Jumpscares are a huge part ofFive Nights At Freddy’s, but they may not be the franchise’s scariest inclusion. There’s no doubt thatthe series’s many loud, sudden jumpscares have been a defining factor inFNAF’s success. The immediate, isolated moment of terror brought from a jumpscare elicits a unique thrill that makes for a horror experience that’s simultaneously terrifying and exciting.
However, as time goes on, it can become more difficult to maintain that same level of fear as the jumpscares are repeated with each entry. Luckily,there’s one other part of theFNAFseries that has helped to keep the series’s distinct terror alive. As a matter of fact, this inclusion has proven to be scarier than the franchise’s signature jumpscares, as it succeeds far more in creating and maintaining an unsettling atmosphere for the player.
FNAF Jumpscares Quickly Became Repetitive
The Repetition Of Loud Jumpscares Grew Tedious
FNAFoften relied on the use of large jumpscares, which is where the series eventually faltered.Jumpscares worked effectively in the originalFive Nights At Freddy’sas it mixed well with the game’s restrictive gameplay. Being confined to a single room while forced to keep an eye on various animatronics was panic-inducing for the player, knowing that they could be caught at any given moment. Jumpscares, therefore, served as this perfect release of panic and fear that had accumulated over time, making for a moment of true horror for the player.
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Jumpscares were certainly effective in their first outing, but it only worked for so long. As subsequent sequels were released for theFNAFseries, that samepanic and fear felt in the original dwindled, with subsequent titles offering very little variation to the core gameplay and how the jumpscares were included. Jumpscares worked in the originalFNAFas there was a sense of uncertainty, with players unsure of what could come from around the corner. Once players knew what to expect, those same jumpscares that were once truly horrific became loud, obnoxious, and ultimately tedious screams.
FNAF 2 Minigames Were Oddly Frightening
The Minigames Expertly Crafted A Disturbing Atmosphere
Luckily, a new feature added toFive Nights at Freddy’s 2helped to keep the horror alive in the form of minigames. In between player deaths,FNAF 2would load up one of a series of Atari-2600 style minigamesthat the player had to play through in order to proceed. Each minigame involved a different objective, whether following the Puppet animatronic, placing gifts for dead souls, or passing cakes to several children in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.
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Minigames were able to effectively create a sense of fearthanks to their ability to craft an unsettling atmosphere. The pixelated animatronics, pitch-dark background, and distinct lack of sound or music came together to create a series of minigames that feel weirdly unnerving to play. While jumpscares comprise a single, isolated moment of terror, the minigames inFNAF 2carried a continuous sense of foreboding that made each movement and action that the player takes feel like their last.
As a matter of fact, minigames were arguablyscarier inFNAF 2than jumpscaresdue to maintaining a constant sense of fear. Jumpscares were certainly a shock to players when first dealing with them, but it also became very easy to grow accustomed to them. Meanwhile,minigames force the player to continuously dwell in its terrifying atmosphere, maintaining that awful sense of uncertainty that jumpscares were unable to maintain. The way minigames offered an alternative, more consistent terror makes their inclusion in futureFNAFentries all the more inevitable.
These FNAF Minigames Crafted A Disturbing Narrative
There’s No Escaping The Nightmare
FNAF’s 8-bit minigames don’t simply stop with an unsettling atmosphere, instead taking things one step further. Starting inFNAF 2,multiple entries used minigames to construct the primary narrative of the series. For example, the cake minigame inFNAF 2forces the player to witness the murder of an innocent child outside the restaurant with no way to prevent it. Meanwhile, the minigames inFive Nights At Freddy’s 4follow a frightened child fighting his fear of animatronics before his head is crushed by Fredbear at a birthday party.
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Multiple minigames throughout severalFNAFentries include moments like this, enforcing a disturbing message that this seemingly family-friendly restaurant chain is plagued with a long history of death and trauma. The initialfear that comes with jumpscarescan be easily overcome as the players push through each night, fending off the animatronics and eventually emerging victorious, providing some much-needed relief.FNAF’s minigames do not provide the same courtesy, withthe endless cycle of death and horror feeling inescapable to the player, making them far more terrifying.
Minigames are no doubt a horrifying addition to theFNAFseries in the best way possible. Not only do they add variety toFNAF’s admittedly repetitive core gameplay, they arguably succeed more than the franchise’s signature jumpscares in frightening the player by keeping them entrapped within its hellish nightmare. The never-ending fear and dread these minigames elicit easily makes for one of the best and scariest additions to theFive Nights At Freddy’sseries as a whole.
