Before I say anything else, I would like to say I had fun with this game. There were moments where I gave up and had to look at a walk through, as some of the logic puzzles were beyond me, but despite these moments I was totally enraptured by the experience.
It's a Point and Click, What Did You Expect?
The only real game mechanic that goes above and beyond the typical scope of a Point and Click adventure game, to me, was the Season Clock. It allowed you to pass forwards and backwards through time by seasonal intervals, going from summer, to spring, to fall, to winter. This mechanic was incorporated beautifully into new and interesting logic puzzles that had you transport trough the seasons in order to get things set up just right to make progress in present time. An example of this would be how the mechanic is introduced, which was cutting a hole in the Grasshopper's basket during autumn, so that in summer, when he is picking lemons, he drops one that you can pick up. |
| Gif courtesy of fran bow wikia |
Art Style and Conveyance
The art style is not only beautiful but also makes important parts of the game obvious. Very often your eye will be drawn to what you need to be clicking on next, whether it be because of a hint that you had heard or seen that is directing you, because it is visually distinct from its surroundings, or a subtle mix of both. This quiet conveyance is incredibly valuable in a game that requires you to make logical jumps to what you need to be clicking on next.
If Fran Bow does anything well, it makes itself look pretty, sound pretty, and it tells you the answer to its puzzles without you even realizing it, making you feel like a real genius when you "figured it out yourself", and a top tier point and click adventure game.
The Benefits of an Ambiguous Story
Fran Bow's plot is anything but clear, but I rather like it that way. It's ambiguity gives it ample room to explore vastly different scenarios, such as the fantasy themed Ithersta, the haunting Twin's Cottage, and of course the starting place, the rather disturbing Oswald's Asylum.
Another benefit of its ambiguous storytelling is that, because it is a story heavily revolving around a young girls mental illness, it's plot points and story-lines can be interpreted and digested differently by its players; seeing as everyone struggles with their own mental health issues or traumatic life events.
It is a dark tale that rings true with many people because any single thing in it can be interpreted by two people struggling with two different things. It is intimately human in the way it hovers around a mental illness theme, and anyone who plays it will find their heart shivering as they process something in it that seems to be directed right at them.
The last thing I would like to mention is that despite all the disturbing imagery, the melancholy narrative and the overall bad time you would think a little girl hallucinating in the woods would be having, Fran remains a sturdy character of positivity and kindness. She is arguably the only consistent character in the game, and her optimistic view shines through all the blood and gore that her demons would want to shroud her in. She is the smiling linchpin in a story about escaping from an asylum, finding her cat, and going home that gives this game a brilliant feeling of hope. A feeling of hope that might spread to whoever may be experiencing rough times and happens to play this game.
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