“Five Nights at Freddy’s” returns with the latest video game in the franchise: “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.” This newest entry is a fresh take on the survival horror series that changes the formula of the games almost entirely that came before. 

The core concept is the same: players are trapped overnight in a Chuck E. Cheese-like establishment and must avoid being caught by the animatronics that roam the facility. Previous games have limited input and player mobility, keeping the player at one or a handful of stationary locations as they monitor the animatronics’ movement on cameras and attempt to keep them out of the main security office via various security systems (all accessible at the player character’s desk). 

In “Security Breach,” we play as a child who is left behind after the Mega Pizzaplex closes, and we can roam the large map freely (with appropriate upgrades and in-game passes) as we try to evade capture by both the animatronics and a suspicious security guard until the building reopens at 6 a.m. Additionally, for the first time, we have the support of the titular Freddy Fazbear, who assists with both hiding and escape attempts and puzzles. 

The game is both promising and disappointing. The large, detailed environment is thrilling to explore, filled with the secrets and hints at an overarching story that fans of the series have come to expect. At the same time, the whole experience feels unpolished (at time of release), with several game-breaking glitches that either make certain tasks nearly impossible or too easy, due to the improperly coded, erratic nature of the animatronics that pursue you. The result is a game that feels as though it was rushed to release after a long development cycle from an inexperienced studio dealing with an increasingly impatient fanbase.

While the change in gameplay is refreshing, some of the story elements may disappoint longtime fans as well. The large amount of content cut from the final product is noticeable in both dialogue and the environment, essentially creating “Five Nights at Freddy’s Lite”—a more approachable, family-friendly game from a franchise that is historically not so. After a hiatus in mainline entries of the series, this is a game that will both scratch fans’ itches and leave them wanting more, and not in a good way.