Poppy Playtime review

Poppy Playtime is an indie horror game that takes place in an abandoned toy factory. Once every worker disappeared, you are to solve this mystery. Poppy Playtime – the first episode – is a VR horror adventure for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. You play as a little girl who wakes up in an abandoned toy factory and must find a way to escape. It’s a 3D adventure played from the first-person perspective.

Gameplay

The game is played from the first-person perspective, and is 3D. The factory looks alive with posters and dolls, toy trains, and security devices. The sound is also very immersive, especially if you put your headphones on. There are some words spoken on old tapes that are hard to figure out. The gameplay is very simple. You go from room to room, finding sinister remnants here and there. The instructions you might need are on videotapes from the 1980s that you watch on VCR you find there. These instructions, for example, enable you to use a GrabPack – a tool for reaching things from afar or hacking electrical circuits. But they won’t tell you how to save your life when the dolls (already guessed?) come alive and attack your flesh. The player explores the abandoned factory by entering one room after another, finding sinister remnants here and there. In the 1980s, the factory’s staff used VCRs to give instructions on how to use tools, but they did not tell the protagonist how to save their life when the dolls come alive and attack.

Graphics

The game looks fantastic, and emanates the suspense you may expect from a horror game. Instead of cheap jumpscares and bloodbaths, the creators unfold the story of what happened - slowly, detail by detail. Poppy Playtime is a horror game and should be played with headphones on. It is a good idea because some words spoken on old tapes are hard to figure out.

Information about replayability

There is no replayability in the first episode of Poppy Playtime. Poppy Playtime is made for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It supports both gamepads and keyboard-and-mouse. Each way has its own advantage, though gamepads deliver a more console-like experience, more fitting the first-person perspective. Controllers will also be better supported when there’s a version for PlayStation 4/5 or Xbox One and Series S/X.

Advantages

• The game looks fantastic
• The sound is immersive
• The suspense is great

Disadvantages

• There is no replayability
• It's not available for PlayStation 4/5 or Xbox One and Series S/X
• The instructions you might need are on videotapes from the 1980s
• Controllers will be better supported when there's a version for PlayStation 4/5 or Xbox One and Series S/X

Conclusion

Poppy Playtime is a horror indie adventure. You need a PC with Windows 10 and a relatively old Intel i5 with 8 GB RAM and 10 GB drive space. The protagonist is a child who goes to an abandoned toy factory, looking for clues to the disappearance of the people who work there.