Welcome back to “The Backlog,” the video game column where we explore games from a certain genre each month. October is reaching its end as our scary month, and so we’re going to examine one of the biggest hits of this past summer. With news that the “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” movie will start filming soon, it’s only appropriate we cover the most recent “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” or “FNAF,” game: “Into the Pit.”
“Into the Pit” was released on Aug. 7 earlier this year and is a sharp contrast when compared to other “FNAF” games. The 2D adventure experience is based on the first installment of the “Fazbear Frights” book series, with a few minor differences. “Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit” and its game equivalent focus on Oswald, a 10-year-old boy with a boring summer vacation.
As a general summary of the plot, Oswald hangs out at a mediocre restaurant called Jeff’s Pizza but discovers that before Jeff took over as the owner, the building used to be called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in the 1980s. In the abandoned parts of the pizzeria, he finds a ball pit, which teleports him back to 1985 where he witnesses the murder of several children by someone dressed as a yellow rabbit.
He manages to escape the rabbit through the ball pit back into his own time, but in the process, the yellow rabbit — named Pit Bonnie by fans — grabs his dad and pulls him into the ball pit. Pit Bonnie manages to disguise himself as Oswald’s father and tricks everyone else about his identity. It’s up to Oswald to go back in time, save the kids and save his dad.
Those unfamiliar with the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” franchise might see this game as very random and strange. Alas, every part of “FNAF” is strange, but not entirely random. I’ve reviewed previous “FNAF” games, including the original four games and subsequent spinoffs. Overall, fans were very happy with “Into the Pit,” especially after lackluster releases like “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.” It was a breath of fresh air for gamers, as they’ve become accustomed to confusing lore and aggravating game performance.
“Into the Pit” opens the world of “FNAF” by allowing players, or Oswald, to traverse through the little town and discover secrets. Areas of importance are mainly the pizzeria, Oswald’s home, the mill, the library and his school. While each one holds some significance, players will mostly be exploring the pizzeria.
Personally, the gameplay of “Into the Pit” reminds me of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 3,” where only one antagonist can eliminate players. In “Into the Pit,” familiar animatronics like Freddy, Bonnie and Chica are walking throughout the pizzeria and make things harder for the player. They chase Oswald or alert Pit Bonnie to his location, so players must use well-placed noises and hiding spots to survive each night.
Spoilers for the “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit” story beyond this point!
An unspoken rule of “FNAF” games is that they always contain hidden minigames, lore hints and multiple endings. “Into the Pit” is no exception. The game is somewhat short on a first playthrough, but there are many reasons to go back and replay it.
On a first playthrough, most players will reach the Pit-y Party ending, where Oswald frees the trapped children and finds his father. He manages to bring his dad back to the present time, but Pit Bonnie comes back out of the ball pit, grabs Oswald and brings him back to 1985.
Essentially, Oswald is captured by Pit Bonnie for good.
Other endings include abandoning Oswald’s search for his dad, Oswald failing his rescue mission and becoming an animatronic thanks to Pit Bonnie or Oswald does save his father but the present-day owner of the pizzeria, Jeff, gets killed by Pit Bonnie. Each one of these endings is mostly unsatisfying for players, which leaves the three-star ending, the hardest one to get.
The Family Fun Night ending requires much more time and effort. Players have to collect all of Oswald’s dad’s lost items, along with fixing and beating multiple arcade games. Many minigames are extremely well hidden with few or no hints telling players how to find them. Oftentimes, YouTubers who uploaded videos of their gameplay had to look up where the minigames were hidden to reach the best ending.
After tedious minigames and tasks, the ending shows Oswald saving his father and trapping Pit Bonnie in the ropes of the ball pit. The ropes choke him and knock him out, and Oswald leaves the pizzeria with his father and a newfound appreciation for him. It also shows Jeff selling the arcade machines and using the money to make the pizzeria better, with no one ever going in the back to look at the ball pit.
Although “Into the Pit” doesn’t feel like a traditional “FNAF” game, it retains its identity through the pixelated environment and replayability. Every nook and cranny of “Into the Pit” contains an aspect about “FNAF” that fans instantly recognize yet manages to set itself apart from the rest of the series.
Most “FNAF” fans have a general understanding of the story behind the first four games and understand how the games after the original saga attempt to answer unanswered questions and move onto another narrative, with similar themes. To me, “Into the Pit” feels distinctly like a “FNAF” game, but not so much that it leaves fans spiraling trying to figure out small details on the lore.
Remember: “FNAF” games are horror games, and they’ve evolved in gameplay and style with each installment. “Into the Pit” brings back the classic jump scares and reminds players that they must be alert. Overall, it’s a scary experience that scratches the nostalgic side of my brain.