1 
0 Finding Frankie is a new spin on the animatronic horror genre. Developed and published by SUPERLOU. You find yourself with an invitation to a game show from a cereal box. What could possibly go wrong? The game throws a parkour mechanic into the horror mix while you navigate a thrilling game show full of weird and wonderful characters… and most of all, you guessed it… Frankie.
Finding Frankie? More like finding my next animatronic obsession.
Finding Frankie is available for £16 on the PlayStation store, now let’s see if it’s worth your time and money.
Gameplay
Finding Frankie takes a parkour gaming experience to a new level with horror elements and animatronics. They provide a small variety of parkour mechanics similar to Mirror’s Edge with a spring, slide, jump, and grab. This consists of bar swinging, wall jumping, rail grinding and more. When you’re not running for your life you are joined by no other than Deputy Duck which emits flashing lights similar to a camera flash and scanning for objects you’ll need in your adventure. Frankie’s Parkour Palace is full of life, quirks, and fun for the average game show player. You’ll navigate trampoline sections, obstacle courses and tighter spaces like ventilation shafts. Those were gripping enough by themselves.
The overall gameplay is very satisfying and brings plenty of thrills. The only thing I’d change is potentially the key bindings for PlayStation for the grab button. The decision to make it the square button just seemed a little odd for me. If it wasn’t for my Souls-Like claw hand position expertise, this would have been a little difficult and heavy on the hand cramps. So hopefully they let you change this in future updates!
Graphics & Audio
Finding Frankie really shines in its art direction and all the little details within the environment. The loading screen icon of the turntable with the contestant was such a nice little touch! The posters, the characters, and the voice acting were an absolute stand out. The voice acting was incredible for all the characters, especially my favourite, Henry Hotline, that is very similar to the old-timey toy phone from Toy Story. All the animatronics have such wonderful character, and it brings so much to a game of this genre. For someone that is heavily into games like Five Nights at Freddy’s this really rung home. Ha, see what I did there! I will now be scrolling through various fan art of these characters to just fill my desire for more content on Finding Frankie.
The audio was also amazing as the music is so well suited to the horror and fun vibe Finding Frankie wanted to go for. The slow little audio cues added to Finding Frankie were brilliant in creating a little more tension. Especially in the more enclosed spaces. Big shout out to whoever worked on the beat drop on the final boss. It was unexpected but very welcomed. The final boss is a highlight of my playthrough. As it was thrilling, fast-paced, and really emphasised the need for survival in the game show.
Longevity
Finding Frankie is quite short. It took me about 3 hours to complete this, but I did take the time to get the collectibles within the game, as well as taking the time to look at all the little details. However, this will be a fantastic game for speedrunners. The addition of the speedrun timer to Finding Frankie was a great shout. I’m not a speedrunner, but I will definitely go back to this to get a quicker time on my runs, maybe even make it onto the Player of the Month board within the game. Which is a great addition as an incentive to carry on playing! I think the price tag is justified due to the creativity and passion that must have gone into this project. Going for the platinum for this game is easily done. Another one to add to the list!
Final Thoughts
Finding Frankie has become a little hidden gaming gem for me. With a lot of games following suit to the horror animatronic trend, Finding Frankie managed to stand out in the best way possible. The music, characters, and overall design of the game was more than I could have hoped for from a small developer. The hope for a sequel is astronomical. I hope they bring out even more mechanics, characters, and little companions like Deputy Duck. Or even bring this back with more twists.
With everything considered, I will be awarding Finding Frankie our Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoyed this review, and maybe need a little break from horror, why not check out our PS5 review of Croc Legend of the Gobbos Remastered here!
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
About Author
