I’ve played some truly awful games with a controller in my hands in my many years. I’ve completed most of the Silent Hill games and have been involved with the horror genre in general for a long time. I love the atmosphere and being able to feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I see something spooky or get the adrenaline rush of fighting all kinds of monsters.
Something that doesn’t scare me too much though, probably because I’ve experienced a bit of everything over the years, is what’s called “jump scare”, when suddenly a scary monster pops out and jumps in your face. A series that is almost based on it is Five Nights at Freddy’s, although I don’t really care about that game because it doesn’t scare me anymore and I don’t find it particularly innovative. I recently signed the review of Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1 which I quite liked overall but the game also tried to scare through those jump scares which made me frown a bit. Where he stood out the most was creating that atmosphere and his artistic department. Now the second part of the series has been released and once again I have made it my mission to continue exploring the sinister toy factory. Poppy Playtime Chapter 2: Fly in a Web is available now on Steam, developed by MOB Games.
Advertising:
The first game brings you to the ramshackle and rather spooky Playtime toy factory. Along the way you’ll find VHS tapes telling the history of the place and they’re filmed like those 80’s toy ads, especially like this one. Our character has two rubber hands that he can use to grab things from afar and that can also be used as an electrical connection to power machines and the like. After solving some pretty clever puzzles, the toothy blue monster will be chasing you Huggy Wuggywhich you escape from and at the end you will find the Poppy Playtime doll in a clock.
Chapter two begins shortly thereafter. Now Poppy Playtime wants to help your character from this cursed toy factory. However, she is quickly kidnapped by a character named mom long legs, which is a doll whose legs and arms can be stretched and looks a bit like a spider from the way it moves. Next you have to hunt down this super scary doll who has taken a liking to you for some reason. Along the way, he’ll subject you to some pretty deadly tests that will require you to do whatever it takes to survive in order to rescue the kind-hearted Poppy the game is named after. The story was a bit slow in the first chapter, but this is where it starts to pick up, which is good since the previous one in the narrative seemed a bit boring. The main complaint that I think could be improved for the third chapter is this The ending of the second is very similar to the firstand it would be great if next time there was a little more variety around the toy factory.
Advertising:
Mommy Long Legs, the aforementioned spider puppet, not only kidnaps Poppy, but also takes away one of the telescopic arms you have to use to solve the puzzles, but you quickly find a new one. green hand which can store electricity to temporarily power motors, as some of the puzzles you have to solve make use of these properties. It’s great to have some variety in the puzzles, but this new hand can also do the same thing as the old one, so the developers just had more options to play with this time.
Then there are the tests Mommy Long Legs puts you through, and I have to admit that I didn’t like one in particular. In fact, the various tests are more based on your reaction time, and the first requires you to press buttons before being ambushed Bunzo Bunny, a creepy bunny that will run towards you if you press the wrong button. That’s fine, but next you’ll have to hit some different colored Huggy Wuggy before they come out of the pipes to finish you off with one of those scares that are so common in this game. I was stuck here for too long as I couldn’t see the little beasts until they were directly overhead. The game gives you no idea how long you have to hold out or survive and it was quite frustrating. On the other hand, I also mention the last challenge, which I don’t want to spoil the surprise of, but which simply has to be experienced. In general, the puzzles are wonderfully logical and I find them fun to solve It’s shaping up well before chapter three comes out.
One of the best things about Poppy Playtime is the graphic style, I loved exploring the factory abandoned by humans. I’m a total mechanics freak now and I love all the colorful machines and dolls that you see. I imagine it’s like in a Hell version of Disney World. It’s all so wonderfully compelling and exciting to watch that every time I solved a puzzle I’d hold my breath to see what would be in the next room. We also have to mention the dolls, because they are super pretty. Mommy Long Legs is shaped like a spider with a grinning head that tells you horrible things. It’s such a great contrast that you don’t quite know what to think, especially when you see Mom’s face…
Advertising:
You know clowns are scary because the unexpected is scary? Well, that’s how you feel all the time. You will also meet another pink doll (kiss missy) which is fantastically animated, and that only reinforces the feeling that you are in a dangerous place with things that should be harmless, and leaves you feeling a constant sense of dread as you explore the Playtime factory.
In terms of sound, Poppy Playtime is quite minimalistic. As you run to solve the puzzles, all you hear is the echo of an abandoned factory. There are squeaks and a slight rumble of machinery and electronics. However, there is one constant noise that you never feel comfortable with while exploring. Only the last section has music as a sign that they are after you and it’s quite disturbing. Other than that, the in-game voice acting is really good. Mommy Long Legs has a sweet and psychotic tone at the same time. At first, Poppy Playtime seems like the cutest doll who only wants the best for you, but you might not be able to trust her completely. It’s great to experience a language work that does so well in creating that very special atmosphere.
After playing the second chapter, I’m looking forward to the third. MOB Games has greatly improved the game in all aspects since the release of the first chapter and I stand by what I said about what it could be. a new horror classic that supersedes Five Nights at Freddy’s from the throne of Jump Scares horror games and becoming the phenomenon it deserves to be. Try Poppy Playtime. Plus, it’s easy for you because the first chapter is free on Steam.
