Poppy Playtime Chapter 4: Review In Progress

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 picks up where the last chapter left off, after showing another VHS ad for one of Playtime Co.'s toys from when the company still operated. This time, Doey takes the spotlight in both the ad and the concerning home video clips that follow it. Taking place in a prison this time around, where Playtime Co. is no longer hiding the sinister experiments they conduct behind the guise of innovation and making children happy, how does Chapter 4 live up to expectations?

Sometimes, a game with chapters or an episodic structure runs the risk of losing its core as it progresses, but that isn't the case with Poppy Playtime Chapter 4: Safe Haven. The atmosphere consistently left me on edge and feeling like I was always being watched. Safe Haven doesn't hold back when it comes to the horrors of Playtime Co, but it doesn't lock out new players, as demonstrated by a short early-game tutorial, which is great if you've forgotten the controls during the time between chapters.

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 Reveals The Real World Below Playtime Co.

The Company Abandons Ethics For Innovation

Chapter 4: Safe Haven starts off with open spaces that offer a sense of the sheer scale of the area under the Playcare, which was already a massive underground location. However, the prison is not as refined as the Playcare, showing how the fictional Playtime Co. wasn't concerned about appearances for this section, and the company focused on functionality instead. Compared to previous chapters, the area used in Chapter 4 has a completely different feel to it. It's more utilitarian, but that adds to the overall atmosphere as we know the purpose of this location was to hold experiments.

There's also a sense from the beginning that the small Smiling Critter toys could show up at any moment to start a fight or chase sequence, especially since some of them move in the large piles of toys that are seen in the first room. The cell areas that come up in the game shortly after add to that feeling, as some of the cell doors are open just enough that it's difficult to tell what's behind them. Combined with the sounds of banging against the walls, there's constant paranoia about what might happen next, which is essential for a horror game like this.

Chapter 4 also includes small narrow pathways that contrast with the open spaces, showing that even with so much space available, this is a location used primarily for containment. According to the notes and VHS tapes scattered around, even the guards felt unsafe here, but they also didn't want to risk being punished if they snooped into topics they weren't supposed to know about. Overall, the atmosphere is spot-on for the series, emphasizing how close the player is to the main villains.

More Straightforward Storytelling Than Ever Before

The Protagonist Is Closing In On The End

A lot of the previous story in Poppy Playtime is told through small details, particularly notes and VHS tapes. There are only a few times when characters speak directly to the player about what has happened or what they want from them, and these are more likely to be on the cryptic side, such as Mommy Long Legs' comment that she'll be made part of him. Now, there's a good bit of direct information given that starts to finally provide answers to some of the lingering questions about Playtime Co.

Despite the instinct to run, it's worth going through Chapter 4 slowly, stopping to listen to tapes and the rare occurrences of dialogue between characters that hadn't been prevalent before this point. It also helps to take a look at each area when possible, since the environmental storytelling relays the kind of life experiments had in Playtime Co., at least through the remnants of the prison. The small details that are found in notes and on tapes add to the horror of this company, and reveal just how many employees knew about Playtime Co.'s dark side.

Depending on how much attention has been paid to the previous chapters, some of the content in Chapter 4 won't be surprising. But even for players who have been involved in the theories and digging into every bit of content to figure out what's going on and what might happen next, there's definitely interesting information to be found in this chapter. The Doctor alone keeps the player hooked with the lines he says, and the way that his voice actor delivers them makes it feel like he should be trusted instead of Poppy.

Chapter 4 Doesn't Change Poppy Playtime's Gameplay

Familiar Controls And Mechanics

Since Chapter 4 is far along in the game's canon, it's understandable that Poppy Playtime keeps the mechanics and overall gameplay familiar. It also follows the same general formula of previous chapters, where the first few hours are slower and have the protagonist learn about the area they're in, before introducing more threats. With the Doctor as the main villain, the threats that the protagonist faces are varied, but they also mirror previous chapters to an extent.

Thankfully for some, chase sequences here are overall easier than those in past chapters. It feels like some enemies could've been used to a greater extent, but the Doctor treating them as being expendable fits the narrative. Plus, Chapter 4 gives the player more allies, like Doey, which is a welcome change, especially since it adds nuance to the story and makes the toys as complex as the people they once were.

Puzzles play a heavy role in each chapter, and 4 is no exception. The puzzles are decently balanced, though I found some to be a little more frustrating and time-consuming than others. Without going into spoilers, there are a couple of puzzles in particular that are creatively implemented, making them fun to solve. The solve mechanics should be familiar for players who have gone through previous chapters, although elements from the past are blended together for some puzzles this time.

Poppy Playtime Chapter 4: Why Review In Progress?

No Review Score Just Yet

Overall, Chapter 4 is a solid entry for Poppy Playtime, but it's not a flawless game. During my playthrough on PC, there was some stuttering at moments, and there were parts that felt slow, along with missed opportunities to force the player to evade enemies. Most notably, a bug close to the end of the game prevented me from beating it entirely in time for review, though this issue is currently being investigated by Mob Entertainment. It's unclear if this particular bug impacted me in particular, or if this is something that might impact others at release, but until this is resolved, Screen Rant won't be scoring this review until I'm able to beat the game.

Being in the middle of an episodic game tends to come with issues like a drop in the quality of the story or not maintaining interest that was built up in previous chapters, but - bug aside - from my experience with the game so far, Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 continues the momentum and mystery of previous chapters, though I'll save full thoughts until the game is beaten.