Finding yourself inside a deadly game show featuring mascots hellbent on murdering you is quite the predicament. Opening that box of Frankie’s Cereal and finding a special invite is instantly regretted as you’re thrown into a messed up maze of courses, with the only surprise being that of survival. Finding Frankie is pretty fun, and while some of the courses and controls are a touch frustrating, SUPERLOU has crafted a thrilling joyride of parkour and excitement.
Frankie’s Parkour Palace is a huge building broken up into different areas. As you complete these areas, you’re free to move onto the next one. The variety of courses isn’t massive, but the visuals are pretty impressive. It’s hard not to compare to the likes of Five Nights at Freddy’s, especially with its mascots turning into horrifying killing machines. However, those comparisons are only surface level. Frankie is freaky leader of the park, but other characters that pop up are just as creepy.
Henry Hotline has a phone for a head, and when you meet him for the first time, you’re tasked with trying to trigger various phones in an almost pitch black room littered with seldom neon lights. The majority of areas require you to power on control panels to open a door to the next location. They’re often scattered all over the place, and a timer means you’re required to turn them on as quick as you can. That juxtaposition of colourful, childlike play areas and grim, bloodied walls is done so well.
You’re always left on edge in case an encounter with one of the maniacal mascots is on the horizon. Some of the playgrounds play out like a fucked up version of Fall Guys. Jumping from platform to platform while swinging on a bar or wall running. Jumping on trampolines and sliding on well-placed rails. These mechanics are mixed up to give you the ability to find the right timing to progress. Time constraints mean mistakes are allowed without much repercussion, but when you’re against the clock, it’s so stressful.
Often being chased while trying to complete a course means one slip-up results in your death. Some of these runs are quite long. Getting to the end, only to be caught through no real fault of your own is a pain. Finding Frankie requires plenty of precision without any room for error. It does take time to get used to the parkour mechanics, and with load times not being as quick as I’d like, there are periods where it becomes pretty frustrating. Still, there’s enough variety to make Frankie’s Parkour Palace worth exploring and pushing through.
Various corridors, elevators, and stairwells give you the opportunity to explore without being chased. Going back to the beginning after a few hours diving deep into the palace feels eerie. One interaction with a mascot left me shocked, and not because they were after me. There’re relics to find and are very well hidden, so going back and finding them adds a reason to explore the complex. However, it is the building itself which has been intricately designed, that makes it so exciting to see what weird course is next.
Some areas are dark, and some objectives might be hidden. You eventually get a devise with Deputy Duck’s head acting as both a radar and a flashlight. It’s easy to use, and helpful, especially when you’re trying to locate one of them damn phones in Henry Hotline’s maze of death. It’s about the only other feature that isn’t involved in your parkour manoeuvres, but it’s pretty cool and has a good range on it, making finding those panels much easier.
Finding Frankie is an exciting opportunity to use free-running mechanics, with a colourful and uncomfortable world to explore. While the controls aren’t as tight as they can be, especially when jumping or wall-running, I was still fascinated by what awaited me around every corner. It doesn’t really mix up objectives, but it’s more about surviving while making the most of your parkour abilities. There’s some kind of story as well, and it helps to give this weird and wonderful game an edge. Just be prepared to die, a lot.
