New levels of distraction at Playtime Co

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New levels of distraction at Playtime Co

Poppy Playtime Chapter 5 starts with an old commercial for one of the new toys you will encounter, just like the previous chapters. In this case, Wrongside Outimals. When it’s over, you’re thrown back to where Chapter 4 left off, meaning Huggy Wuggy breaks down the door to get to you, and you have to quickly find a way out.

This chapter is full of content, but much of that content is easy to miss if you’re not looking for files and tapes. It’s a deep adventure of a chapter, and I felt that there was a difficulty to climb at least with the puzzles this time, although there are new features introduced in the chase sequence that do not make it too difficult, so much as they make you take in your surroundings and react quickly.

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Horror games are full of classic chase sequences, with monsters and madmen hot on your tail.

As someone who has watched and played Poppy Playtime since the beginning, I was waiting to see how it will follow the events of Chapter 4, where we saw an intelligent enemy in the form of the Doctor and touched the length of Playtime Co. willing to go to them for innovation. Instead of plowing forward, Chapter 5 takes a step back and slows down, and this decision works to both give you time to absorb the effects of the places you explore, and make the chase sequences feel sudden and shocking when you reach them.

A Quick Summary of Where We Are in the Story

Poppy Playtime Chapter 5 The last room of Ch 4

I had almost forgotten about Chapter 4 when I played Chapter 5: Broken Things, which makes sense if you have a game using the episodic release format. You’re playing other games at the moment, then you come back for the next stage and you might not remember everything correctly if you didn’t just replay the game in preparation.

Up until the beginning of Chapter 5, he has just defeated the Doctor, Harley Sawyer, who was once the master of the processes that turn people into toys. Because he could not be completely controlled, Playtime Co. performed the same procedure on him, leaving the Doctor trapped in watching others on screens and directing them to complete the work he should be doing. He became the ultimate surveillance tool, but he couldn’t use that ability for his own purposes and he will end up being empowered until you come and restore his power.

After reading the gruesome details of the practices used by Playtime Co. to living people, including children, you pass through the lab to a secure entrance, where you find that there are security measures in place to prevent anyone from going deeper into the factory. That precaution is Huggy Wuggy, and the chapter ends with him slamming the door behind you.

Chapter 5 Comes with Powerful and Fast Openings

Poppy Playtime Chapter 5 Huggy Breaking Glass

It’s somewhat noticeable that Poppy Playtime Chapter 5 starts with a chase sequence, considering you know Huggy is trying to get to you at the end of the previous chapter. I’m not going to lie, I was shocked, but I felt that this decision to start the chapter with Huggy chasing you was very smart. Not only are you quickly thrown into the game’s atmosphere as you run for your life, you’re given a refresher course as you run, because the obstacles you face are designed to make you bypass the main controls. Finally, I was comfortable with the control scheme again, so it’s a fun and scary way to remind you how to play.

Once you escape, you get to slow down a bit. And you get to meet my new favorite character right after the chase: Glowby. I would buy a real Glowby very quickly. Sure, it’s not technically a toy, but the in-game description says it’s a friend, so it’s important. Basically, your flashlight, black light, audio tape player, and a small compass, as it will let you know when you are near the items you want to pick up. You will need to use a very dark light during this chapter, as it will give you the answers to a number of puzzles.

After chasing down and picking up Glowby, you get your first slow phase, which is actually close to the pace you’ll have for most of the chapter. This gives you a first look at Playtime Co.’s newest division, which takes its often disturbing details to a whole new level.

New Characters and Puzzles for Chapter 5

Considering the beginning of Poppy Playtime, I didn’t expect it to have five chapters, let alone more, as I thought there wouldn’t be enough content to support the game with that many chapters. In the nearly four hours that Chapter 5 takes, you meet a number of new characters from allies, such as Giblet and Chum, to enemies, such as Lily Lovebraids and Ms. Gracie, although you only see her through screens. You also get a real look at the full body of the Prototype. Each of these characters has a unique personality that adds immersion to the world, and more horror at what has been done to them as you remember that they were once human.

I liked the new characters overall. Lily is crazy, and I love her every phase, and Glowby is the best friend with his little expressions. However, there are times when Giblet particularly annoys me. The biggest time this happens is during a puzzle where he and Chum are watching, and Giblet keeps switching between encouraging you and asking if you’re in over your head. To be fair, your character has already hit heads a few times at this point, so yeah. The puzzle at this point, without spoiling it, requires a decent amount of movement and multi-faceted handling, leading to Giblet’s comments making it very frustrating.

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The puzzles generally feel just as complex in Chapter 5, if not too hard as well. I like Chapter 5’s shift to complex puzzles that don’t have very obvious solutions. It forces you to look places, and that means you’ll notice details you might have missed. That being said, I was really frustrated with some of the puzzles, as it feels like you’re running in circles, only to realize you missed what you needed and may have passed it multiple times.

The puzzles generally feel just as complex in Chapter 5, if not too hard as well.

However, that is somewhat to be expected when it comes to irony in games. You have to do a lot of switching between the types of hands you have, which can be annoying, but mostly because it’s easy to open the wheel and end up with the wrong one, forcing you to redo it.

The Story Remains Firm, And Immovable

You get more perspectives in this chapter, which is the first time you get to see events from a different character’s point of view. I like the idea, but the execution includes some bad screen effects if you’re prone to motion sickness, which I am. It’s the same with one of the chase sequences later, when there’s a screen shake. If you’re prone to motion sickness, remember that there are some moments in Poppy Playtime Chapter 5 that might trigger it.

I don’t want to go into too many spoilers, but this is the first chapter that made me stop and think. I play a lot of horror content, so it usually doesn’t bother me that much, but there’s a detail in Chapter 5 that’s just unsettling and sickening. I would have to stop and just process the information, sometimes staring at Glowby for emotional support. Considering the vibes of Poppy Playtime and its horror, I’d say this means the story and atmosphere are well done if they can get that reaction from me.

I don’t want to go into too many spoilers, but this is the first chapter that made me stop and think.

Ms. Gracie and her role were unexpected. At first I thought he might have been a pawn and was hired without being told he was a part of it, but it didn’t take long for that thought to change. I also have a theory about her fate, but going into that here would involve too many spoilers. However, if you’ve seen Miss Rachel – a lively children’s show host – then you might get the feeling that Ms. Gracie is inspired by him, but twisted into an evil version of himself.

I enjoyed Poppy Playtime Chapter 5. It’s a solid episode, but it’s also a slower paced chapter that focuses more on exploration and experience. While I love that aspect of horror games, gamers looking for more action may not like it. However, there are still strong action-packed chase sequences, so the balance doesn’t feel entirely one-sided.