the truth and made the wise decision to cut ties with William. Perhaps as revenge for slighting him or perhaps as a means to force Henry out of the animatronic / restaurant business, Charlotte Emily – Henry's daughter – is murdered. She moves on to possess the Puppet animatronic – which was specifically designed to keep track of the children (to prevent future murders) and selflessly gave it's life to try to save Charlie.
Wrought with grief, Henry leaves the public eye – allowing William to continue his evil desire to murder children unopposed. Through his actions, Circus Baby's Pizza World is created alongside Circus Baby herself. Thus the events of Circus Baby's mini game occur, where Elizabeth Afton is murdered, presumably unintentionally. He then learns that Elizabeth is possessing Circus Baby, which clues him into the existence of Remnant.
Another theory I am developing as I am writing this: It is possible that Afton began his experiments on Remnant with Elizabeth's soul, tampering with it and splitting it into the other Funtime Animatronics that reside along Circus Baby. This would explain why Baby is confused about who she is, who we are, and certain events in the past. It would also explain the ending narration of Sister Location.
Afterwards, the events of Five Nights at Freddy's 4 occurs, resulting in the Bite of '83 and the death of Evan, the presumed name for the crying child. Now knowing that it is possible for a spirit to live on in these machines, William Afton makes the promise to “put [Evan] back together”. To be sure that his theory of Remnant is correct, he asks that his oldest son – Michael Afton, the bully older brother in Five Nights 4 – go find Circus Baby and “put [Elizabeth] back together”. Michael does just that, allowing the animatronics and thus Elizabeth's soul to become one, in the being known as Ennard. Michael is scooped, Ennard escapes, and Michael miraculously survives.
Michael, now knowing the truth of things – Elizabeth's death, the existence of Remnant, and most likely William's murderous tendencies – vows to come find his father. He travels to the location in Five Nights 2, being the playable character in the extra Night 7, and fails to find his father. What he does find, however, is animatronics clearly possessed by the dead children. These spirits attempt to murder Michael, since he looks strikingly similar to his father. Unable to find his father before the animatronics are moved back to the Five Nights 1 location, Michael is left with little choice but to follow them.
The events of Five Nights 1 then occur, with us playing as Michael the entire time. Of course, Michael is once again unsuccessful in finding his father. The reason William is so impossibly difficult to find is because he is no longer living.
Through the mini games in Five Nights 3, we see William Afton disassemblying the core four animatronics. He experiments on these animatronics, attempting to learn more about remnant and how it works. He, perhaps unknowingly, releases the spirits from their metallic prison. It can be theorized that William was attempting to learn the secrets of immortality through his experiments. It is also as equally as possible that he simply wanted to stop the animatronics from hunting him down. Regardless, the spirits linger and confront William, forcing him into the Spring Lock suit he had been using for the murders. The Spring Locks trigger, killing William. He is eventually sealed up behind a brick wall, only to be discovered by the folks behind Fazbear Frights.
The events of Five Nights 3 now occur. I would like to add another theory that I thought of while writing this review. I like to believe that Henry Emily was the one that sealed William's corpse behind those walls. It would explain why, when the body was found, it was not removed or reported to any authorities. Had William's death been known publicly, Michael would no longer have anyone to pursue. It is for this reason, that I believe we play as Henry Emily in Five Nights 3.
It is possible to assume that Henry knows that Remnant exists. When he gains this knowledge, I'm unsure – but he must know that the spirits live on in the robots prior to Pizzeria Simulator. Once he learns that Fazbear Frights is taking the abandoned items from the Five Nights 1 location, he takes on a job as a security guard to be sure that William does not find a way back. He then learns that William is now possessing his decomposing body / the Spring Lock suit and attempts to put him to rest by burning the attraction to the ground. This fails and Springtrap survives.
Which finally brings us to the game we are actually talking about. In Pizza Sim, we assume the role of Michael, working alongside Henry Emily. Together, they bring all the remaining spirits and their robotic shells into the newly opened location. After gathering them all into one place, we are confronted by Baby. She speaks as though we were tricked into bringing “All of those little souls, in one place. Just for us”. She promises that she “will make you proud, Daddy”, presumably siding with William and his desire for immortality through the use of Remnant. Just as she believes that they have won, we hear the comforting sound of Henry's cassette tape beeping.
Henry apologizes for interrupting Elizabeth, telling her that she has been misinformed. He spills the beans, letting all of the occupants within the building know that this was a setup from the very beginning. That the animatronics were lured “into a labyrinth with no exit – a maze with no prize”. He informs them that “This is where your story ends” before addressing us directly.
He explains that though the job listing was not intended for us, and that an escape was planned – he knows that is not what we want. He knows that Michael does not want to continue living, but rather wants to die alongside his family, having put the nightmare to rest. Henry informs us that he intends to remain as well, so that the memory and agony of this tragedy will fade away.
Henry then calls upon the remaining monsters that are trapped within the corridors to give up their fight. To allow their spirits to finally know rest. He then corrects himself, saying “Although, for one of you, the darkest pit of Hell has opened to swallow you whole. So, don't keep the Devil waiting, old friend.”
Henry finally calls out to his daughter, apologizing for all that has happened to her. He apologizes for not being able to save her then, but offers to save her now. With the final statement of “This ends. For all of us.”, Henry cuts communication and all occupants burn in the fire – bringing both the game and series to a close.
End of Speculative Lore.
The basic story that is told in Five Nights 6, ignoring all the hidden details and secrets, is that Henry – William's old business partner, devises a plan to bring all remaining animatronics to the newly opened Pizzeria to finally put all of their souls to rest with the help of a brave volunteer. Through the mini games and extra content, you are able to learn some of the more minute details, but as an overall arching story of serial killing put to rest by one of the best voiced monologues in gaming – I couldn't ask for more. This is such a perfect ending to the series and the story that I am actively starting to hate the VR and Security Breach games for unnecessarily continuing the Afton story. But – for Five Nights at Freddy's: Pizzeria Simulator, only one score can possibly awarded to the story. A:
10/10
Big Boi Lovings
The Gameplay
The main gameplay of Five Nights 6 can easily be separated into parts.
The first part is what long time fans are familiar with. Every single night the player is tasked with completing various chores via a computer terminal. These chores are simple button presses that take several seconds to finish and cause a lot of noise. The tasks themselves are simple – like ordering pizza supplies or unclogging toilets. To manage the noise generation, the player is able to turn off both the computer and the ventilation fan. Turning off the computer, of course, prevents the player from being able to complete the nightly chores. Turning off the fan will cause the room to heat up, which will cause the player to pass out (essentially a death) if the room gets to 120F.
Animatronics that the player gathers during the day time segments will appear during these night time sequences, hunting the player in typical Five Nights fashion. The animatronics are lured to the players location by the noise that completing the tasks cost. The Player can turn off both computer and fan to reduce the noise levels, while also using one of three defensive measures. One will make the ventalition silent, which went unused during my play through. The second will show you where the animatronics are on the map within a circled area. The third, and most useful, is the noise distraction. You are able to play an audio distraction that will lure the animatronics away from you and towards the spot you clicked. Again – this only works against animatronics located within a certain area.
If all else fails, and the robots find their way to the vents to lead directly to you, you have one final defense. If you stare down the vent where the animatronic is lurking, you will be able to stave off their attack until they are lured away. Frustratingly, the game does not explain this to the player! I had so many countless deaths just because I was unaware of this apparently crucial mechanic. That's some dumb butts.
Second half of gameplay is the business tycoon management. The player is given a catelogue where they can either upgrade the size, floor layout and overall appearance of the restaurant. Upgrading the restaurant and purchasing attractions, such as animatronics and arcade style games will grant the player with more money and more points. The mini games that the player purchases have the dual use of also hiding some of the more intense lore parts – such as Susie's origins through the Fruit Maze. All the attractions can be play tested, with some being as simple as pulling a duck out of a pond for points to as complicated as a bullet hell space shooter (my personal fave). I would also be remissed if I did not mention the hilarity that is Helpy's failure animations.
In most mini games, you play as Helpy, the Funtime verison of Fredbear. During those mini games, should you fail for any reason, the music is cut off immediately and you are faced with either an angry / disappointed Helpy OR a Helpy that recently had his neck snap. The first time witnessing this is some of the funniest gags this series has offered. It is highly recommended that you play test all of the attractions, not only for points but because it is one of the funner parts of this game.
During your day time management, you are also able to purchase ads. These ads will play randomly while you are trying to be quiet during the night phase. Clearly you can see the problem with that. The reward for doing so is, of course, more money that will allow you to upgrade and purchase additions.
I should also mention that after every successful night you are given the ability to capture another animatronic. Choosing to capture only come of them will result in a bad ending, while capturing all gives you the satisfyingly good ending. The capture sequences, after you accept them, plays out how the cold open did. You are sat across from one of the monstrosities and must conduct and interview type interrogation. An audio clip will play, attempting to illicit a response from the robot. The player will document the results, allowing the interview to continue or using a taser to prevent the robot from attacking. Should the player use the taser too much, they will damage the animatronic and receive less money. This sequence is easily the scariest part of the game. Sitting across from a full sized animatronic is intimidating, to say the least. The audio prompts are creepy and the apprehension adds a nice flavor to this horror game.
It is my opinion that the day time business tycoon management is the shining point of this game. The want to explore every mini game and find all the bits of lore or even simply rack up a high score in one of the bullet hell games is immensely fun. I found myself enjoying it much more than the night time phases, which could be frustratingly hard, especially as the night progresses. The game tells you very little about how to defend yourself, and the difficult towards the last couple of nights left me stuck on the game for several hours. It also felt less engaging than the other games. You don't really have a sense of danger when the robots are coming for you. You can't see them on the security cameras or flashes of them in your vents. It's mostly just audio clips until they move in for the kill.
Despite my complaints, I still feel that Five Nights 6 was a joy to play and would give it a:
8/10
Recommended
The Visuals
The look of Five Nights 6 follows the same style we've grown fully accustomed to. The main vent gameplay will look the most similar to a Five Nights game. There is a computer terminal for us to interact with, a map to view our impending doom from, and a the ever loved / hated jump scares.
The animatronics themselves hold the same horrific appearance they've always had. This time, they've adopted a much more worn down, grimy and gross feel. Still easily recogonizable but I would not recommend touching or smelling one. The real imposing feel the robots give off come from the interview segements. This is something we typically don't get to see in this series – sitting up close and personal with the monsters, knowing that they will murder us at any moment.
The business building simulator has a SIMS style feel that works really well. The aesthetic of your restaurant fits perfectly with the Five Nights universe. It feels as though this is what an establishment would look like in it's hay day. Where the game really shines visually, again, is with the mini games. Each game is unique in appearance while also keeping the main theme of the restaurant. Once you play test a mini game, you are introduced to a simple yet visually appealing design.
From the ball pit all the way to the rocket ship shooter – each one is a welcomed and refreshingly new look to the game.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the look and feel of Five Nights 6 – though I would've like the night time segments to be a touch more visually interesting. Regardless, it earns a:
9/10
Marvelous
The Audio
Music! There is finally music in a Five Nights game! Throughout the business tycoon segements you get a relaxing and chill elevator-esque music. It fits the simulator vibe the game was going for perfectly. Furthermore, the music that plays during the mini games are spot on as well. We get some absolute bangers in games like Midnight Motorist, Fruity Maze and the rocket ship game.
And, of course, the voices of the animatronics whispering and lurking in the vents cranks the creep and terror factors up. Most of the sound effects in the game are wonderful as well. There being dial up sounds during some of the slower tasks is a nice touch and Helpy's neck breaking during the ball pits fails will never not be funny.
Overall the audio is great in Five Nights 6, with Heather Masters, Andy Field, and Dave Steele's voice work easily earning this game's audio a:
10/10
Big Boi Lovings
The Final Tally
9/10
Marvelous
Backword
Did you know I did a let's play of this game? You can find the full game play through here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMeLlnAJZV4&list=PLVgjHDCKtEx2NZMWYgJDu56oqPgLYxt2t
And you get try to the version I played for yourself through here:
And you get try to the version I played for yourself through here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/738060/Freddy_Fazbears_Pizzeria_Simulator/
Lastily, I want you all to have a wonderful day and know that I appreciate you taking the time to read my, probably unnecessarily long, review! I hope to write for you again soon. Happy Reading!
Social Links:
email: ragdollgamers.business@gmail.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrBuradori
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bradicalradical
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradicalTweets
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradicalpics/?hl=en
Score Breakdown:
10) Big Boi Lovings - A perfect score. Any negatives are insignificant.
Lastily, I want you all to have a wonderful day and know that I appreciate you taking the time to read my, probably unnecessarily long, review! I hope to write for you again soon. Happy Reading!
Social Links:
email: ragdollgamers.business@gmail.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrBuradori
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bradicalradical
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradicalTweets
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradicalpics/?hl=en
Score Breakdown:
10) Big Boi Lovings - A perfect score. Any negatives are insignificant.
9) Marvelous - A nearly flawless piece of media. A few gripes prevent it from being perfect.
8) Recommended - An excellent piece of media that should not be skipped, despite a few complaints.
7) P. Good - Above average. Some of the problems are a touch painful.
6) Hard Enjoy - Despite the issues that are present, I want to be a fan of the media - even though it hurts.
5) Aight.- Average. The experience is overall hit or miss but does nothing to "wow" or warrant hate.
4) Inoffensive- The media is not an enjoyable experience but also not a painful one.
3) Condemned -Enough problems are present that I regret consuming the media.
2) Poopie Bad Stuff - Terrible. I could hardly find any enjoyment, though it didn't cause an angry rant.
1) Dupid - I hate it. You probably know I hate it because I would not have been quiet about it.
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