Welcome everyone to my first blog. Yes, I immediately decided to start with a big project, without realizing whether people would even see this blog. The fact is that I always wanted to see the Five nights at Freddy’s series of games in the "Series History" format. For me, this game is something close, dear, closely associated with childhood. I had thoughts of making this dream come true before, but never got around to it. But now, in 2021, when the series is experiencing its second wind, there is motivation to take on this project.
Happy reading everyone 😉
“In reality everything is different than in reality…”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Seven years have passed since the world first plunged into the secrets of Freddy Fazbear’s pizzeria, and how they told about the murders of children, possessed animatronics, and the mysterious Bite of 87. The author of the game, Scott Cawthon, did not even imagine how popular the product he created was, and what a huge fan community would gather around it. During all this time, 10 games, about 12 books, 3 official comics, as well as an announced film were released. The series has undergone many changes. At some point, the developer himself got entangled in the web of the game’s plot and chose the wrong direction. It’s time to return to the very origins of the game and tell us how the story of the Five nights at Freddy’s series began..
History of creation
It all started in the city of Houston in the apartment of Scott Cawthon, an indie game developer. Scott began his activities in the video game industry in the 1990s. His first project was Doofas in 1994, which almost no one had heard of, which was a crookedly drawn 2D adventure game. The first games officially published by Scott began to appear in the 2000s. The earliest of these is RPG Max, released in 2002.
Over time, Scott Cawthon joined the Hope Animation group, which creates games and cartoons for children on Christian themes. On March 19, 2007, Scott posted on his YouTube channel the first of 8 parts of the animated film “Pilgrim’s Progress,” based on the book “Pilgrim’s Progress to the Heavenly Land” by John Bunyan. Two years earlier, the film was released exclusively on DVD and was not particularly successful.
Scott Cawthon later released a large number of games, many of which, most notably Chipper and Sons Lumber Co., were criticized by the public. People complained about animations and character models that reminded them of scary "animatronic animals", and critic Jim Sterling called the game terrifying.
Negative reviews forced the developer to go into deep depression and think about changing his profession, but before leaving the development field, he decided to try his luck – to release his latest game, which would be radically different from others. Thus, the animatronic movements of the characters in previous games, which critics did not like, inspired Scott. And in 2014, an indie developer began making his own horror game. He started a fundraising campaign, but received exactly zero dollars. Therefore, I had to create a game based on my own motivation.
Scott found inspiration in memories of his childhood animatronic restaurants. That was Chuck E. Cheese’s and ShowBiz Pizza Place. In these restaurants, just like in the game, animatronics performed for people: they sang songs and entertained children.
As Scott himself admits in the future, the names for the animatronics were just nicknames at the time of work on the game. But the temporary names became so familiar to him that he decided to leave them. By the way, he had nightmares in which animatronic monsters came for him. I think this detail also played a role in the final version of the product.
As Scott said in an interview with YouTuber Dawko, the design of the original characters came to his mind immediately. The problem was only with the fourth animatronic. There was a wolf, beaver and fox option. In the end the last image won.
On June 13, 2014, news about the creation of an unusual survival horror called Five nights at Freddy’s was published on Steam Greenlight, and then, the next day, a trailer was released that attracted the public. Well, after the demo version was released, the game gained enormous popularity in a short time. And already on August 8th the game was released on the Desura website.
After the game’s release, the reaction of the gaming community exceeded all expectations, but more on that a little later.
Main plot
It all starts with the fact that the main character named Mike Schmidt (we learn his name at the end of the game) finds an advertisement in the newspaper “Employee Wanted”. It says that Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza needs a security guard to work the night shift from 00:00 to 06:00 in the morning.
His responsibilities include monitoring camera images and guarding equipment and animatronics. The payment offered is very modest – $120 per week. It is also mentioned that the company is not responsible for injuries and dismemberment. A very…strange warning for a pizzeria security guard. But we’ll come back to this later.
Mike finds himself in his office, where the only surroundings are a table on which there are many televisions and a fan, posters and drawings of children on the wall and two doors on the right and left. Schmidt will have to sit in this establishment for five nights before receiving his salary. At the beginning of each night he will receive a call from a certain Phone Guy or Phone Guy (Von Guy), through whom we will learn the main plot of the game.
Night 1
On the first night we learn that Von Guy worked in this office before us, and at the time of recording these calls he was finishing his shift. Tells us that we have nothing to worry about here and insists on focusing on our shift. Next, Von Guy reads us a greeting from the company:
“Welcome to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a magical place for kids and adults alike where fantasy and fun come true. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is not responsible for damage to property or person. Once it is discovered that a death or injury has occurred, a missing persons report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as the property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and whitewashed and the carpets replaced. »
Phone guy
This all really sounds strange and scary. This is the second time the company has made it clear that the work is not at all safe. But Von Guy still asks us not to worry. Next, the Phone Guy talks about the main attribute of the pizzeria – animatronics. He notes that the robots get a little strange at night, for which he does not blame them at all:
“If I was forced to sing the same stupid songs for 20 years and never take a bath, I’d probably be irritable at night too.”
Phone guy
Von Guy justifies their strangeness as if they were living, intelligent beings. The strangest thing is that animatronics walk throughout the pizzeria at night. The company deliberately leaves them in free movement mode, since their servos will lock up if they are not turned on for a long time. Restaurant mascots used to be able to walk during the day, until the “87 Bite” occurred, after which the person was left without the frontal lobe of the brain. We’ll come back to this bite later.
Next, the Phone Guy talks about the main snag of this work. The fact is that animatronics, seeing a security guard after hours, do not recognize him as a person. Instead, they will see an iron endoskeleton without a suit and try to force the guard into a Freddy Fazbear suit. It wouldn’t be so bad if the suits weren’t too small for a person and weren’t filled with all sorts of beams, wires, etc. Especially in the facial area. Therefore, the actions of the mascots will lead to the death of the guard.
"Uh, the only part of you that will likely see the light of day again will be your eyeballs and teeth popping out of the face of the mask, heh."
Phone guy
Now it’s clear what was said in the newspaper and greeting. Working in this place is a death sentence. At the end of the recording, Von Guy says not to despair, because the first day will be a “breeze”. It also reminds you about saving electricity, because it doesn’t last forever. And then says goodbye.
Having successfully spent the first night locking the doors to prevent the animatronics from getting in, Mike returns home to return to his new job the next day. Only one thing is unclear: why Mike doesn’t quit his job, knowing how dangerous it is?
Night 2
Starting duty, Von Guy “calls” us again, where he congratulates us on a successful shift on the first night. He goes on to say that Freddie and his friends tend to become more active as the week goes on. Advises you to check the cameras just in case while he speaks to make sure everything is in place.
Phone Guy notes that Freddie rarely leaves the stage and becomes active in the dark – another reason to save electricity. This time Von Guy tells us in more detail how to protect ourselves from the pizzeria characters, mentions turning on the lights and closing the doors. After all, we will only have a few seconds before the animatronics get to us. Again, Phone Guy says not to worry about it.
At the end of the recording, Von Guy mentions another character who is in Pirate’s Cove. He advises us to watch him on cameras more often – this way he becomes less active.
"I guess he doesn’t like being watched. I don’t know. In any case, I’m sure you’ll have everything under control."
Phone guy
Well, then the Phone Guy says goodbye to us.
Night 3
On the third night, Von Guy again congratulates us on a job well done. Says most people don’t last that long. Of course, he means a change of job, and not death at the hands of animatronic beasts. He’ll try not to take too much time so we don’t end up in danger. Therefore, this night does not tell much information. Just one idea:
“Hey, listen, I have an idea: if you get caught and want to avoid surviving in a Freddy suit, uh, try playing dead! You know, quiet down"
Phone guy
In this case, Von Guy suggests that the animatronics may think that the guard is not an endoskeleton, but an empty suit. But then they can try to put a person on an endoskeleton, which will be much more painful.
Once again it becomes clear that being caught by an animatronic means dying in agony. And there is no other salvation than to close the doors in front of them. At the end of the recording, Phone Guy bids us farewell once again.
Night 4
The fourth night becomes fatal for Von Guy. At the beginning of the call recording, he says that he may not be there tomorrow to send Mike a message. In the background of the recording we hear knocks on the door. It was a bad night for Phone Guy. And he’s glad he recorded these messages for us.
He also asks you to do him a favor: check one of the costumes in the room next to the stage, because he has always wondered what is in these “empty heads”. Further, as heard on the recording, he dies at the hands of animatronics.
"Uh-uh, um-I’ve always wondered what’s in those empty heads in the background. *Toreador March (Freddy’s tune)*. You know. *sigh* Oh no. *screamer animatronics*"
Phone guy
Having survived the fourth night to the end, Mike returns home again.
Last nights
On the fifth night we get a “call” at the office again. On the recording, instead of Von Guy, we hear a distorted voice, presumably Freddy’s voice. The recording is a reversed and accelerated reading of an excerpt from the Autobiography of Yoga.
(Missed: Sir,) it is unfortunate that the massive development of agriculture has not accelerated to the fuller use of your wonderful mechanisms. Wouldn’t it be easier to use some of these in quick laboratory experiments to indicate the effects of different types of fertilizers on plant growth??
You’re right. Countless uses (missing: tool bases) will be made by future generations. A scientist rarely receives simultaneous rewards; it is enough to receive the creator’s joy (missing: a lot of maintenance).
(Snatches of static scream)
This night the animatronics are active at full capacity, but the main character still manages to survive until 6 am.
At the end of the shift, we receive a long-awaited check with a salary of 120 dollars, as stated in the newspaper, where for the first time we learn the name of the main character. The company congratulates us on our good work and wishes to see us next week.
And after passing the seventh, Mike is given a notice of dismissal. Reasons: manipulations with animatronics, general lack of professionalism and smell. Manipulation? Smell? Quite strange reasons for quitting your job.
This is where the main plot of the game ends… Well, or almost ends. But for now, let’s look at the gameplay and characters we are introduced to in the game.
Gameplay
Engine
FNaF is a point-and-click survival horror game. It was made on a simple Clickteam Fusion 2 engine.5, and for modeling and rendering 3D graphics, Scott used AutoDesk 3Ds Max.
Here are some examples of Scott’s work with characters in 3Ds Max:
All animation in the game https://bethashiocasino.co.uk/mobile-app/ is made in the form of GIF pictures (screamers, fan, etc.). d.).
Gameplay
The player controls the night guard (Mike Schmidt) and must stay 5 nights from midnight to six in the morning. One game night lasts 8 minutes 36 seconds of real time.
We cannot walk or move in any way, but only turn left and right with the mouse. The only interaction objects are a tablet with CCTV cameras and buttons at the door: the top (red) closes and opens the door, the bottom (white) illuminates the corridor behind the door.
By opening the tablet and hovering the cursor over the rectangle at the bottom of the screen, the player is shown cameras located throughout the pizzeria. They give a complete overview of what is happening in the establishment. Only one is not working – cell 6, in which the kitchen is located. Here we hear only sounds without any video images. But from time to time the animatronics themselves can turn off the cameras for a while, which adds additional complexity to the passage.
The main protection against animatronics are doors. All you have to do is close the door when the mascot is nearby and wait for him to leave.
If we don’t have time to close the door in time, then an animatronic in the form of a screamer will attack us. Screamers are the main elements of scares in the game.
It would seem that you can just close all the doors and sit out until the end of the night. But here we move on to another key point of the game – electricity.
At the start of each night the player will have 99% energy. And throughout the night it will be spent. How fast depends on the player’s actions.
In the left corner of the screen there is an energy meter consisting of several bars. Each action, be it picking up a tablet, lighting a hallway, or closing a door, adds one bar to the counter. Even if we do nothing, one meter bar will be lit.
The more stripes, the more energy we spend per hour. One strip spends 9% of energy per hour, two – 18%, three – 27, and four – 36. Therefore, it is beneficial for the player to use doors as little as possible. If the energy runs out, all the lights in the building will turn off, and Freddy Fazbear will appear in the opening of the left door, who will begin to play “Toreodore March”. And when the melody ends, he will attack us with a screamer.
From the first to the sixth night the game mechanics do not change much. There are differences only on the seventh “Your Night”. Before starting this level, the player himself can customize the behavior of the animatronics, their A.I. level. It is adjustable from 0 to 20. Where 0 is completely inactive, and 20 is fully active.
Here are all the main gameplay elements of the game. Let’s move on to the main antagonists – animatronics. After all, each of them needs its own approach.
Characters
Freddy Fazbear
Let’s start, of course, with the symbol of the game – Freddy Fazbear. Is the vocalist in a group of robotic animals. The animatronic is an anthropomorphic bear of a dirty light brown color with a reddish tint. Wears a black bow tie and top hat; holding a microphone in his right hand.
By zooming in on his face, you can see a fingerprint above his right eye and another mark (possibly also a palm print) on the bottom of his jaw.
The animatronic moves along the following trajectory: Concert Stage → Dining Hall → Toilets → Kitchen → East Corridor → Corner of the East Corridor → Office. Freddy follows a very predictable path, but is difficult to spot in camera images because he tends to stay in the shadows. The easiest way to spot Freddy is by noticing his glowing eyes.
Until the third night he is completely inactive and comes only when the energy runs out. During the game you can hear his laughter, which will indicate his movement around the pizzeria.
Unlike other animatronics, he will not be visible in the doorway when he approaches the office. You can see him before the attack only on camera 4B. In this case, you should close the right door.
Well, the first character the player encounters is Bonnie. Is the guitarist for the robot animal band. He is an anthropomorphic rabbit of a dirty blue color. Wears a red bow tie; holding a red electric guitar in his hands.
The animatronic moves along the longest trajectory: Concert stage → Dining hall → Room next to the stage → Storeroom → Western Corridor → Corner of the Eastern Corridor → Office. Bonnie moves much faster than other characters. It’s not hard to spot him on cameras.
Bonnie starts to be active from the first night. As he moves, heavy footsteps and hoarse groans will be heard.
He approaches the left door. Before the attack, he can be seen in the doorway if you highlight the left corridor. You can also see his shadow in the window near the door. If you don’t notice it in time, the buttons to close the door and turn on the lights will stop working. And when the player picks up the tablet, Bonnie will attack him.
The second character the player encounters is Chica. She is a backing vocalist for a group of robotic animals. It is an anthropomorphic yellow chicken with an orange beak and magenta eyes. He wears a bib on his chest with the inscription "LET’S EAT". ». Holding a cupcake with eyes in his hands.
Moves only on the right side of the restaurant: Concert Stage → Dining Room → Kitchen → Restrooms → East Corridor → East Corridor Corner → Office. Moves slower than Bonnie. Also easy to spot on cameras.
Chica is active at the end of the first night. As she moves, she, like Bonnie, will make hoarse moans, and her steps will be heard. While in the kitchen, she will rattle dishes.
She approaches the right door. Before the attack you can see her in the window if you turn on the backlight. Just like in the case of Bonnie, can break door buttons.
The main favorite of children is the pirate Foxy. The only animatronic from the company that is not on the main stage. Performing on a separate stage, Foxy entertained visitors separately from the main three, but due to damage he was no longer used in performances. In front of its bay there is a sign:
"- Sorry! – Out of order".
It is a fiery red fox with yellow eyes and an elongated muzzle. One of his eyes is covered by a patch that moves up and down frequently, and he has a hook instead of a right hand. Foxy looks shabby, his endoskeleton is visible in the holes in his suit.
Moves through the following locations: Pirate’s Cove → Western Corridor → Corner of the Western Corridor → Office. Spends most of his time in Pirate Bay.
Foxy becomes active from the second night. The player needs to watch him on camera 1C so that he doesn’t get out of his bay. The more often you watch him, the slower he will open his scenes. If he has completely crawled out of Pirate Bay, then the player needs to close the left door, since at this moment Foxy is already running towards the office. At this moment he can be seen on camera 2A.
When Foxy reaches the door, he knocks several times. After this, the player loses a certain amount of energy. The first time 1%, the second 6%, and so on each time 5 percent more.
Golden Freddy
The most mysterious character in the game. It is an anthropomorphic yellow bear. Is in a sitting position all the time, since there is no endoskeleton inside.
Appears in the office if the face of the Golden Bear appears on camera 2B instead of a poster with Freddy.
When Golden Freddy appears in the office, the player must immediately pick up the tablet. Otherwise, the golden bear will attack the player, after which the game will crash unexpectedly. Most likely a ghost or mystical entity, as it can appear in the office even if all the doors are closed.
In addition to animatronics, there are also people in the game. Mike Schmidt is the main character of the first part of the game. Almost nothing is known about him. We don’t know who he was before the events in the pizzeria, who he worked before. We don’t even know his future fate. He is perhaps one of the most mysterious characters in the game.
The player’s main guide throughout the game. A little more is known about him than about Mike. It is known that he worked as a security guard before the main character. However, it is unknown how long he worked. After all, previous guards could have listened to recordings of his calls. On the fourth night, presumably dies at the hands of animatronics.
There are few characters, but they fit harmoniously into the overall story. After all, the main plot of the game is not the whole story..
Hidden History
The FNaF series is primarily famous for its secrets and secrets that are hidden in the very heart of the pizzeria. The hidden history can be found out if you carefully study the locations of the game. There has never been an officially reliable story, and the entire plot of Five Nights at Freddy’s is based on fan theories. Let’s look at the most interesting.
ATTENTION! I am considering theories that were relevant only at the time of the release of the first game in the series.
First, let’s find out: in what year do the events of the first part of the game take place?? We are not given a direct date, since the check with payment for the night shift shows two crosses instead of the year.
But thanks to the amount Mike receives per week, we can find out the exact year. By comparing the salary in the game with the average salary of a security guard in the United States, you can find out that people received approximately the same salary in 1993. From which it follows that the events of the game take place precisely at this time.
As I tell the story, I will arrange events on a general timeline.
Also based on Von Guy’s conversations, the animatronics are at least 20 years old:
"If I was forced to sing the same stupid songs for 20 years…"
Phone guy
So the restaurant opened around 1973. We will also note this on the timeline.
So, Von Guy mentions the "Bite" that happened in 1987. Who was the culprit of the bite??
So, 1987. A lot of people visited the pizzeria. Animatronics could move during the day. But one fateful day, one of the robotic animals attacked a man and bit off his frontal lobe of the brain. From the Phone Guy’s conversation it is clear that the man survived. But the incident greatly affected the reputation of the pizzeria. It is because of this event that animatronics are now prohibited from walking during the day. Fans of the game built many versions of who was the culprit of the bite.
The first and most obvious contender is Foxy. First of all, he has the sharpest teeth among the original animatronics. Secondly, during his run to the office through the corridor, you can see how the robot fox’s jaw is shaking, which may indicate that it was somehow damaged. Well, thirdly, on the sign in front of the bay it is written: “- Sorry! “Out of order,” which once again proves that the fox was somehow damaged.
The next person fans suspected was Freddy Fazbear himself. Firstly, his powerful-looking jaw could easily bite through a person’s head. Secondly, in room 4B there is a sheet with the rules of the pizzeria. The sixth rule states: "Don’t touch Freddy", but no other animatronics are mentioned. And thirdly, on Freddie’s face, as noted earlier, there is a palm print. Perhaps this is the imprint of the bite victim.
1. Don’t run
2. Don’t shout
3. Don’t squeal
4. Don’t shit on the floor
5. Don’t leave your mom’s side
6. Don’t touch Freddy
7. Don’t fight
8. Leave before dark
And the third candidate is Golden Freddy. He has the same handprint on his face as regular Freddy. He, like Foxy, is in a malfunctioning state. But the most interesting thing is the settings on the seventh night. If you set A in the “Your night” menu.I. the level of animatronics is in the order of 1/9/8/7, then when you try to start the night, Golden Freddy’s screamer will fly out. This interesting detail will become important in subsequent parts of the game.
Well, in the meantime, Foxy was chosen as the official culprit of the bite.
Missing children
If the player really wants to know the story behind the game, they should pay attention to camera 2A. Instead of the usual “Safety Rules,” newspaper clippings may appear there. There are four such clippings in total. Let’s look at each.
According to our information, two missing children in the city were lured into the back room of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. This happened on the evening of June 26, a few hours before the end of the working day. CCTV images helped identify the suspect and he was detained the next morning, but the children themselves could not be found. They are currently presumed dead.
Police believe the suspect dressed up as an animal mascot to gain the children’s trust.
There are currently five children involved in the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza disappearance case; they were lured into an office building by a man dressed in a mascot animal costume.
The suspect was charged, but the body was never found. After the incident, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza tried unsuccessfully to regain the families’ trust and convince them to return to the pizzeria.
"This is a real tragedy".
The Department of Health is once again threatening to close the local Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza due to reports of a terrible odor coming from the beloved animal mascot costumes.
The police received complaints from parents who noticed that traces of blood and mucus appeared around the eyes and mouths of the costumes. One parent compared the costumes to animated carcasses.
After a long struggle to survive and try to stay in business following a tragedy that happened there many years ago, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has announced that it will be closing before the end of this year.
It took a long time to find a buyer for the notorious company, but it seems other companies want nothing to do with it.
"These characters will live. These characters will always live in the hearts of children,” said the CEO.
What do we have?. Several years ago – between the Bite of 87 and Mike Schmidt’s night shift – five child abductions occur.
Someone dressed as one of the animatronics gained the trust of five children and lured them into an office building. Most likely, he used the Golden Freddy costume, since the latter does not have an endoskeleton. Presumably, the criminal killed them. The suspect was arrested, but the children’s bodies were never found.
Soon, visitors began to complain about the stench and blood on the bodies of robotic animals. This indirectly indicates that the killer stuffed the bodies of the children into the bodies of Freddie and his friends. Here we remember the words of Von Guy:
"Uh, the only part of you that will likely see the light of day again will be your eyeballs and teeth popping out of the face of the mask, heh."
Phone guy
It is safe to say that the animatronics have been possessed by the souls of missing children, and they are thirsty for revenge.
We can see references to the souls of murdered children in the eastern corridor. There, instead of posters with pizzeria mascots, there will be images of crying children.
It is also known from the newspapers that the pizzeria is going to be closed by the end of the year. This means that Mike’s shift (November 8 to 12) occurs several months before the restaurant closes.
IT’S ME
Only one question remains: who is the killer?? The game does not provide any direct or indirect answers to this. But fans were still able to find out something.
Throughout the game, the main character experiences hallucinations. Whether it’s the face of Freddy and Bonnie with human eyes, or the phrase "It’s me".
This phrase can also be seen on the walls of the eastern corridor instead of character posters.
And on the sign in front of Pirate Bay, instead of the usual inscription, the phrase “It’s me” will be displayed.
Why does Mike Schmidt hallucinate with this particular phrase?? How is she related to him?? There are several theories linking this phrase to the main character:
The first is that the souls of children are simply mocking Mike.
Second, Mike has something to do with the children. Perhaps he is the parent of one of the children or just a close relative who hired a job at a pizzeria to find out the truth about the missing children. And the souls of the dead themselves hint to Mike about this in every possible way.
Well, the third, most likely one is that Mike is the child killer. Yes, the police have caught a suspect. But suddenly he became just a victim of circumstances, and the real kidnapper is still at large? Because of this, Mike imagines this phrase. Guilt beats in his subconscious, screaming that it was him! He’s a killer!
This also explains why the animatronics are so eager to kill the main character. Von Guy’s explanation about endoskeletons does not fit in with the events of the game at all. After all, Bonnie periodically enters the room next to the stage and sees an endoskeleton devoid of a suit. But he doesn’t try to stuff him into a suit.
The souls of dead children seek only revenge. And only by taking revenge on their killer can they find eternal peace..
This is the hidden plot of the first part of the game:. But these are not all of her secret moments. The player can see rare footage as he progresses. Let’s take a look at them.
Secrets and Easter eggs
Heads and Endoskeleton in the spare parts room looking at the camera. More proof that the pizzeria is haunted.
Freddy rips his face off on camera 2B. Apparently, the ghosts are hinting in this way that the souls of children are inside the animatronics.
Of course, one of the main components in horror games is sound. It is the eerie melody and sounds that can create a depressing atmosphere. The game is not rich in sounds, but everything that is there works with a bang.
Since Scott Cawthon developed the game alone, he also wrote all the music and sounds for the game. Already from the starting melody in the game menu you get goosebumps.
There is no melody in the game itself. Only a fan in the office will drown out the dead silence. It will also make it difficult to hear sounds that will help the player understand how close the animatronics are.
Those who are especially attentive have a chance to hear the sound of a children’s carousel and Foxy’s singing.
Interference when switching the camera, hallucinations, and the laughter of animatronics also complement the creepy atmosphere of the pizzeria.
Sound is also important for screamers. It is important that it be unexpected and loud. Scott managed to achieve this. Millions of players who launched FNaF for the first time experienced real horror. The animatronics scream is a distorted child’s scream, which actually confirms the theory about possessed animatronics.
The only speaking character is Von Guy. The voice of this man was given by the creator of the game himself. Scott’s performance gives the impression of an insecure man who is trying not to say too much.
Game versions
Having received huge success and good reviews among gamers, the game was ported to other devices. Scott released a version for Android on August 25, 2014, followed by iOS on September 11, followed by Windows Phone later that year.
It is noteworthy that the mobile version of the game was slightly different from the original on PC for some time. Each hour lasts about 45 seconds, and the night lasts 4 minutes and 30 seconds. To compensate for this, electricity is consumed faster and animatronics behave more aggressively. There are no hallucinations during the game (this does not apply to Easter eggs); There are a lot of sounds missing that made the atmosphere in the game frightening. The chance of Golden Freddy appearing in the mobile version is lower. Animatronic jump scares have been modified to reduce their size.
The most noticeable difference is the presence of a store. There are things there that you can buy with real money. For example, three plush toys: Freddy, Bonnie and Chicky costing $0.99 each. After purchase, toys appear on the table in the Office and play the role of decoration.
In addition to the plushies, there is a Survival Kit (aka cheats) available that can be purchased for $4.99. This set contains the features of unlimited energy (energy does not run out), fast night (night lasts less time) and radar (shows animatronic locations except Golden Freddy’s location).
Since 2019, the game began to appear on modern consoles. First, in November, FNaF could be played on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Then, in 2020, on PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as on Xbox Series X/S. Unlike mobile versions, the game on consoles has not undergone any changes.
Also over time the game has changed on PC. After update 1.121, if the date on the device was October 31, the office was decorated with Halloween attributes. This update will be included in future games as well.
In version 1.13 a third star reward was added. The fact is that as the player progressed, he could receive stars on the main menu. Initially there were two stars. The first was received for completing the main five nights, and the second – for completing the sixth. Scott added the third for completing the so-called 20/20/20/20 mode in “My Night”.
With the latest update, the maximum resolution has increased from 720p to 4K.
By the way, interesting fact. In early versions of the game, you can find “man” and “lives” files in the textures. Previously, this was a life counter that was not unlimited. There were 3 lives in total, and if the player was attacked by animatronics 3 times, then the entire game ended, and all nights had to be completed from the very beginning. Scott removed this because the game was unbeatable.
Society’s reaction to the game
And now, perhaps, it’s worth talking about how FNaF influenced players and what resonance it had in the gaming industry.
By 2017, the game had sold 20 million copies, 60% of which were purchased on Steam, 20% on Google Play and 20% on the App Store.
Five nights at Freddy’s received fairly high marks from critics. To make matters worse, the player may be familiar with restaurants such as Chuck E. Cheese’s, and it’s a "very scary experience trying to save yourself from a game-ending jump scare".
The game was generally praised for its atmosphere, emphasizing the fear and uncertainty of an approaching threat, rather than an incoming one, as in other horror games. However, FNaF’s gameplay has been criticized due to the repetition of the same actions throughout the game: be careful with the amount of energy, close the doors in time – and you will not find anything else but a good atmosphere.
Ryan Bates of Game Revotion gave the game a 4.5 points out of 5. He praised the game for its minimalistic presentation, its contribution to horror gaming, while the "nervous impulses" of the game’s repetitive gameplay, almost reaching OCD-type levels, add to the game’s more tense environment.
The game received recognition among fans. Fan art and animations immediately began to appear. Let’s plays of YouTubers also fueled the interest of players. The biggest contribution was made by YouTuber Markiplier, who was the first to complete the 20/20/20/20 mode, showing Scott that this mode can be completed.
The most unusual phenomenon was the songs based on the plot of the game. One of these was the composition of The Living Tombstone group “Five Nights at Freddy’s”, which mentioned the story about the souls of children. It was after this song that people began to become interested in the hidden history of the game. Since then, this song has become the unofficial soundtrack of the game.
Bottom line
Perhaps it’s worth ending the story of the first game in the series on this note. Five nights at Freddy’s showed that even with simple gameplay you can win the hearts of fans, thanks to a well-constructed story and, of course, creepy robots. Even after a while, returning to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, you plunge into this mysterious atmosphere.
". I know this may be a little overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you: there’s nothing to worry about. Uh, you’ll be fine"
Phone guy
Thanks for watching! Be sure to write your reviews and suggestions on how to improve the articles. See you in the next part of the History of the Series (maybe next week).
