Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 review – no haven is safe

As always, re-downloading Poppy Playtime and launching it to see the new chapter in the launch window is quite exciting. It feels so recent that I was doing the same for Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 – which in itself may have been my favorite chapter yet, even with CatNap going out with a relatively underwhelming final battle.

Chapter 3 really set a new standard for the series, stepping up the horror atmosphere and evolving the plot to a whole new level, so I had very high expectations sitting down to start this Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 review. And, as always, MOB Entertainment delivered, further fleshing out this iconic episodic indie horror game and laying down the foundations for what’s shaping up to be a truly intense climax to the story.

Chapter 4, entitled Safe Haven, once again begins with an old Playtime Co ad, this time introducing us to Poppy Playtime’s Doey the Doughman, a plasticine toy that can take any shape. I absolutely adore these analog horror-esque glimpses into the game’s wider world, and this time the horror is only amplified further as we get an ominous home video clip showing a child’s visit to the Poppy Playtime Factory.

From here, Chapter 4 picks up where Chapter 3 left off – you’re on a lift with Poppy, listening to the harrowing cries of Kissy Missy above. Leaving you at this new lower level in the factory, Poppy returns to help her friend, but not without warning you that this new area is “not trying to hide what it is. It’s hell, and Playtime wanted it to be…” Doesn’t sound like much of a safe haven, huh? Luckily, Poppy also points out that we have friends down here, and it’s up to us to help them.

Like the one before it, this chapter heavily leans into the horror game vibes, creating an ominous atmosphere that focuses on the monstrous experiments and torture committed in the factory’s depths. Clocking in at about three hours of gameplay, it sees us delve into the lower floors, exploring a prison full of holding cells, corpses, and torture devices, where no one – from the children, toys, and experiments to the employees and scientists – is safe. We do, however, find a small sanctuary at this level’s heart, once again bumping into some non-hostile individuals. But, as is always the case, you never quite know who to trust.

The narrative in Chapter 4 is what truly shines. It’s clear that the writers have had a solid plan throughout the entire development process, as threads from previous chapters continue to weave together, supporting new revelations and bringing light to some of our unanswered questions. The character writing is also as intriguing as ever, with even antagonists having a sense of duality as you come to understand their reasons and intentions. This all culminates in a truly foreboding yet tantalizing ending, too. In fact, I think it may be my favorite ending to a chapter so far, leaving me truly excited for the future of the series.

However, that doesn’t mean there are no issues with the story. There are a few inconsistencies and some areas that really could’ve benefited from a little more development, though I do have hope that these will get more time to shine in the future. Similarly, there’s a sense of duality with two conflicting paths that strive to make you feel torn, but this never really comes to fruition as you’re essentially railroaded into the same result either way. I appreciate the hopelessness that this instills in you, but it’s a little disappointing to be presented with a dilemma and the illusion of two paths when, in reality, the game will only allow you to progress in one way. Perhaps MOB Entertainment will explore this sense of duality further in the next chapter with a little more weight.

In terms of gameplay, I found Chapter 4 easier than the last. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and there are some solid puzzles that make intelligent use of the environment and your existing GrabPack attachments threaded throughout. However, there are no stand-out noggin-scratchers that caused me to pause and think for long. That may be a plus for some people, especially those of you who are more interested in the story, but as Poppy Playtime is generally known not only for its horror but for its fun puzzle game mechanics, it does feel somewhat lacking.

The bulk of the chase sequences in this chapter also don’t feel quite as tense to me. Each chapter has at least one stand-out chase sequence, and Chapter 3 truly raised the bar with the delightfully dark surprise of Poppy Playtime’s Miss Delight and her nerve-jangling (and sometimes frustrating) chase through the school where even one misstep was fatal. Unfortunately, while the toy designs are top-notch yet again, most of the chases in Chapter 4 failed gave me that same thrill. They are intriguing and make use of some clever environmental puzzles, but I rarely felt like I was under any real threat, and they were often over before I knew it.

That is until I got to the final battle. While a little glitchy during my playthrough, the final peak in Chapter 4 is an enjoyable one, with an arena and mechanics that feel somewhat reminiscent of the grand platforming boss battles from the PS2 era. Due to the trademark vague instructions for this chase’s new mechanics, it took me a few tries to work out what I was supposed to be doing. But once I got into the swing of things I had a pretty great time, and was happy to see that mixture of platforming, puzzle solving, and running for dear life evolved into a new form.

Unfortunately, there’s arguably some real missed opportunities with some of the antagonists. I shan’t go into detail to avoid spoiling anything for you, but considering the amount of buildup through the Ice Pick ARG and pre-release content, I was a bit disappointed that certain characters didn’t get much of an opportunity to shine.

However, I have to hand it to MOB Entertainment and the Poppy Playtime series as a whole – it really knows how to keep you guessing. While the lore remains in line with what you’d expect if you’ve been paying attention to the story so far, I still didn’t anticipate that this chapter would go in the direction it did, and I was somewhat surprised with the way things played out.

Performance-wise, there were a few minor glitches during my playthrough, such as clipping through tunnels, textures and items popping in and out, and some frame rate stutters, despite my PC being more than capable of running it on max settings. I also experienced a few bugs during time-pressure puzzles that led to frustrating deaths, and I believe there was one section where Poppy Playtime’s Yarnaby was supposed to be chasing me but wasn’t (perhaps he got distracted along the way).

Naturally, I can’t speak to the performance on mobile and Switch just yet, but as with previous chapters, I’m sure it’ll get the polish and patches it needs to be a great experience across all platforms eventually, even if it’s a little rocky on launch.

The controls are as intuitive as in previous chapters, too, with the gradual introduction of new mechanics making it relatively easy to work out what you need to do without too much handholding. There’s no major new addition to your arsenal this time around. Instead, we see some developments to existing GrabPack extensions and how they interact with the environment, which I feel is an intelligent approach.

In addition to all this, Chapter 4’s visuals are as strong as ever, taking on an even darker and grimier aesthetic that reflects our descent into this horrific world. The level design is very in-line with what we’ve come to expect from the series, and, as mentioned above, the character designs truly shine here. The audio is also masterful, with a brilliant mixture of instrumental music and ambient noises, and the voice acting adds a real sense of life to the game – I was especially impressed with how well Poppy Playtime Ollie and Doey’s voice actors performed in certain sections.

As always, Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 delivers a deliciously dark narrative full of twists and turns, tugging you in multiple directions as you delve deeper into the horrific world of Playtime Co. While the gameplay doesn’t quite live up to the previous chapter in some areas, it makes up for it with the characters and writing, and does a great job of paving the way to the overall story’s climax and the impending showdown with the true villain of the series. If you enjoyed the previous chapters, it’s highly likely that you’ll enjoy this one, too.

Before you make your next visit to the factory, be sure to check out our Poppy Playtime characters guide to learn all about the intense individuals you’ll meet there. We’ve also got Poppy Playtime Chapter 1, Poppy Playtime Chapter 2, and Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 walkthroughs to get you up to date before you dive into Poppy Playtime Chapter 4. Now, all that’s left to do is wait for the next chapter as we draw ever closer to facing off against Poppy Playtime’s Prototype… And honestly? I can’t wait.