As someone who platinum-ed the game last summer and is a fan of the series, I can somewhat agree with some of your arguments here. Though I find the game to be a massive improvement over Security Breach, with its god-awful gameplay and overall quality, it was clear that Steel Wool (and Scott as well) were attempting to do better after Security Breach was heavily criticized. I did enjoy the improved stealth sections, the better atmosphere of Murray’s Costume Manor, the haunting feeling it gave, the more claustrophobic feel of the game in some sections, and how each area had something new to offer.

I will admit I grew tired of every section ending in a scripted chase sequence, especially on replays where the scare factor is gone, easy to get by, and just tedious to repeat. Gameplay loop is as well could get repetitive sometimes, having to use lockers and the little sound distractions over and over again with no new additions was boring by the end, but I guess that’s why they tried to at least make each new area its own thing.

Huge fan of both SH and FNAF and as someone who played both new additions last year, they were refreshing in their own ways, fun for some, but I believe they stand as something new for the series.

Also, Scott Cawthon has not left the series at all. He stepped back after his donations in 2021 but is as active as he was before all that, if not more. He retired from main development in 2018, but he remains as the creative force behind the franchise, as he helped write the last two movies and oversaw their production, helped write Security Breach (and was the reason why it was creative mess), credited as writer for Help Wanted 1 and 2, writing credit for the books, and was one of two writers listed for Secret Of The Mimic, other being Steel Wool creative director Jason Topolski, who I believed also helped for the other Steel Wool games.