Exploring the Friday Night Funkin' Inspired CTP 4

If you're unfamiliar with Friday Night Funkin', it's an open-source rhythm game developed by four Newgrounds users and released back in 2020. Inspired by the unique, popular game, developer MadManToss created an homage to it called FNF Character Test Playground, in which you get to try out different characters and experiment with sounds and movements. Now, indie dev has come out with the fourth remake of FNF Character Test Playground called CTP 4. The quirky game features numerous mods, including Sonic.EXE and Among Us, that allow you to mess around with a variety of new characters and settings while playing the game.

Getting Inspiration from Friday Night Funkin'

In Friday Night Funkin', you play the role of the character Boyfriend, competing in a series of rhythmic, musical battles to win the affection of your love interest, Girlfriend. The gameplay is in the style of games like Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution; you press arrow keys in time with the beat to score points.

CTP 4 takes inspiration from the gameplay of Friday Night Funkin', but for the most part, the rhythm and storyline aspects have been removed. Instead of rocking out to different songs and matching your button-pressing to the rhythm, the game offers more of a playground environment. You have complete freedom to press the arrow keys and other buttons in whatever patterns you want, and your character will respond with their own unique sounds and movements.

Unique Animation

Like Friday Night Funkin', the visuals of CTP 4 display a unique, cartoonish animation style. All of the characters have their own distinct look, and you can choose from multiple different backdrops for your character testing. The settings you can select include a stage, a cityscape, a cruising limousine, a shopping mall, and the front of a giant office building.

When you press the arrow keys or "B" button, your chosen character responds with a spastic movement and abrupt sound. By hitting buttons in fast succession or combos, you can watch the animated characters perform wild dances. Plus, the short noises they make can be manipulated to create strange, fast-paced beats, especially when combined with the unique background music that accompanies each setting.

Lots of Mods to Choose From

One of the most intriguing aspects of CTP 4 is the availability of numerous game mods, including the notorious Sonic.EXE mod. The primary function of the game is to test movements and sounds from numerous characters, and the main purpose of the various mods is to experiment and play around with lots of extra characters.

The most popular and well-known of these mods is Sonic.EXE. Based on a famous creepypasta, Sonic.EXE is a popular Sonic fan game with a splash of horror platforming elements. The player controls a creepy, disheveled-looking version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Unlike the kid-friendly, smiling Sonic that most of us are used to, Sonic.EXE is much more of a dark and disturbing character. With the Sonic.EXE mod for CTP 4, you get the chance to experiment with this surreal version of the classic character.

Sonic.EXE is just one of the many CTP 4 mods you can choose from, though. If Sonic.EXE is too creepy for you, there's also a mod that allows you to use Sonic the Hedgehog in his original form. The other character mods you can play with include Suicide Mouse, Green Imposter, Cablecrow, Cyrix, QT and KB, Little Man, Dave and Bambi, and numerous others. The majority of these mods feature characters from the original Friday Night Funkin' gameplay, and each one comes equipped with its own unique movements and sounds. That means that while experimenting with them, you'll have the opportunity to create a wide variety of different patterns and beats.

A Fun Diversion

If you're looking for an in-depth, story-driven gaming experience, CTP 4 probably isn't what you're looking for. There isn't a ton of substance to it, and the gameplay doesn't really offer any challenges or objectives. However, the graphics are unique and diverse, the background music is easy to vibe with, and messing around with the various sounds and movements is a fun, relaxing diversion. Plus, the availability of the numerous mods and plethora of characters can quickly turn a few minutes of enjoyment into a few hours of enjoyment.

How to Play the Beta

The great thing about CTP 4 is that it's entirely free-to-play and easy to access. The entirety of the open-beta game can be played by heading over to MadManToss's website. At his site, not only is the game playable, but you'll also have access to each of the available mods, including Sonic.EXE.