GGVG01 - Fran Bow

While I’m a free software enthusiast, I love videogames as an art form (even if playing them involves messing with ugly DRM). That’s why I’ve decided I will start talking (spoiler-free) about my favorite ones in my new series: the Geminaut’s Guide to Video Games!

Context

Fran Bow was developed by Killmonday Games, a Swedish indie studio composed of Natalia and Isak Martinsson. This game was suggested to me by my ex-girlfriend. As soon as I saw the artstyle, I was instantly hooked to it, so I completed it for the first time. Most of my friends know I often stop playing most games mid-story if they’re not engaging enough, but of course Fran Bow was not one of those.

Artstyle

Fran Bow looks like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Everything looks cute, but in a creepy way. As you play, you’re constantly feeling like everything could collapse at any moment. Seeing the world as Fran is a beautiful experience, everything is up to interpretation: most importantly, as soon as she takes her medication, blood and gore fill up the screen as she’s presented upon horrors from another dimension. I really recommend you check out the trailer, because words cannot express the unique style this game has.

Gameplay

This is a point-and-click adventure game, so don’t really expect anything dynamic out of it. The puzzles are kind of intuitive, I remember I only needed to check out a guide once or twice; this means it’s really easy, considering I’m really dumb with point-and-click games. The whole game revolves about switching between dimensions and exploring Fran’s broken mind while she tries remembering her past.

Lore

I was really surprised with the amount of lore this game hides! At one point in the game (kind of early) you get an illustrated book with all kinds of explainations about the universe this game takes place into. It’s all so coherent it made me scratch my head and really think about the complexity of the world we live in; it poses philosophical questions about life, death and everything in-between.

Links

=> http://www.franbow.com/ Official website. => https://www.gog.com/en/game/fran_bow Buy the game DRM-free!

Screenshots