Ever since Five Night’s at Freddy’s launched in 2014, there has been a rise in mascot horror. This has ranged from films such as Willy’s Wonderland and Girl’s Nite Out, to games like the Poppy Playtime and the Bendy series. To further add onto this ever growing pantheon, developers – and publishers – SUPERLOU has crafted Finding Frankie. A colorful, bloody horror game that puts players on a deadly game show with only one goal: Survive. Whilst that premise sounds quite intriguing, the game does very little to keep that same feeling alive throughout it’s incredibly short runtime and will leave you feeling hungry for more in the worst way possible.
Gameplay
Finding Frankie’s main gameplay mechanic is its parkour. All throughout the game you’ll come across sections that will require you to jump, slide, and swing all the way to the other side. This can range from jumping on trampolines to reach a high ledge, or sliding just at the right moment to avoid hazards. Whilst it sounds pretty straight forward, there is one glaring problem: the controls. At times the controller inputs seem to work against you and can lead to some incredibly frustrating moments. An example that was most prevalent throughout the game was the swing mechanic. As you run up by holding L2, you are supposed to jump with cross and then grab onto the pole with square to swing, however, you must be looking at the pole at all times for it to work properly. So by the time you’ve jumped, aligned yourself properly, and pressed square, it’s too late and you have to start all over again. The main problem stems from the interact button being mapped to square and overall feels awkward with a controller.
It can be equally frustrating during the game’s various chase sections where you have to interact with switches quickly before the enemy catches up to you. These switches act as the game’s one and only puzzle. In certain areas there will a number of switches that you will need to interact with in a limited amount of time. Some switches will be hidden and some will require you to use the parkour mechanics to reach them. Unfortunately, these are the only puzzles the game provides. There are a few attempts to spice things up by having things activate after hitting switches which you will then need to use to advance the level, but the same premise applies in these scenarios. Find the switches, hit them all in a specified time, advance the level. After the third of fourth time you encounter these switches, it gets incredibly monotonous.
However, Finding Frankie has one glaring problem that trumps the previous points mentioned — it’s length. The game can be completed in between one to two hours which wouldn’t normally be an issue, if the game wasn’t priced at $19.99. The game unfortunately has nothing on offer, besides from collectables, trophies, and speed-running leaderboards, to warrant that price tag. Even with some standout sections such as the tense, pulse pounding Henry Hotline section or the final stage with disappearing hexagon platforms, it’s still not enough to justify the price for such a barebones experience. It feels as if a large portion of the game was missing or cut, potentially for a sequel as the game clearly indicates that one will happen some time, but what we’re left with it never proves to you why you should spend that much on it.
Story
Finding Frankie’s story sees the player’s character take part in a deadly game show ran by the titular character. After finding an invitation in a cereal box, and with five million dollars up for grabs, you take part in said game show only to quickly realize that it isn’t going to be an easy ride. You will have to take part in a series of challenges, whilst avoiding Frankie and his friends, in order to claim the money and escape this nightmare.
Finding Frankie is not a story-rich game. Besides the basic premise, there isn’t any lore to dive into nor is there a number of cutscenes to expand on plot elements. Throughout the game a number of questions are surely to arise that players think will be revealed later in the game. However, instead we are left with surface level explanations that never once attempt to give any answers to players. For example, the game show’s existence is primarily to get them notoriety following them filing for bankruptcy, so the mascots have taken it upon themselves to create the show to boost their ratings and get them back into the spotlight. However, how they got the point of bankruptcy, why it’s only the mascots at Frankie’s or what Frankie’s even is, is never made clear. Throughout the game there are bound to be times where players would benefit from some form an explanation in order to make sense of their actions; and without the game elaborating on things it’s bound to leave them a bit confused.
Whilst the lack of an expansion of the game’s world and characters may be a drawback for casual players, fans of mascot horror will love what is in Finding Frankie. The game leaves things open to player’s interpretation enough for them to speculate and craft theories around the world and characters. On top of that the designs of the characters are incredible haunting and memorable. The titular Frankie is imposing and menacing with his long, slender limbs and deadly grin filled with extremely sharp teeth. His design is unique enough to stand on it’s own whilst also taking other familiar traits from other horror mascots like Poppy Playtime or Freddy Fazbear. Other characters such as Henry Hotline and even the player’s character all have differing designs that stand out from each other and and overall very memorable. Whichever way you lean with the game’s story, there is something to appreciate on either side, however, the overall narrative definitely needed a lot more refinement to make it truly stand out in the genre.
Conclusion
Finding Frankie has a lot of great ideas, which are complimented nicely with its visuals and horror elements, but it’s not enough. It feels as if there should be more here for players to sink their teeth into, however, all we are left with is a short experience that has nothing interesting to say. The few great elements the game has such as the tense Henry Hotline section, the soundtrack, and the art design does elevate it past its mediocrity, but after spending just a measly two hours with the game, it feels as if I only got a quarter of the package. For a game retailing at $19.99, I expected the developers to show me why that price was warranted, however, at no point during my playthrough did it feel justified and that, ultimately, was the true horror of Finding Frankie.
The Review
Middling
