If a movie adaptation ofFive Nights at Freddy's wasn't enough to cool your jets, then perhaps another entry in the PlayStation VR saga will tide you over? If that's more up to your speed, then you'll be pleased to know that Steel Wool Studios is working onFive Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2,the sequel to 2019's well-received VR original. And yes, it'll be heading to VR2 later this year. That is, providing its studio hands don't roll into any speed bumps along the way, of course.
“Back in 2019, we were so excited to share the first VR Five Nights at Freddy’s game, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted,” said Ray McCaffrey, executive producer at Steel Wool Studios. “Since then, we’ve been fortunate to release the VR DLC Help Wanted: Curse of Dreadbear, the first fully explorable Five Nights at Freddy’s title Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach and we are currently adding another chapter to Security Breach’s story in the upcoming free DLC, Security Breach: Ruin! With all this time and experience under our belt we felt it was time to return to VR and create a brand-new game with even more of what fans know, love, and fear.”
So, when can we expect to see the inside of Fazbear's pizzeria joint, and what sorts of unruly shenanigans are we likely to witness unravel come dusk? Well, here's everything we've been able to gather on the latest venture since first hearing of it earlier this week.Help Wanted 2:what, when, and most importantly, why?
What Is Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2?
To cut to the chase,Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2is an upcoming survival-horror game for PlayStation VR2. Like its first chapter, the latest entry will revolve around various mini-games, all of which will pit players against the famous disheveled and morally conflicted animatronics of Freddy Fazbear's pizzeria. Unlike its predecessor, however, the latest iteration in the series will feature all-new “games, locations, story, and animatronics.” So, expect a lot more than a simple rehash of 2019's material, basically.
“Help Wanted 2 will feel familiar to players who experienced the first game, but with all new games, locations, story, and animatronics,” McCaffrey added. “Do your best to complete your work as fast and as diligently as you can, but be careful. One wrong move at this job can lead to… unexpected consequences.” Cue the jump scares!
Story
Guess what? Freddy Fazbear's chain of established pizzerias are hiring again — and you're the only applicant on the bill. No stress, as you'll be accompanied by the restaurant's regulars, as well as its cast of beloved animatronics. That being said, as this is indeed aFNaFcreation, you're bound to run into one or two teething problems as you set up shop in your new line of employment. It'll be up to you, being the only human in sight, to unmask the truth behind Fazbear and Friends.
Sadly, we don't quite knowwhatsorts of adventures are waiting to be had inHelp Wanted 2. However, if it's to follow in the same footsteps as its 2019 original, then we can definitely expect to see a slew of mini-games that both pay tribute to the original saga on PC, as well as flesh out the overall lore behind theFive Nights at Freddy'suniverse.
Gameplay
Thanks to the tweaked DualSense capabilities of the VR2, players will have the opportunity to delve into one of the most life-likeFNaFexperiences ever conceived for the world of VR. And while it's gameplay will retain the traditional elements (as in, flicking switches, checking cameras, and monitoring the crags and crevices of various locations), it will, in essence, utilize the DualSense features to let players feel “every step, rumble, and shake.”
“Utilizing the enhanced power and fidelity of PS VR2, this title will be the most immersive, heart-racing Five Nights at Freddy’s title ever,” the elevator pitch boasts. “PS VR2 sense controller and headset haptics let players feel every step, rumble, and shake as you race to complete your tasks on time. VR brings players even closer to the animatronics than ever before, just not too close, they have been known to bite.”
Development
Admittedly, we never thought Steel Wool Studios would hash out another entry to theHelp Wanted timeline. Truth is, we never thought Scott Cawthon would branch out to anything more than the upcoming movie adaptation that's slated to hit theatres later this year. But, as it turned out, the sequel managed to sneak its way into this week's PlayStation Showcase event, which then went on to reveal that the game would be shaping up for a “late 2023” release on PlayStation VR2.
Going by the release window, one can only begin to imagine that Steel Wool Studios has been keeping this one quiet for a quite some time now. If all goes according to plan, then we should see the next leg of the journey arrive by year's end. October, if we're lucky?
Trailer
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 - Teaser Trailer | PlayStation Showcase 2023
Yes, there is a trailer, thanks to Steel Wool Studios bringing it to the PlayStation Showcase that aired earlier this week. Granted, it doesn't give a whole lot away as far as gameplay goes, but it does manage to do one thing: build an immense amount of hype on the fans' behalves. Need we say more? You can catch the announcement trailer for yourself in the video embedded above.
Release Date, Platforms & Editions
Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2will be dropping on PlayStation VR2 at some point later this year. Does this mean we can chalk out the possibility of it reaching any other VR platform? Not yet, no. After all, with the first game reaching both Meta Quest and PC VR, there's a good chance the sequel will do the same. That said, we can't say the original PlayStation VR will get it, what with Sony now shifting all its focus over to the VR2.
Whatever the case may be, you can always check in with Steel Wool Studios for more updates by following their official social feed here. If anything even remotely noteworthy pops up ahead of its 2023 launch, we'll be sure to let you know all the details right here on gaming.net.
So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy ofFive Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 when it releases later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.
