Mike Reitemeier
Mike ReitemeierMascot Horror was all the rage in the mid-2010s, so I didn’t personally think the genre had much steam left in it as we hit 2025. Be that as it may, Finding Frankie launched on Steam in October of 2024 and received quite a positive response, garnering a large amount of sales and a 90% approval rating from players on the platform. This game has to have done something right to have now warranted a console release from developer SUPERLOU right? What makes Finding Frankie so special, and how does it perform on PlayStation 5 in comparison to PC?
In Finding Frankie, you’re the Lucky Contestant of a game show within a gigantic trampoline park. Full of roadblocks to climb, bouncy trampolines, swinging opportunities, and more, it’s an ideal spot to have fun. The only problem is Frankie the animatronic rabbit is out for blood and has your scent on his trail. This palace of parkour serves as your means of escape. That is, if the treacherous obstacles don’t send you to an early grave.
There is a heavy emphasis on speed within Finding Frankie, as a running timer is always on-screen and a leaderboard is readily available from the pause screen. Thankfully, movement feels excellent for the most part, and you can traverse most areas in one try without much hassle, hearkening back to Mirror’s Edge or Outlast to those with that particular skill set. If you fail an area, checkpoints are plentiful and you can learn from your past mistakes to ensure you don’t make them twice. Even so, the trial-and-error is miniscule, and most players shouldn’t be deterred from getting caught or going down the wrong path one or two times.
The horror aspects of Finding Frankie are serviceable, but the emphasis on speedrunning means you actually won’t be staring at Frankie too long. The rush of the escape is what truly delivers the excitement within the game, more so than its grotesque scenery. Should you get caught by Frankie, though, you’ll be in for a hilarious, over-the-top death animation a la Dead Space or Callisto Protocol: a nice touch that softens the blow of a failed run. When the game introduces the Deputy Duck mechanic, though, you’re given no explanation and might have to look up a guide to learn how to progress. Some proper tutorials could have been beneficial here.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that there’s still life in the Mascot Horror realm, as these games are a bit of a rarity compared to their boom last decade. Finding Frankie gave me some nostalgia for Roblox lobbies, with this being one of those cranked up to eleven and having a nice sheen of polish. At the low price of $14.99, it’s pretty easy to recommend this to anyone who may have grown up with the genre, but certainly not any youngsters as this is a graphic, intense experience not for kids.
A PlayStation 5 review copy of Finding Frankie was provided by SUPERLOU for this review.
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16 Finding Frankie
14.99
Pros
- Fluid Parkour Movement
- Excellent Environments
- Heart-pounding Gameplay Loop
Cons
- Lacking Mechanic Explanations
- Swinging Feels Jank
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