Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location

As the fifth game in the FNAF series, Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location does more than a few things to change things up. Of course, if this is for the better or not really depends on you. However, I must say that this was a series that could have been in danger of getting stale so taking a chance with something like this is certainly a move you have to give the developer praise for.

New Location, New Problems, Same Creepiness!

The lore of this franchise is just fascinating. While a great deal of this is created by the fans, this time the developer went all in and we have a much more focused story this time around. As the name of the game suggests, we are at a different location this time, but the same animatronic horrors await us.

There is more narration here and the new setting of Circus Baby’s Pizza World has a darker and creepier feeling than what Fazbear offered. Right from the start, you get the impression that there is something off about this place.

More To Do, More Ways To Die!

While the improved storytelling and change of location are great. It is the gameplay that has seen the biggest change in Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location. No longer are we confined to that one room. Now, we can move around and this is a huge part of the game. Each night that you are trying to survive will have its own objective/mini-game for you to complete. Of course, you also have to watch out for the deranged animatronics stalking you as you go about your work. One of the jobs you have to do is actually working on these things which is pretty damn terrifying!

The gameplay is varied enough and I like that, but my god did I hate night 4! Not because it was scary, but because it was so hard. You have to fight off these little robot things and it is a test in patience more than anything else.

You Made Me Cry And Laugh!

The tone of Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location is rather different than what came before it. Most of the time you will be a victim of a jump scare and that is to be expected. However, this game tries to be both scary and funny at the same time. Your robot pal at the start of the game has a dry sense of humor and in this way, I feel the game is trying to be like Portal with its humor. Then just a short while later you will have something that is like out of a horror movie.

It sometimes works, but I am not sure if they would have been better just going all-in with the dark humor rather than trying to shoehorn in those horror elements as well.

Pros:

• I like the new location
• Your robot buddy is rather interesting
• The game is very creepy
• I appreciate that they tried to make each night a different experience
• It is much more story-driven than previous games

Cons:

• The difficulty is all over the place
• The game is not sure if it wants to make you laugh or be scared!

In the world of horror games, there aren't many franchises as popular or well known as Five Nights at Freddy's. While the other games put you in front of surveillance cameras from the relative safety of a security booth, Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location is a whole new nightmare. As the sixth game in this fan-favorite series, Sister Location adds some twists and turns into the gameplay, while also dialing up the production value and scares. If you want to survive the night in this terrifying game, you must avoid the murderous animatronic characters while completing your duties, or suffer the dire consequences.

Main Game Features

• Explore a new location in the Freddy Fazbear world
• Survive 5 nights in a terrifying facility
• Unlockable mini-games and bonus content

Story

In Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location, you play as Mike, a young man who takes up a new job in the animatronic business. However, instead of working for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, you gain employment at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental. This facility is where all of the animatronics are stored and repaired, including a cast of creepy characters from the abandoned restaurant, Circus Baby's Pizza World. As the newest employee working on the overnight shift, Mike must complete a variety of tasks before the morning, as something sinister stalks in the shadows.

In comparison to the other games in the franchise, Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location has a surprisingly in-depth story. The game has an abundance of fully voice-acted dialogue, which is of high quality. To balance out the morbid concept of the main plot, some comedy is sprinkled throughout, mostly coming from your busted up AI assistant, HandUnit. As you make your way through the five nights of the game, you'll learn more about the animatronics and the lore of Circus Baby's Pizza World, which is more interesting than you might expect. Generally speaking, the story is much better in this game than in some of the prequels, with proper voice-acting and characters.

Gameplay

In most other Five Nights at Freddy's games, you simply watch the action from a monitor, flipping switches and keeping track of things. In this game, you're thrust into a much more active role, as Mike must carry out several maintenance requests each night. In order to do so, you must carefully explore the various locations throughout the storage facility, such as the Funtime Auditorium, Ballora Gallery, Scooping Room, and more. Being able to move from room to room adds a lot of immersion, and each location feels interesting and fresh. To complete the game and successfully earn your paycheck, you must finish all your maintenance tasks on each of the five nights while staying alive.

The best part of Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location is the variety of the gameplay, as each night has different objectives that you must complete. While the first night is mostly a tutorial, the second, third, fourth, and fifth nights all feel different, with different animatronic enemies to avoid and unique tasks to manage. The further you get in the game, the more tense and frightening it becomes, as death becomes more common. If you're able to complete the game, you'll unlock several bonuses, including an 8-bit minigame, extra difficulty settings, and a Custom Night mode where you set your own challenges.

Conclusion

Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location ramps up the scares while also adding several new gameplay ideas, characters, and locations.

Pros

• Good writing and dialogue
• Environments are immersive
• Achievements add replayability

Cons

• Some levels feel luck-based
• Visuals are too dark sometimes
• Jump scares are only scary a few times