Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style
A narrow corridor, guards at every door, a peculiar arrangement of stairs, and a briefcase. In their default configuration they will lead the hero to a swift defeat, but with some juggling, a little dragging and dropping, they lead him to freedom instead. At first glance Framed looks like a motion comic with rather limited interactivity, but when the action stops and the player takes over a world of diverging, puzzly scenarios opens up.
If you have room left in your heart (or on your phone) for one more ridiculously stylish mobile game then you absolutely need to pick up Framed, and here's why:
Framed is simple. The screen is typically arranged like a comic, with different frames that can be reordered and occasionally rotated to different effect. When you start a new level, the scene depicted will play out as it's arranged, then after you've rearranged it you can watch it all unfold under a fresh set of circumstances. Instead of being locked out of an exit, you may have now picked up the key two frames ago. Instead of passing in front of a guarded window, you may now be walking along the ledge above it, well out of sight.
So maybe I should clarify: Framed's mechanics are simple, but the branching outcomes that you can create with them are anything but.
These core puzzle mechanics are only a small part of Framed's appeal. At it's heart it's a game about guys and dames and cigarettes and secrets, dark alleys and misty skies. It's an admittedly unsurprising story, told in a visually compelling way through puzzles and silhouetted vignette scenes. No, you'll never find out what's in that briefcase, but by the time you've finished the game it hardly even matters.
You can get Framed on the App Store for $4.99.
Tweet
Comments