The fourth release of the Five Nights At Freddy’s series was first launched in July 2015, with a major update available in October. This new and latest release is available again on both PC game platforms and mobile app stores. This single player horror game carries its game mechanism that has been well developed in the past three previews and survival is still the ultimate game goal in FNAF 4. Meanwhile, this game also resets itself in a totally new story background with refreshing game plots. This time players need to play the role of a boy who will take part in a party held at the Fredbear’s Family Diner for his own birthday. However, in those five days before the dinner party, the protagonist is constantly suffering from his incessant nightmares from 0 a.m. to 6 a.m. every night. Those nightmares are derived from his personality as well as his bullying older brother. The game takes place in a small bed room where players walk around the room from place to place (bed, wardrobe and corridor behind the doors etc.). This time, players only rely on a single flashlight for the illumination in their dark bed room and they must mainly use their hearing ability to perceive the upcoming and approaching dangers and threats. The final goal of this game is still to survive. Players must survive for five nights continuously and after that, two more bonus nights with extra difficulty level can be unlocked. FNAF 4 rewards players with four stars in total whereas its previews rewards are three stars. For most of the secretive plots and details, players can gradually reveal them with the clues they have collected from the previous three games. Along side the main game, FNAF 4 unlocks a mini game after each night’s survival. 

Review

Being the fourth remaster of the well-received horror survival game franchise, FNAF 4 is a continuation of novel game-making and clever plotting in creating a horror-packed game ambiance. This new release introduces a different story with new characters. This could bring a very refreshing experience for FNAF fans who have been playing the previous games in the role of “security guard”. This time, players take the role of a psychological disturbed boy and confront with his ongoing nightmares. The interesting change this game brings to players is the horror mechanism, which shifts from visually inspired horror to audio-based scares. In FNAF 4, players don’t have a TV monitor to scrutinize the approaching dangers. Instead, they have to pay close attention to the sounds around the room and behind each door. Audio-charged horror to some extend can be more nerve-wracking than visual imageries. On top of that, players also have only a very limited tool (flashlight) to illuminate the dark room and the confined space adds the sense of tense to another level. In a small space, every move and sound and even a breath could be the most horrifying element. In this sense, FNAF 4 brings the game-making with the elements of stillness and silence into an even higher level. With less space, less reactive time and less imagery clues, players are facing new challenges in dealing with the tensity of the game. Although of course, this also means the  difficulty level of this game might be higher for many players who have been used to protect themselves and survive in a visualized game environment.