Poppy Playtime‘s multiplayer spinoff, Project: Playtime, offers a gameplay experience that’s much different from its single-player counterpart, but it can still teach the main series some valuable lessons before the release of Chapter 3. As it’s in early access, the asymmetrical horror game is one of two titles that MOB Games currently has in development. The next installation of Poppy Playtime is set for release sometime in 2023, which grants it the opportunity to both draw inspiration and avoid mistakes from Project: Playtime.
Project: Playtime‘s launch day was buggy, experiencing no shortage of server issues and game-breaking errors that initially prevented some fans from playing. Since then, the developer has released a couple of patches that were able to stabilize the game (for the most part). Now, players are free to run around, trying to build the toy as survivors – or to hunt them down with the unique abilities of every monster in. Project: Playtime. In doing so, some might grow to notice both the strengths and the weaknesses of the game, which Poppy Playtime should learn from for the upcoming Chapter 3.
Poppy Playtime Should Avoid Showing The New Monster Too Often
One of the main pitfalls of Project: Playtime is that it simply isn’t scary. Asymmetrical horror titles have an inherent disadvantage when it comes to the fear factor, since survivor players have a support net to fall back on while being pursued by the killer. Having other people around is bound to make the experience a lot more approachable – but this isn’t the only psychological element that contributes to Project: Playtime‘s lack of horror. To put it briefly, players see the monster much too often for them to remain scary. It’s easy to become desensitized to the jump scares, due to their sheer frequency in the game.
Although parents should cautiously approach kids playing Project: Playtime nonetheless, the average player will probably only react a couple of times when faced with Huggy Wuggy, Mommy Long Legs, or Boxy Boo. Overusing the antagonist is a common horror mistake, and so Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 should do all it can to keep a shroud of mystery around the new monster. By reducing the amount of jump scares and villain appearances – or even by avoiding a fully-fledged reveal of the monster in the next trailer – fans won’t know what to expect when loading into the game. Only then can fear of the unknown truly work its magic for Chapter 3.
Puzzles Could Benefit From Variety In Poppy Playtime Chapter 3
As the sole source of toy parts, players need to solve puzzles in order to prevail as a survivor in Project: Playtime. These can cause an immense amount of tension if the monster is nearby, but their monotonous nature can quickly make them a boring mechanic otherwise. The pillars never vary in what mini-games they offer, sticking only to the Piano, Reflex, and Memory puzzles. Such gameplay can quickly become repetitive, and since players will know what to anticipate every time, it warps the definition of “puzzle” considerably.
Unfortunately, Poppy Playtime could soon run into a similar issue. Although Chapter 2 did introduce a cart puzzle (courtesy of the cart named Barry), it also integrated the electricity mechanic of the previous chapter. This isn’t a problem just yet, as the latter chapter made connecting the various power sources a bit more complex, but if the upcoming installment doesn’t diverge away from this particular feature, it could have the same monotonous effect as Project: Playtime‘s Puzzle Pillars. Leaving the factory in Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 could naturally aid in this regard – but even if the environment remains the same, Chapter 3 should strongly consider switching up its puzzles.
Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 Should Create Illusions Of Safety
One of the best parts in Project: Playtime actually comes from its tutorial, which tasks the survivor with outsmarting Huggy Wuggy in a sequence narrated by Leith Pierre. Towards the end of the tutorial, Pierre will instruct the player to enter the Port-A-Lounge (questionably called the “Employee Mental Health Retreat“), and to hold their breath as Huggy stomps by. After a few short seconds, he’ll declare that the coast is clear, and that the player can exit the locker – but in actuality, Huggy will be waiting around the corner to grab them.
This scare is more or less predictable to seasoned horror fans, but it’s an interesting sequence that differs from what’s been seen in the main two chapters. thus far. When comparing Project: Playtime to Poppy Playtime, the latter excels significantly in terms of jump scares – but in this particular instance, it could learn from how the former created a false moment of safety, then tricked the player. Of course, not everyone is fooled by Pierre’s lie, but some fans may have been caught off guard and suffered the sudden consequence.
Poppy Playtime hasn’t often used this tactic, but it would greatly benefit from doing so. Instead of setting up every jump scare with stingers and heavy tension, sprinkling in a surprise or two during quiet moments would go a long way towards making Chapter 3 even scarier. After receiving such an unexpected fright, many players would likely remain on edge for the remainder of the game, being unable to trust any room, hallway, or unchecked corner – creating an internalized and unforgettable horror experience.
Music Can Make Or Break Poppy Playtime Chapter 3
Although Project: Playtime‘s job was harder than Chapter 2’s, there’s one element that surpassed expectations: music. Whether a player is searching for a match in the main menu, running around either of the maps, or escaping on the train – they may be pleasantly surprised by the well-crafted soundtrack, which ranges from intense to atmospheric. So while Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 will undoubtedly contain some silent portions, it should also take inspiration from the multiplayer game for chase sequences. The immersive music is arguably the biggest catalyst for tension in Project: Playtimeand it proves just how important music can be for the experience of players, even if it’s nothing extravagant.
With a concrete release date yet to be announced, it’s unclear how long fans have to wait before receiving the next chapter, but its long development cycle could be advantageous for the franchise. Especially since Chapter 3 should end the Poppy Playtime series, MOB Games most likely wants to create its scariest title yet. Following the above suggestions, among plenty of others that will probably arise before the arrival of Poppy Playtime Chapter 3, would ensure just that.
Source: Mob Entertainment/YouTube