So as the title says, I just finished FNAF: Secret of the (fucking) Mimic, and I have words to say.
I wasn’t scared at any point. Maybe, this is because I’ve known to expect since the beginning (having caguht all possible spoilers), but still. But spooked? Yeah, sometimes the jumpscares spooked me, but this was a natural reflex.
The only section that gave me goosebumps at least is the white tiger basement, but I never died there, and it turned out shorter than I expected.
I played Thief (1998) and this is a game that scared me. I once locked myself up in the armory of the abandoned cathedral and was praying for my life while ghosts outside were walking in their chains. And this game? A fuckass goofy robot walks around and its footsteps can be felt from a mile away.
You may suspect that you’ve failed at horror when a player thinks
about the music your scary robot plays for some reason (it looks
something like from Deathloop1) or when the player
plays the Portal Radio Music on repeat in the background
while there’s supposed to be a tense hide and seek situation.
For a big part of the time you play cat and mouse with the fuckass Mimic. And it’s pretty easy. To win you need:
Like seriously, this guy is pretty dumb and just a little smarter than the GOAT of my childhood the Ink Demon, because on the contrary fuckass Mimic can grab you out of a locker if you get in right in front of him. But sometimes he doesn’t do that for some reason. And once he killed me through obstacles that should’ve saved me. But whatever.
To prove that fuckass Mimic is a pushover if you use your brain, I’ll tell how I made it through the admin wing. The location is filled with cupcakes that:
And yeah, fuckass Mimic patrols this area.
So, what was my winning strategy?
See?
Sometimes they are a pushover. Sometimes they almost make you bluecscreen. I spent more time on a puzzle with LEGO bridges than on Jackie’s chase.
This one is important for me.
First, let’s address the fuckass elephant in the room. Edwin Murray somewhere in ’70s managed to create an autonomous highly durable and agile humanoid machine under the control of a misaligned and highly capable artificial intelligence. This must’ve been the breakthrough the whole world would be discussing for years. But in lore? No one noticed neither while it lasted nor past-factum. Except for Fazbear Entertainment. Or not, idk. But does it even matter?
But okay, enough with the Mimic. Let’s talk about real computers. And they are pathetic. Two turning thingys and two toggles? Seriously? How are you supposed to type text on these?
Did I like the game? More no than yes, much of this game was a headache like “Where am I even supposed to go?”.
Do I like the allegedly new direction of FNAF that now it’s about concerns about AI safety? Probably no, I don’t think FNAF, the series that started with 5 kids being murdered and stuffed into furry bots, is the type of story that fits this theme.
Do I recommend this game to anyone? If you have spare, shall we say, 8 hours and either not against visiting the Pirate Bay or paying for this on a Steam sale, go on. Expect a walking simulator with additions of puzzle simulator and cat and mouse simulator. In other words, FNAF is now a copycat of Poppy Playtime, how ironic.
Also, if you’re a theorist, playing the game is completely optional in my opinion. Enthusiasts have transcribed all tapes, written down all emails2 and examined every poster and texture a long time ago after the release. Just read the wiki or watch a no commentary run.