Fran Bow

This game definitely kept me interested. I finished in two days. Though, even if they made the game longer, it's hard to put down. The story line gave you enough throughout the game to understand your larger goals, but not very much detail is provided. I would have liked to have felt a bit more closure at the end of the game, but unfortunately I was left with many unanswered questions due to its rushed nature. With more backstory, the jumping scenes, characters, and overall plot would have seemed more cohesive. This is very much a click escape game. It does go a little bit deeper, by sending you on mini quests. There are comical mini games intermixed like Frogger, which I found very entertaining. The amount of brain power you need to escape the rooms/scenes varies greatly. Some are easy and mindless, others seemed impossible until I looked at cheats. One of the aspects of the game I did not like was that some of the loops it had you go through were excessive and redundant, meaning there were more logical ways of reaching the goals. For example, instead of having to gather and combine several objects strewn about the scene to reach a key on a hook, Fran could have easily hopped on the chair right underneath it to reach it.

This is by far one of the best adventure games I have ever played. The story is really vague but that adds to it's charm. The graphics are like a children's novel, but the content is definitely not for children. It's a great adult story disguised as a children's tale. It's extremely dark but also extremely endearing at the same time. You really can connect with the innocense of Fran and her great love: her black cat. The puzzles are just the right amount of difficult without being forced puzzlery if you get what I mean. All the puzzles make sense and there are a lot of hints scattered over the game, if you pay attention. I really really love this game and I'm almost sorry that I cannot experience it for the very first time again. Great work! Pure genious!

While Point-&-Click games might not be everyone's cup of tea, I would recommend giving Fran Bow a try for those willing to give this genre a chance. Fran Bow has excellent narrative and stylized graphics and atmosphere, even though the pacing is a little slow at first. You'll find that the story is very well told and the characters and settings introduced in the story are all fascinating. The sound is also commendable but like all P&C adventures, it's a very relaxed and laid-back game so temper your expectations and simply play it for the story, because the reward at the end is quite good.

Point-and-click adventure games generally don't have any replay value, and this is no exception - but Fran Bow has left such an impression on me that it will always have a place in my heart. The game's combination of the macabre and the innocent is truly unique and skillfully done. First and foremost, the game is horror-driven, particularly in the opening chapter. This will be off-putting to those who do not see any value in being disturbed. If you fall into this category, you can stop being curious about this game right now. Seriously. There are plenty of great adventure games that won't traumatize you like this one will. Now. With that out of the way, let me say that this game does horror in a way I have never seen before: it infuses it with childlike innocence and hope. The story really is a STORY with themes and a message, not just some meaningless gore-fest without substance. It will make you feel intensely unsettled, but then it will turn right around and make you feel warmth and cuteness. The dissonance is well-executed and, in a word, delicious. In terms of its worthiness as a LucasArts-style adventure game, it definitely pulls its weight. Puzzle difficulty is nicely balanced - neither too simple nor too obtuse. (This is with one very stupid exception... you will know it when you get to it. I do recommend looking up the solution in this one particular instance.) The narrative is a mix of literal and abstract, and some players may find the non-linearity annoying. I, however, feel that it is the kind of story that can only be understood after it is finished. The ending (no spoilers!) initially felt like a let-down when I first completed it, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It really gave me something to chew on for a bit. If you can stomach it, I dare you to take the ride! This is one twisted piece of beautiful art.

Story: 5/5 Worldbuilding: 5/5 Art Design: 5/5 Graphics: 4/5 Sound: 4/5 Gameplay: 4/5