Ever since Mob Entertainment hit the scene with their first-ever installment with the Poppy Playtime franchise, there has been a sort of specific vibe that the game series dedicated itself to. When I initially booted up that first chapter in 2021, I immediately felt nostalgic—besides the fact that it was mascot horror, there was a whimsical feeling towards the game. So why is it that the latest chapter drop just… didn’t have that? 

With in-depth character designs and emphasis on the survival aspect of the game, Mob Entertainment really knew how to utilize each of their characters to fulfill the fear factor and high that many horror fanatics (including myself) were chasing, and yet it was with chapter four that many of these things felt underutilized. From the hunter-prey idea that could come from felt-themed fiend Yarnaby to the stress-inducing puzzle that required your focus on the hidden-in-plain-sight, sadism-incarnate Doctor, it felt severely lacking when these characters were only used in little glimpses rather than what they could have been (like Huggy Wuggy or Catnap).

Of course, that isn’t to mention the fact that many of the designs for the chapter antagonists felt much flatter than what we have seen before—with an exception for the chapter’s final boss of course. Plus, much of the game-play mechanics felt jankier and rougher, like what you would have seen in the first chapter and not the fourth installment. Somehow, it felt at odds with the previous chapters that Mob Entertainment had given us, much less smooth and with plenty of bugs that seemed to have slipped past beta testing. 

This is not to say that Poppy Playtime is going downhill as a whole, but rather that the rushed attempts to make sure they released the installment on time seemed to have made this chapter feel lackluster in comparison to the previous chapters we were given. It was still jam-packed with lore and the intro video sequence seemed to only continue to get better as Mob Entertainment continues to grow and build upon this disturbing world; however, it was just missing that extra bit that made it feel sequential to what we have seen thus far. This horror fan, however, will still be looking forward to new game updates and to see what else is waiting in the dark corners of Playtime Co.

What do you think? Did Poppy Playtime’s chapter 4 hit all the check-boxes for you or is it definitely missing what made the original three installations so iconic? Share your reactions below or join the conversation on the Boss Rush Discord!

Featured Image: Mob Entertainment