Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach is the latest installment in the highly popular horror franchise created by Scott Cawthon. Released in December 2021, this game marks a significant shift in the series, introducing a fully 3D environment for the first time. You step into the shoes of Gregory, a young boy trapped inside the sprawling Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex after hours.
As you navigate this eerie location, you must do everything you can to hide from the terrifying animatronics while seeking a way out. The game combines exploration, stealth, and survival horror elements, offering a fresh experience for both newcomers and long-time fans. In this review, we’ll take a look and see if Security Breach lives up to the legacy of its predecessors.
A tale of survival and friendship
In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, you play as Gregory, a young boy trapped in the Fazbear Mega Pizzaplex. The story kicks off with Gregory hiding from the security guard, Vanessa, who is determined to catch him. To escape, you team up with Freddy Fazbear, who surprisingly offers his help. This partnership adds a unique twist to the gameplay, as you make your way through the Pizzaplex together.
The game offers several different endings, adding to its replay value and giving you meaningful reasons to explore every nook and cranny in the Pizzaplex. Each ending reveals different aspects of the story, keeping you interested and wanting to know more. The story is packed with references to earlier games in the series that longtime fans will enjoy. The voice acting is excellent, bringing the animatronics and characters to life.
While the game’s story does have its fair share of moments, the overall story feels shallow and disjointed. Some character arcs feel underdeveloped, which left me wanting to know more. Additionally, the lack of any type of cutscene is a big factor in making the story feel disjointed at times. With a bit more polish, Security Breach could elevate its storytelling to match its ambitious gameplay.
Gameplay highlights and hurdles
Security Breach introduces a fresh gameplay style that sets it apart from earlier entries in the series. Unlike previous games, you can freely roam around instead of being confined to static cameras. This open-world design allows for exploration and adds a new layer of tension as you evade animatronics.
With six different endings, I wanted to and “needed” to go back and play it again after beating it. It’s like a choose your own adventure book where you choose various paths, which affects the outcome of your story. This encourages you to experiment with different strategies, whether you want to confront the animatronics or sneak past them.
Unfortunately, Security Breach has some bugs that can really cut into your experience with the game. Several times, I had an issue where one of the animatronics was chasing me and it got stuck in a wall. The save system can be frustrating, as save points are far and few between. Additionally, the stealth mechanics could use improvement, as they sometimes feel clunky and unresponsive.
Bringing the characters and animatronics to life
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach* offers a colourful and intricate world that pulls you right into the Mega Pizzaplex. The 3D graphics represent a big leap forward from earlier games, displaying beautifully designed character models and environments. The animatronics stand out with their eye-catching glam rock style, perfectly matching the game’s overall vibe.
The sound design in Security Breach is key to building tension throughout the game. The ambient noises and sound effects really enhance the atmosphere, making every corner feel suspenseful. You can hear the distant movements of the animatronics, which kept me on high alert pretty much all the time. The jump scares, yes there are a lot of them, are made even more effective by audio cues that catch you completely off guard.
The voice acting in Security Breach is definitely a highlight of the game. The skilled cast really brings each character to life, adding layers to their personalities. Freddy’s soothing voice stands in stark contrast to the more sinister tones of the other animatronics, which makes for a memorable experience. There are some performance issues like frame rate drops that I experienced but wasn’t a major distraction.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach is a solid addition to the series despite some of its flaws
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach provides a fresh experience for fans of the series. The game features free-roam gameplay, letting you explore the expansive Mega Pizzaplex at your own pace. This gameplay shift adds an exciting new layer to the usual gameplay style of the series. The games’ detailed character models and colourful environments draw you in. And, the voice acting stands out, giving each animatronic a unique personality that really brings them to life.
However, Security Breach does have its share of flaws. Bugs and glitches such as button presses not being as responsive as they should be at times can interrupt gameplay, which can be especially frustrating during tense moments. The stealth mechanics are often poorly designed, making it challenging to navigate without getting caught, and some jump scares feel less effective than those in earlier titles.
Despite these issues, the game still offers an exciting adventure, with multiple endings that encourage replayability and exploration of different paths. Overall, while it has its problems, Security Breach is a solid addition to the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, making it worth a try for both fans and newcomers, especially if you can overlook some of its technical shortcomings.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
Summary
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach offers a fresh take for fans of the series, featuring free-roam gameplay that allows you to explore the vast Mega Pizzaplex at your own pace. The detailed character models and vibrant environments along with the voice acting adds depth to each animatronic’s personality. However, it is not without flaws; there are some glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during tense moments, and the stealth mechanics often feel like they are poorly designed. Despite these issues, it remains a solid addition to the franchise, appealing to both fans and newcomers willing to overlook some technical difficulties.
As always, remember to follow us on our social media (e.g., Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube and Facebook) to keep up with the latest news.
