Hello Everyone, and welcome to my re-review of Five Nights at Freddy's Help Wanted.
Before we get started, I just wanna say that in case anyone is wondering why I'm reviewing this game again, long story short, I don't like some of my old reviews of games. So I'm kind of going back to replay them and give them a review that I feel they deserve. (and don't worry, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is next, I'm just taking a break from playing that game, which you'll understand when that review is out.).
And Some of The Pictures May Not Be Like Regular Quality like in my usual reviews, I Had To Get Some of Them Off of The Screenshots From Store Pages Due to My Own Photos Getting Lost.
I'm sorry, but with that all said, enjoy the review!
Backstory:
So Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted. Let's be honest, if you've been on the internet a long while and haven't heard of the FNAF franchise by now either through myself, Twitter or YouTube, then I Don't know how you haven't.
FNAF is a popular game franchise originally made by Scott Cawthon, with the first 2 games released only months apart back in 2014 (followed by FNAF 3 and 4 in 2015.) It quickly skyrocketed to become one of the most popular games to exist on the internet.
Plot:
(CONT'D) The games follow us as the player/Night Guard of Freddy's Fazbear's Pizza, as we usually have to survive till 6AM, while making sure the roaming animatronics of the separate pizzerias don't get into our office and kill us. All of Which are Dead Victims of Child-Murderer Wiliam Afton.
Gameplay:
I guess a place to start talking about this game would be to mention that it's a 3D Remaster of the first 3 Five Night's at Freddy's titles, with some segments and characters taken from Sister Location and FNAF 4 respectively.
"Wait a minute, aren't all FNAF games 3D?" Why yes Random Voice in My Head, you're correct, but you're also not correct. Prior to Help Wanted, all FNAF games were made in Clickteam and were technically 2D GIFs made to look like a 3D image. Help Wanted uses actual 3D models, sets and sculptures.
The Whole Game was made in a collaboration with Steel Wool Studios, this was their first proper game, and they knocked it out of the park.
Everything present here is so lovingly recrafted and repolished, it's kinda beautiful, Let's dive into why by giving a small in-depth look at FNAF 1.
(remember all of what I mention going forward btw, cause just like Willy A. said, it will come back later on.)
FNAF 1:
So, Five Night's at Freddy's 1, the game that started "The FNAF Cinematic Universe" as I like to call it xD. I was terrified of FNAF 1 when it came out in 2014, Freddy Fazbear made me shit myself and I loved him cause he rolled around in that shit with glory (that sounds more disgusting than it should be.).
In all seriousness, FNAF 1 was the peak of the franchise, no other FNAF game challenged it at the time, and It makes me so pleased to tell you that Help Wanted's version of that game overtook it by a milestone.
Yes, It nails everything and even improves it to a certain extent.
Remember the joke/criticism I slightly mentioned in my Security Breach review about how FNAF 1's Bonnie, Freddy and Chica sounded like they had bread stuck to their feet when they walked? Well I stick by that for the original 2014 release, but in Help Wanted, it's actually improved due to the fact that the game uses proper surround sound systems to help let you know who's approaching, Bonnie comes from the left, Chica and Freddy from the right, and you won't always need to check the lights as to see whether they're at the door or not (I mean it's not like they're gonna knock the door before they attack, so what else are you gonna do? have a staring contest?).
Another thing improved cause of the surround sound is actually the tactics of FNAF 1 itself, (which I guess could also be said about FNAF 2 and 3, and I'll explain why when I get to those games) the cameras have a little mechanic to them in which Foxy and Freddy act slightly differently when their in a room you're looking at. when you're looking at Pirates cove's (which is where Foxy resides the whole game) cameras, he starts preparing to run towards your office a lot faster, meaning you really had to limit how much time you spent looking at him on the cameras, so you didn't screw yourself over. However, Help Wanted slightly eliminates Foxy as a threat, as you can now hear him running towards you from the left hallway, which if I'm correct, wasn't a thing back in 2014's game.
And because you don't have to worry about Foxy as much, you can keep the cameras on Freddy as he moves SLOWER when looked at. Granted, none of this is the best way to play the game (at least for the first few nights)
Coming off of the topic of the cameras, one thing I have to mention is that I love how the animatronics now move to different rooms instead of basically teleporting (which the original games did), it lends itself so much better to the formula, and to the scale of the maps themselves, by which I mean MY GOD EVERY ANIMATRONIC IN THIS WHOLE GAME ARE HUGE. apparently, all animatronics stand-in at 7Ft tall (1 inch shorter than Peppa pig according to the internet). Steel Wool made tall people terrifying again, it's terrific!
This is the best way to experience FNAF 1, and my only real criticism here is the lack of Golden Freddy (who plays such a big and beloved chunk of FNAF lore), the fact he's not included here is understandable (there really isn't a place his model would fit), but also really annoying.
FNAF 2:
What's there to say about FNAF 2 that hasn't already been said? it built upon what we already knew from FNAF 1, and added a couple of new mechanics that made for a pretty great, yet somewhat flawed, experience. a lot of people loved FNAF 2, and I love it as well, but it makes me sad to say that this "remake" of that game isn't as good as it could have been.
Don't get me wrong, this is still a really fun way to play FNAF 2, and a lot of those points I previously mentioned for FNAF 1, also count here as well. All the locations and animatronics are beautifully recreated, the sound design is still amazing. But the thing that brings the Help Wanted version of FNAF 2 down a few points is because of some elements that are absent.
The withered animatronics (again, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Freddy), which first appeared in the 2014 version of this game (are for which play an important part in FNAF lore), weren't included in Five Nights at Freddy's Help Wanted prior to the 2019 Halloween DLC "The Curse of Dreadbear"(TCOD for short). In TCOD DLC, they were added as a separate mini-game to the same map Help Wanted uses for FNAF 2.
Strange thing is, Steel Wool didn't bother to make it so the withered animatronics only appeared on the one game mode despite them not being active in a regular FNAF 2 Help Wanted night (except withered foxy, but that's because his mechanic already existed in the game, they just swapped out the model.), admittedly, for new players, their inclusion being everywhere could be very misleading, especially for those with knowledge of the 2014 FNAF 2.
Help Wanted's version is strangely easier than the original game, but that's not a complaint whatsoever, it was ridiculous how hard the original games could get after completing each night, it honestly feels like Night 5 in all of these games was near impossible to complete.
As for the actual gameplay for FNAF 2 itself, well, it's surprisingly easier in Help wanted. There's a character called the Marionette (or Puppet), he lives in a giant jack-in-the-box and as the player, we're required to keep it wound up so he doesn't pop out and kill us, but we always had to go back to camera 8 to have the wind-up option available, it was originally a pretty decent mechanic as it kept us on our toes for if we accidentally forgot to go back and do so.
The Puppet's very much eliminated as a threat, as the button you'd originally need to keep him at bay is now right in front of you, and all other animatronics come at you from in view of the in-game office, meaning you can keep your eye on them, but also hold down the marionette button pretty much all night with almost zero worries as to accidentally slipping up from any end that was presented in the original game.
Everything else was handled perfectly, the mask mechanic of needing to hide in a suit as to make the animatronics think you're one of them works fine, and is even scarier and tenser due to the fact that the animatronics just tower over you in a very monstrous fashion (just like I mentioned in FNAF 1).
That's all that can be said about FNAF 2 in all honesty, so let's move on to Five Nights at Freddy's: The Pizzaria made of Vomit paint.
FNAF 3:
Oh boy, this game. What's there to say about Five Nights at Freddy's 3? nothing good. It was boring, looked dull (cause of how green and sickening everything looks), and it's not great at all, not even worth playing... except here.
Woah, a plot twist! I didn't expect that in a review-UwU!!
Yes, I'm as shocked as you in the greasy green piss looking "I Heart FNAF BRUH" boxers are. FNAF 3, one of the worst entries in any Five Nights media, might actually be the best remake of Help Wanted.
I'm not joking, I despise the original 2015 game, but Help Wanted actually made really good surprisingly, at least in VR (for which I played it in), let me tell you why.
Springtrap, the guy who dies until he doesn't, The Man "Willy A." himself (haha, Willy) who got impaled and killed in an animatronic suit, is absolutely positively so adorably nearly gruesome to look at, I love his look in this game, you can see his organs hanging out of the suit, and decaying body inside his mouth when he jumpscares you, he's terrifying, I loved Springtrap.
And the animations they gave him too, looking at him actually crawling among vents just to come and get you, it was great. I'm not gonna spoil anything else about this version of the character, if you want to see it for yourself, go get the game, not joking, it's worth it for the animations alone.
Not just that, but the location is greatly remade, maybe the best of the whole game. the green sickness look is still there, but it fits so much better here than the original Clickteam game, as you're actually in the room surrounded by everything you already know (at least in the original VR mode).
The mechanics are still pretty simple, some might say simpler than FNAF 2. But what makes them better here is that they feel very well handled, in the original game,. you had to troubleshoot/manage ventilation, camera power and audio devices, all of which are essential to making sure you don't get jumpscared by Springtrap, and ruin your run.
Occasionally, the camera system will go off and will require you to manually reset it. meaning that in this time of doing so, you'll have no idea where my boy Willy A./Springtrap is, which is some of the tensest and panic-inducing moments I've ever had in a game.
The same thing happens for the audio devices as well, in the game, you use the audio devices to lure SpringTrap away to a room that's nearby to him(which to give the og game some credit, it was always a unique idea given the fact that William Afton is a child-murderer, and the sound that plays is of a kid saying "Hello")
The ventilation can cause the night guard to hallucinate Phantom like versions of Foxy, Mangle, Balloon Boy (Mangle and Balloon Boy first appeared in FNAF 2) as well as a few others, the phantom animatronics don't kill you, but they do make everything turn off which causes you to essentially lose consciousness for a few seconds (a.k.a, allowing the game to move Springtrap closer than he originally was, giving the illusion of time passing quickly, therefore setting more panic and fear into us playing).
Collectables:
Throughout the game, you'll find tapes and coins hidden around the maps. Which essentially play towards what would have been the new FNAF lore (had security breach not made most parts almost entirely uncanon) but they are really tricky, risky and fun to find.
Other Gameplay stuff:
What else exists in this game? well as you can see, I haven't mentioned any other FNAF games past FNAF 3, and that's because Help Wanted didn't include those games in the way you might expect. Help Wanted takes bits and pieces from the games that came after FNAF 3, i.e, characters and settings, but puts them in a room sometimes with new mechanics unique to this game only. Like Circus Baby (who first appeared in FNAF: Sister Location) gets put into the FNAF 4 bedroom with us playing an extreme version of hide'n'seek (not that you get eaten after being found.. unless you live in Victorian England with a pack of wolves that is.).
I have gotta mention one thing that absolutely sucks. When you finish a mini-game, you get a prize, but sometimes Help Wanted likes to troll us a little bit and throw in a cheap unexpected jumpscare as said prize, there was nothing wrong with the troll jumpscare as it disappeared afterwards. but prior to the last patch, anytime the troll jumpscare plays, you'll be killed and will have to redo the whole mini-game over again, despite the fact that the game itself knows we won. This is a very unfair glitch that Steel Wool should really patch out of the game.
Also, the tiny mini-games from the original FNAF 2 and 3 are nowhere to be seen. This may confuse some as to what I mean, let me explain. FNAF games past FNAF 1 all came with tiny little hidden mini-games that added to the lore of the franchise, they were hidden everywhere and are a big reason why so many of these games are beloved (like seriously, how many times have people seen the Markiplier "Was That The Bite of 87!?" meme?), but when it comes to help wanted, it seems to want to erase those hidden games out of existence, there's not even a nod to them.
What I would have loved for the hidden games, is for them to become unlockables in Help Wanted. Say you got a certain amount of coins or tapes, and a reward for collecting that big amount led to you being able to play the hidden games on a virtual old arcade cabinet whenever you wanted to. Not only would that fit within the FNAF universe, but the inclusion of the hidden games themselves would have made them easier to access when you consider that the original games weren't even available on all platforms at the time of Help Wanted's release. (Hopefully, they get added in Help Wanted 2)
VR Mode/TV Mode:
Help Wanted originally was VR only, but in December 2019, a TV Mode got added, and it's a pretty great addition for the most part (especially when compared to certain other VR games that got TV modes), there are definitely things that suck like one certain tape is almost unreachable in the TV mode, which I can see screwing over someone going for 100%.
And Certain Jumpscares seem to go too far off-screen when played in TV mode, like FNAF 1's Bonnie jumpscare will only be seeable from above Bonnie's nose, compared to playing in VR where you can see the whole of Bonnie's face (or as I like to call it, when Bonnie does a "does my breath smell bad" face.)
Voice Acting:
Again, I have to give credit to the voice actors of the FNAF games, they do a really great job at bringing these characters to life.
To Name a Few VA's
Kellen Goff is back as Funtime Freddy (who also did Glamrock Freddy in 2021's FNAF: Security breach), he's great as always.
Christopher McCullough is back, this time playing FNAF 1 Foxy.
And Aleks Le is back as Nightmarionne (who you may also know as James Woo from Marvel's Avengers Game, or Sonon Kusakabe from the Final Fantasy VII Remake).
Just to say, the fact that I'm not including every single voice actor in this review, isn't meant to be in a harmful way. I'm just not going to mention all of them because I feel as if mentioning the inclusion of certain characters and the new mini-games they appear in would all be too spoiler-like. But if any of you VA's who I didn't mention actually see this review, just know that you guys did an amazing job as well, and I hope you get all the recognition you guys deserve after people see this and hopefully pick up the game.
Overall:
Before I end this review, it would be unfair to not mention that Help Wanted's graphics are superb, Infact, Help Wanted itself is superb.
This feels like a project made by people who wanted to bring the fans a great trip down nostalgia lane, while also bringing some originality to the stuff they were essentially remaking, Help Wanted has got flaws, but it's something I could recommend picking up, as even if you are not a FNAF fan, there's enjoyment to have here, maybe even as a party game within the VR mode.
This game is fun, scary, and most of all, it provided pretty great remakes of the classic games.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted gets a 9/10
- Pick it Up.