FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S AR: SPECIAL DELIVERY Launches On iOS and Android

I’m pretty well established as not being a fan of VR. I am, however, a big believer in the potential of AR. For those of you not hip and cool enough to know what I’m talking about, AR stands for Augmented Reality. Whereas Virtual Reality (VR) utilizes a headset to simulate an entirely virtual environment, AR uses virtual elements to enhance the existing environment. The most well-known example is Pokémon Go (to the polls). Another great example is the exercise game Zombies, Run!, which transforms your typical running routine into a tense zombie experience.

The potential for AR is limitless. VR’s biggest problem has always been the prohibitive cost of the tech. AR gets around this by integrating into already ubiquitous technology. Since the only required hardware is your phone, it’s also accessible to most audiences. This is as close to a holodeck as we can get. The downside is that it’s insanely hard to get right. Making ghosts pop out of real hallways in realtime is incredibly difficult to program. Even Pokémon Go with all its money still looks like—and I’m being incredibly generous here—boiled ass.

Still, the potential this kind of tech has for horror is immediately obvious. Turn your own house into a spookier version of your house? Sounds dope. The game Night Terrors: Bloody Mary already gave it a shot, and was a charming experience despite the obvious jank. These kinds of games rely a bit too heavily on jump-scares, because obviously they would. Your phone is right in front of your face, you’re just begging to be jump-scared. So what game would be better for jump-scares than Five Nights at Freddy’s?

Releasing today on Android and iOS, Five Nights At Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery is going to do its best to make you scared of your own home. Or apartment. Or parent’s basement. I don’t know where you’re at in your life. Chances are, your kids will be playing this. Anklebiters fucking love these games. And hey, so do I. I’m gonna get a kick out of freaking myself out in my own bedroom, because I absolutely hate sleeping through the night. Here’s more info from the Official Press Release:

Illumix, an integrated gaming and technology company that is transforming the future of mixed reality games, today released Five Nights at Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery (FNAF AR). It is the next terrifying installment in the FNAF franchise, and is available on both iOS and Android mobile devices. The title forefronts AR gameplay as the core mechanic instead of using it as an optional or supplementary feature. Illumix’s new perspective on immersive AR gaming leverages 3D audio, upgraded AR graphics, haptics, and more.  In FNAF AR, players will confront malfunctioning animatronics in their real world and attempt to survive these horrors come to life as they have never been seen before. As a part of the continuing FNAF storyline, players subscribe to Fazbear Entertainment’s brand new on-demand “Fazbear Funtime Service” to receive special in-person visits from their favorite animatronics. Due to unfortunate circumstances, those who subscribe get more than the entertainment they were expecting from the visiting animatronics.

“I hope you enjoy my visit” said Freddy Fazbear. “I’m planning on making it extra special for you!” 

Five Nights at Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery ensures that players are not powerless in the situation, as handy defense elements help them survive attacks – whether they be from rogue animatronics or custom-made ones sent by the player’s own friends. Social elements of the game will allow the attacked to get revenge and climb the leaderboard by sending their own FNAF AR animatronics after their attacker, or anyone else they choose. Starting today, all players will confront an endless stream of hostile animatronics in augmented reality that will follow them wherever they go. The question is, how long can players survive? And can they figure out just what is happening at Fazbear Entertainment? 

Five Nights at Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery Features:

• Immersive and terrifying augmented reality audio-visual attack sequences exclusively designed for each animatronic
• Survival tools and access to limited resources to combat animatronics – including battery, flashlight, and shocker
• Real-time location based gameplay, where FNAF animatronics will pay you a visit wherever you are and wherever you go–home, work, the park–the possibilities are endless
• Animatronic customization through collection of parts, CPUs, plushsuits, and mods that are used to assemble, repair, and deploy player’s own hotwired animatronics
• PvP mode where players send their own FNAF animatronics after friends, and try to get the highest streak on the leaderboard