Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) VR: Help Wanted has been widely anticipated on the Oculus Quest platform and for a good reason. 

The game is incredibly scary, and the added element of VR really adds to the immersion. The game is available on the Oculus and PS VR Store for $29.99.

We didn’t think it was possible but VR really makes the game even more terrifying. This post hopes to explore everything that FNAF VR has to offer. 

Quick Summary

In this post, we will shed light upon: 

  • The premise
  • The gameplay 
  • The graphics, sound design, and overall atmosphere 

So without further ado, let’s get into it.

The Premise

If you’re into games at all, you must have heard of Five Nights at Freddy’s and what it’s about. 

However, if you don’t know, we’ll run down the premise for you as it’s largely the same for all iterations of the franchise. 

You’re put in the shoes of a late-night caretaker for a pizza restaurant that has a theme of animatronic animals. It’s quite inspired by Chuck E. Cheese. 

While the job seems simple enough, what you aren’t prepared for is the fact that these animals come to life at night and try to get to your office. Your goal is to make sure they don’t reach you and survive five nights. 

The Gameplay 

So, how exactly do you survive? Do you run? No, actually. 

Unlike most other VR horror games, FNAF VR does not require you to run or perform anything too physically intensive. This is because the premise states that you’re not to leave your caretaker office. 

The tools you have at your disposal are security cameras, door switches, lights and other gizmos that you can use to keep the robot animals out. The goal is to keep an eye on all of the different ways into your office. 

Any time you see an animatronic animal coming near you in one of the security cameras, you need to seal that path off so they can’t get to you. 

But why can’t I just seal every path off and relax? 

Well, that’s because you have power to worry about. That’s right. Sealing off a path takes up power. If you run out of power before the morning, then you’re stuck with no way to seal off any of the exits. 

Thus, power resource management is something that’s very crucial and it’s a skill that you’ll develop as you play the game. 

We’re not sure how to rate this game’s comfort level. 

Technically, it’s quite comfortable since you don’t have to do any running or jumping. The entire game can be played while sitting down or just standing still. 

However, while it is physically comfortable, mentally, it’s a roller coaster. 

Managing resources, keeping an eye on all the security cameras and making sure all the appropriate entrances are sealed makes for an extremely paranoia-inducing experience. 

Trust us when we say that the first time you switch back to a camera to realize that one of the animatronic animals is not there anymore, it will make your heart sink. What follows is a frantic panic where you constantly switch through each camera trying to figure out where it went. 

Before you even get to the security camera where you’d see it, WHAM, your laptop gets closed, and you hear the loud shriek of the robot in front of you as he’s about to eat you alive. 

FNAF shows that jump-scares can be done properly and effectively. 

The purpose of a jump scare is to, of course, terrify you. However, they are often used incorrectly in many instances of movies and video games. Oftentimes, they don’t feel earned or they are false scares that are just there to mess with you. 

However, with FNAF VR, you truly are aware of what the danger is, and when the jump scare does come, you’re expecting it, but you’re still shocked out of your seat. 

It’s a great experience to have if you’re a horror fan and the game does a great job of inducing that anxiety that one would feel in that situation. 

How Does VR Add to the Immersion? 

What we’ve described above so far is just the general gameplay of what any Five Nights at Freddy’s game feels like. 

But does VR add anything to the experience? 

Oftentimes, we see VR versions of games being pumped out just to make a quick buck with no real thought put into them. 

However, the premise of FNAF, coupled with how the developers made the VR version, really ensures that it becomes an even more immersive and more terrifying experience. 

In the regular game, you just need to click on a button to bring up the control panel from where you can choose which security camera feed to look at. In the VR version, you have to physically reach out and grab it. 

Furthermore, you need to look around at the doors to see if there’s anything peeking back at you. 

It’s absolutely petrifying and can leave you paralyzed in your seat with fear. When that happens, it only serves to increase your anxiety. Why? 

Well, because the game is designed in such a way that if you do nothing, you know the animatronic animals will be making their way toward you. Hence, the danger’s getting nearer, and the tension keeps mounting. 

It’s highly effective in what it’s trying to achieve.

The Atmosphere 

While the graphics are not as great as the regular games, that’s to be expected due to the fact that most resources are being dedicated to the VR experience. 

While it’s not as good, it’s not bad either. You won’t really feel like you’re missing out since the gameplay is so effective. 

On the other hand, the sound design is something that’s always been great in the FNAF games and this game is no exception. Oftentimes, you’ll be looking at a security camera feed and hear something in the back of your head. 

You’ll look back to see if there’s anything there only to see an animal peeking out of the corner. 

It’s the ultimate recipe for some great scares. 

Each night is also preceded by very well-acted and well-written voicemails that you get from your boss who gives you a little advice on how to stay alive. It’s comical but also foreboding. Overall, it just does a great job of establishing the tone of the game which is highly appreciated.

Wrapping Things Up… 

You can snag up FNAF VR: Help Wanted on either the PS VR Store or the Oculus Store for $29.99. 

It’s definitely a game worth playing if you’re a horror fan since it’s extremely immersive and the gameplay is just designed to induce anxiety. 

The scares are great and the tone invokes dread throughout as well. 

What do you think of FNAF VR: Help Wanted? Let us know in the comments section below. 

Author

  • Victor is the Editor in Chief at Techtyche. He tests the performance and quality of new VR boxes, headsets, pedals, etc. He got promoted to the Senior Game Tester position in 2021. His past experience makes him very qualified to review gadgets, speakers, VR, games, Xbox, laptops, and more. Feel free to check out his posts.

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Victor is the Editor in Chief at Techtyche. He tests the performance and quality of new VR boxes, headsets, pedals, etc. He got promoted to the Senior Game Tester position in 2021. His past experience makes him very qualified to review gadgets, speakers, VR, games, Xbox, laptops, and more. Feel free to check out his posts.

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