Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 Review (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, & PC)

One thing about episodic video game series, they will always have a predecessor to compare them to. And while it may seem unfair, it’s a great thing to have a foundation to build on. On the other hand, the foundation can sometimes be too sturdy, so much so that future games struggle to match up to their reputation. For Poppy Playtime, the first chapter is a show-stopper. It’s free, mind you, and is a short and sweet indie horror gaming experience. Chapter Two is fun, too, with a longer and more immersive playthrough. From the level design to the puzzles, Mob Entertainment really took the time to expand on the abandoned toy factory’s horrific shenanigans. But it’s Chapter Three that really stepped up the series’ scare factor. 

“Hour of Joy” goes down in memory as a truly horrifying event. Throughout the story, you’re hooked emotionally, curious to find out what happens next. And the revelations are satisfying. With Chapter Four out now, it really raises expectations of the story and horror gameplay experience exceeding previous entries. The trailers have also been instrumental in cultivating a keen interest in what’s to come. You can almost foresee some of the exhilarating boss fights against the menacing toys featured in the gameplay footage. At the end of the day, the pressing question is whether Chapter Four is the best Poppy Playtime entry yet. Let’s find out in our Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 review below.

Picking Up Where You Left Off

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4, titled “Safe Haven,” picks up right where Chapter Three left off. We’ve just defeated CatNap. Kissy Missy’s mysterious scream echoes in the background. Poppy calls out to Kissy and the screen fades out. But before we can get our hands dirty, we watch a VHS commercial ad featuring one of Playtime Company’s old toys, Doey the Doughman. Then we see a home video clip of a kid on a tour of Playtime Company’s quarters when it was still operational. However, something tragic happens and the kid falls off the ledge into the abyss. It’s all so unsettling and the retro-ness of it all adds to the mystery and intrigue of what Chapter Four has in store. 

The gameplay then kicks off with the protagonist riding an elevator with Poppy. As you descend to the lower levels of the Playtime Company, where the inhumane experiments on the toys take place, Poppy warns us that we’re about to head into a hellhole. But on the bright side, we’ll find some allies who can help us. She then rides the elevator back up to help Kissy. Controlling the protagonist, you set out, determined to bring Playtime Company down once and for all. 

At first glance, you can tell Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 environment and atmosphere is different. It’s creepier and more eerie, with a darker, less-lit vibe. Being the prison where the toy experiments were held, there are remnants of the cruelty that went on there. The dead pile up in heaps, leaving your skin crawling. Some of the toys move, and the feeling of someone watching your every move never goes away. 

Bumps in the Road

It’s unsurprising that Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 has its fair share of bugs and performance issues. This is the first launch, and we will likely receive updates in the future. Unfortunately, some of the bugs can interfere with puzzle-solving and exploration. You can run into a bug while solving time-sensitive puzzles or fall prey to frustrating deaths. You might be forced to restart certain sections when you run into dead ends. It can be hugely derailing, especially when the story flows and unravels so smoothly. In one instance with Yarnabay, a mysterious and terrifying secondary antagonist, he never appears until the final chase. 

Meanwhile, you have your usual bugs. Pop-in textures, glitches, stuttering, or generally slow movement. Hopefully, these all get ironed out because underneath it all is a decent game. 

Anyway, bugs aside, the challenges and traps The Doctor sends your way hardly stop coming, and we’re here for all of it. Whether it’s the red gas or the ice, The Doctor watches your every move and constantly tries to slow you down. You’ll need to figure out ways to outsmart him as you draw closer and closer to confronting him.

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 often switches between puzzle-solving and enemy encounters. The nightmare critters will often be hot on your tail as will the newly introduced bosses. But you’ll also have help from Doey and Poppy, keeping you company in conversation while also giving you a helping hand. 

Lay of the Land

As far as the difficulty goes, Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 isn’t too hard. Gamers who’ve stuck around since the first chapter should enjoy a soft landing with the puzzles and combat. However, newcomers may take a bit of time to learn the ropes of the game’s mechanics. Still, the controls are intuitive and easy to learn and master. Also, the start of the game holds your hand, relaying the controls you need. But only for a bit before throwing you to the wolves. Some controls you’ll have to figure out on your own. 

The same applies to the story. Veterans may be well-versed, putting the pieces together from the previous chapters. Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 does well to build on the previous chapters’ world and characters. But it also adds more lore and story, pulling veterans further into the sinister events at Playtime Co. Newcomers, though, may take a minute to catch on, though the start of the game drags a bit, giving you time to adjust before picking up the pace. 

On the whole, though, the action seemingly never stops. You’re either solving puzzles or fighting a menacing toy. There’s a section where you need to use stealth, or the terrifying Yarnaby will find you and kill you. It’s a clever build-up to the final chase sequence with Yarnaby fervently hot on your tail. I have to say, though, that the way Yarnaby dies is a bit disappointing. For one of the most frightening creatures, I was hoping for a more memorable death. 

Missed Opportunities

Yarnaby’s end isn’t the only missed opportunity. Pianosaurus was quite hyped up in the marketing material, but he barely had enough screen time to connect to him or appreciate his antagonism. His encounter with the protagonist is so brief it’s baffling, especially given Poppy Playtime Chapter 4’s focus on expounding more on the antagonist’s backgrounds and motivations. The Doctor, though, delivers, with his robotic foes doing his dirty work for him. It’s also quite the engaging fight that needs you to power up all three terminals in the main area while dealing with the robots ambushing you. 

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4’s strongest point is definitely the story. You almost have a rough idea of the path Poppy Playtime plans to take. Yet the plot still manages to incorporate surprising twists. Doey the Doughman, being a newly introduced character, does freshen up the series. Yet his story and how tragic it pans out can break you into tears. But before you can finish digesting Doey’s demise, you stumble onto a most astonishing revelation. Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 finally reveals the identity of The Prototype, and I can bet it’s no one you might have expected it to be. 

Keep going, though, and more surprises are in store. Toward the end, Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 culminates in a climactic end that wraps up with a cliffhanger and an intriguing twist. I mean, who knew that was possible? Despite how predictable you might think Poppy Playtime is, the story in Chapter Four keeps surprising you with its suspense, betrayal, and absolute chaos. It’s definitely a high note to end the chapter, leaving you craving to find out more of the lore and what will happen next.

Verdict

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 is, without a doubt, an exhilarating indie horror game. It’s short and sweet, hardly taking up too much of your time. And yet, in its roughly one hour of playthrough, every second will feel totally worth it. However, be prepared to run into several bugs and performance issues. Some may even derail your gameplay experience and probably force you to restart the game. However, the bugs and performance issues are hopefully being fixed, with updates expected to come in sometime soon. 

What’ll be left then is a thrilling and terrifying gaming experience. As you learn more about Playtime Company’s sinister experiments and meet more of The Doctor’s nefarious subjects, you can’t help craving for more. Chapter Four has done a great job of expounding further on the Playtime Co lore and world. It builds its engaging story into a climactic end. With the cliffhanger and intriguing twist at the end, I can’t help but anticipate what Chapter Five will be adding to the table. Hopefully, it’ll deliver an even more horrifying experience alongside fun gameplay.