After staying up for six to seven hours watching multiple gamers play the beloved horror game online, Poppy Playtime, I have mixed feelings about the newest chapter.
Poppy Playtime is an Indie horror game set in an abandoned factory owned by Playtime Co., where players solve puzzles using a GrabPack, a device that allows them to grab objects from afar, swing across gaps and more. Players get to uncover the dark truth behind the staff’s disappearance, while being chased by monstrous toys. When Mob Entertainment released Chapter Five: The Broken Things on Feb 18, it continued the story while focusing mostly on the backstory of the main antagonist, The Prototype, who built a twisted paradise and was faceless throughout earlier chapters.
One popular streamer and gamer I watched was CaseOh, who posted a playthrough of the new chapter on YouTube. Throughout the video, he reacts to puzzles, jump scares, and chase scenes, but ends in disappointment.
“The only bad part about the game was the ending and the confusing puzzle slop that drags the game out an extra two hours than what it should be,” CaseOh said.
For further context, some puzzles were considered difficult and confusing due to little explanation on what players are supposed to do, along with missed clues and objects. In one example from CaseOh’s playthrough, he finds himself attaching the GrabPack to the wrong poles and reaching the cable limit. After he completed the puzzle, it turned out to be optional the whole time, unintentionally winning a collectible instead of further progressing the game.
As much as I enjoy challenges, some puzzles were so frustrating to understand as a viewer that I had to skip a few parts.
On the other hand, Kubz Scouts– a YouTuber who also plays games– finds the new chapter well established, even having a favorite part.
“The Lily Lovebraids section, I like it when you have to almost play along with the villain,” Scouts said. “And you also have to try to escape at the same time.”
The section he’s talking about is when Lily Lovebraids appears as the secondary toy antagonist who forces players to help set up a tea party. The scene intensifies as the antagonist realizes our attempt to escape, leading to the player being strapped to a chair. I agree with Scout’s part in the game, along with The Prototype finally making a full appearance at the party in a jester-like entity.
Following the final chase by The Prototype, the player activates a computer backup that reveals a character from the chapter before: Harley Sawyer, the lead scientist who created the experiments and became one with the factory system. While some of the gameplay was rigid, the ending balances out for a possible final confrontation.
Besides that, the designs of the setting and characters are appealing, having both horror and the seemingly “innocent look” elements that match the toy factory genre. When looking back at earlier chapters, it’s an obvious improvement in terms of visuals. However, it still consists of some rigid gameplay that bores viewers and players alike instead of progressing the game.
There’s so much lore and plot in Poppy Playtime that is captivating, yet disturbing. But since the new release, there is still one unsolved question that I have: How will the developers keep fans captivated among such divisions?
