Help Wanted, developed by Steel Wool studios is the first game in the Five Nights at Freddy’s series available on Oculus Quest. The launch title was originally released for the original Oculus Rift headset and has now been optimized for VR motion controls. Players take control of night watch security guards tasked with keeping an eye on three security cameras that monitor various areas of a haunted pizzeria. The player must keep an eye out for the animatronic robots that roam the building and help them get to sleep by scaring them away with various methods, including shutting doors and turning off lights. There’s only one way in and out of each room and you can’t leave your post or else it will end in a game over.
It was once a popular family restaurant, but years after closing down it’s been reopened as “Fazbear’s Fright” an attraction for paranormal enthusiasts. You play the night watch security guard tasked with keeping an eye on three security cameras that monitor various areas of the building throughout the course of one night.
The game starts with your character being told to sign an NDA which you are advised to read through before continuing. Once the intro is finished, you’re presented with a room containing three security feeds and a poster that has instructions on what to do if anything goes wrong. The only real interaction is being able to look around the room using your controllers. After looking through the cameras, you can begin playing the game.
The only way to win the game is by keeping an eye on all three security feeds and chasing away animatronic robots who come out of their hiding places after hours. The player must turn off lights in certain areas to avoid being spotted, while also closing doors to stop them from leaving a certain room. If the player fails to keep an eye on all three feeds or doesn’t close doors in time, it will result in a game over where you are jump scared by one of the animatronic robots and eventually fade to black while being dragged away.
The controls are simple with each controller representing a security camera. The main menu and the actual game is played using these three cameras. The player can also look around in first-person mode, but this isn’t required to play the game and only makes it easier to keep track of animatronic robots if they leave your field of vision.
The graphics aren’t particularly impressive, even for a VR title released in 2019. The game feels very dated, especially because its original release was made in 2014. The animatronic robots are extremely simplistic which doesn’t help the player keep track of where they are or what they’re doing. Despite being able to look around in first-person mode, the graphics only offer a small detail up close to completely ruin immersion.
The audio is the only area where this game excels. The audio design features very simple sound effects with a lot of static, however, there isn’t any music that adds to its horror atmosphere. Playing this game in a dark room while wearing headphones really helps sell the experience.
The gameplay doesn’t offer much variety and gets repetitive rather quickly. There are three animatronic robots that enter the building through specific doors and must be kept out using various methods. The game continues until you fail to keep an eye on all three security feeds or your character gets pulled away by one of the animatronics while playing in first-person mode.
Every night lasts for about six minutes, but it feels like an hour. The game doesn’t offer much in the way of story, only mentioning that you’re working for some guy who runs a haunted house attraction and there has been odd talk about animatronics walking around after hours.
This game is extremely dated, even with it being originally released more than five years ago on PC. There’s very little in the way of story, graphics are extremely basic on PlayStation VR and the gameplay is repetitive. If you’re looking for a horror experience, I recommend buying Face Your Fears 2.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is a below-average VR title that offers a very basic horror environment and nothing more.