Wanted to play this game for years, but never got around to it.
Heard lots of good things about it. Even Kojima praised it iirc.
But having actually played it, I have only one question - "Why?"
It's an okay game at best. Seemingly interesting, but repetitive, borderline annoying gameplay, uninspired music, incoherent story and the endings are even worse (the first one literally makes no sense and the second is a tired cliché that makes you groan if you're older than 12).
It's got cool style, though. Very distinct. And it's very short.
Aside from that though I'm pretty disappointed, not gonna lie.
Heard lots of good things about it. Even Kojima praised it iirc.
But having actually played it, I have only one question - "Why?"
It's an okay game at best. Seemingly interesting, but repetitive, borderline annoying gameplay, uninspired music, incoherent story and the endings are even worse (the first one literally makes no sense and the second is a tired cliché that makes you groan if you're older than 12).
It's got cool style, though. Very distinct. And it's very short.
Aside from that though I'm pretty disappointed, not gonna lie.
Framed Collection is an okay game, but probably should've stayed on mobile only. Never really had any "fun" while playing it and the story was uninteresting, but for some reason, I kept playing. It wasn't worth it. Don't play unless you want a mediocre puzzle game.
Jogo de celular bem interessante. Os puzzles são geralmente interessantes e numa dificuldade razoável. Me fez ficar preso algumas poucas vezes. Não há muito além disso. Valeu a pena pelo preço.
Puzzle game. Interesting. Entertaining. Not bad at all
Released back in 2018, the Framed Collection plays like a modern version of those old LaserDisc games from the 80s wherein your goal was to dictate the direction of a pre-rendered character. Here, CG has replaced hand-drawn scenery, comic panels subside full-screen video, and player agency is much more apparent. The question is, how well does it work? The short answer is it’s got its pros and cons, but for the longer response read on!
Due to the lack of real differences between the games, I’ll generally be referring to both titles at once minus any variations explicitly outlined, such as the stories as, while not narrative heavy by any means, I’d be lying if I said these games weren’t driven by a tale to tell. The goal of each level is to (literally) piece together the canonicity of what transpired, their cumulative assemblage slowly revealing an extensive plot reminiscent of the crime genre. Framed’s yarn ends up being a bit harder to follow than its successor’s, largely due to a Memento-esque twist thrown-in at the end, but where it does outdo its sequel is in the style department as this truly is a noir jewel shining with Bogartian flair. From old-school cinematic shots to the emphasis on dark suave, Framed was made with specific vision in mind compared to the generic thriller scope of its follow-up.
That said, I did ultimately enjoy Framed 2’s chronicle more, largely because the simpler plot made it easier to keep track of things: it’s short, sweet, and features a surprisingly moving connection to its predecessor in spite of the lack of dialogue.
While you won’t be playing either title for their story, strong effort was blatantly put into the depiction of events, and a large part of that success derives from their superb visuals. Anyone who’s had the (misfortune) to see Frank Miller’s Spirit film may find themselves experiencing déjà vu with the artistry on-display: characters are rotoscoped-silhouettes(+) ripe with deliciously-smooth cloth physics; environments singularly-colored simulacra; and backgrounds an entrancing vista of subtle motion. It’s not minimalist, nor extravagant, but somewhere eclectically in-between; a 4K rendition of those old Stickman games we used to play on Flash back-in-the-day.
Music, on the other hand, is pretty mingy in quantity, the two games having between 3-4 tracks total across their 3+ hour runtime. Don’t get me wrong, what you hear are some solid arrangements of the Jazz genre, their composition made greater when simultaneously foleyed as the game’s SFX (done more explicitly in 2 than 1); however, it does get repetitive in the long run, and it’s a shame the developers didn’t bother coding in tempo changes with the fast-forward function.
On that note, let’s talk about the gameplay- as stated above, you’re tasked with recreating (or in some cases, reformatting) how a clip played out via dragging and dropping key moments into predesignated spots. Later levels add more complexity via rotatable snippets and the ability to reuse scenes, but the general gist remains the same of getting your figure from point A to point B in one piece. As you can imagine, at times you’ll be rewatching the same cinematic a lot, making the presence of the aforementioned fast forward button all the more thankful.
In terms of whether it’s fun, though, your mileage will definitely vary. Those dopamine shots from successfully compiling a reel together never get old, but I honestly felt more could’ve been done with this concept like time reversal or the ability to shift character perspectives. Credit where credit’s due, the sequel does move the needle a bit courtesy of some environmental manipulation puzzles; however, these moments are relatively scarce against the macro formula.
Because of this, Framed ends-up bouncing between two extremes: its stages either too easy or too frustrating with no real middle ground. I also wasn’t a fan of those transitional moments that consisted of solely swapping two frames as they felt like a waste of time, akin to those video game junctures wherein two cutscenes are separated by walking a few steps (again, another thing that is mostly fixed in the second).
If you’re looking for a fun afternoon diversion, you can’t go wrong with the Framed Collection -- while it won’t leave a lasting impression, the relatively-unique premise and evergreen loop may get you hooked. Plus who knows, enough post hoc support could see a probable third entry produced; one that takes this blueprint to its greatest potential.
NOTES
+The game wasn't actually rotoscoped (as far as I know); the term was used purely for adjective purposes.
Due to the lack of real differences between the games, I’ll generally be referring to both titles at once minus any variations explicitly outlined, such as the stories as, while not narrative heavy by any means, I’d be lying if I said these games weren’t driven by a tale to tell. The goal of each level is to (literally) piece together the canonicity of what transpired, their cumulative assemblage slowly revealing an extensive plot reminiscent of the crime genre. Framed’s yarn ends up being a bit harder to follow than its successor’s, largely due to a Memento-esque twist thrown-in at the end, but where it does outdo its sequel is in the style department as this truly is a noir jewel shining with Bogartian flair. From old-school cinematic shots to the emphasis on dark suave, Framed was made with specific vision in mind compared to the generic thriller scope of its follow-up.
That said, I did ultimately enjoy Framed 2’s chronicle more, largely because the simpler plot made it easier to keep track of things: it’s short, sweet, and features a surprisingly moving connection to its predecessor in spite of the lack of dialogue.
While you won’t be playing either title for their story, strong effort was blatantly put into the depiction of events, and a large part of that success derives from their superb visuals. Anyone who’s had the (misfortune) to see Frank Miller’s Spirit film may find themselves experiencing déjà vu with the artistry on-display: characters are rotoscoped-silhouettes(+) ripe with deliciously-smooth cloth physics; environments singularly-colored simulacra; and backgrounds an entrancing vista of subtle motion. It’s not minimalist, nor extravagant, but somewhere eclectically in-between; a 4K rendition of those old Stickman games we used to play on Flash back-in-the-day.
Music, on the other hand, is pretty mingy in quantity, the two games having between 3-4 tracks total across their 3+ hour runtime. Don’t get me wrong, what you hear are some solid arrangements of the Jazz genre, their composition made greater when simultaneously foleyed as the game’s SFX (done more explicitly in 2 than 1); however, it does get repetitive in the long run, and it’s a shame the developers didn’t bother coding in tempo changes with the fast-forward function.
On that note, let’s talk about the gameplay- as stated above, you’re tasked with recreating (or in some cases, reformatting) how a clip played out via dragging and dropping key moments into predesignated spots. Later levels add more complexity via rotatable snippets and the ability to reuse scenes, but the general gist remains the same of getting your figure from point A to point B in one piece. As you can imagine, at times you’ll be rewatching the same cinematic a lot, making the presence of the aforementioned fast forward button all the more thankful.
In terms of whether it’s fun, though, your mileage will definitely vary. Those dopamine shots from successfully compiling a reel together never get old, but I honestly felt more could’ve been done with this concept like time reversal or the ability to shift character perspectives. Credit where credit’s due, the sequel does move the needle a bit courtesy of some environmental manipulation puzzles; however, these moments are relatively scarce against the macro formula.
Because of this, Framed ends-up bouncing between two extremes: its stages either too easy or too frustrating with no real middle ground. I also wasn’t a fan of those transitional moments that consisted of solely swapping two frames as they felt like a waste of time, akin to those video game junctures wherein two cutscenes are separated by walking a few steps (again, another thing that is mostly fixed in the second).
If you’re looking for a fun afternoon diversion, you can’t go wrong with the Framed Collection -- while it won’t leave a lasting impression, the relatively-unique premise and evergreen loop may get you hooked. Plus who knows, enough post hoc support could see a probable third entry produced; one that takes this blueprint to its greatest potential.
NOTES
+The game wasn't actually rotoscoped (as far as I know); the term was used purely for adjective purposes.
Cool gaame but pretty bland
FRAMED Collection combines two games, FRAMED 1 and FRAMED 2, into one version easy to be played back-to-back. You get to rearrange comic panels to change the outcome of the story of a noir-styled spy adventure.
It's a quite simple styled puzzle game, but sometimes the solution has you scratching your head for the answer for more time than you'd like. Mechanically, you move the order of the panels, or turn them around and then hit play to see if you got the order of them correctly to help the main characters escape.
It's definitely fun seeing the failures play out, even though the challenge is to anticipate the outcomes of panels before you move them, and hopefully get no failures. So success or failure, you are always having fun watching the story play out.
The game has an interesting story, even though it's told very plainly, and the simple silhouette styled art style of the game is interesting to say the least. The soundtrack of the game is nice and Jazz-y, which gives the noir aesthetic even more of a stronger hold.
The game is simple, but it excels at what it tries to be, and succeeds spectacularly. I definitely would recommend these games, and the collection, even though it was on the shorter side.
It's a quite simple styled puzzle game, but sometimes the solution has you scratching your head for the answer for more time than you'd like. Mechanically, you move the order of the panels, or turn them around and then hit play to see if you got the order of them correctly to help the main characters escape.
It's definitely fun seeing the failures play out, even though the challenge is to anticipate the outcomes of panels before you move them, and hopefully get no failures. So success or failure, you are always having fun watching the story play out.
The game has an interesting story, even though it's told very plainly, and the simple silhouette styled art style of the game is interesting to say the least. The soundtrack of the game is nice and Jazz-y, which gives the noir aesthetic even more of a stronger hold.
The game is simple, but it excels at what it tries to be, and succeeds spectacularly. I definitely would recommend these games, and the collection, even though it was on the shorter side.
Pequeño juego sobre mover paneles para formar una historia. Tienen algún que otro puntillo difícil que cuesta mucho de ver por una mecánica que se introduce más adelante, pero excepto eso y alguna cosilla que creo que no está bien explicada, ningún problema. La música empieza bien pero pronto se empieza a hacer repetitiva. Nunca la aborreces, pero si se hace pesada.
A good puzzle with the idea of rearranging frames of action scenes and playing them in perspective, thanks to which the logic completely changes and forces you to consistently think through further actions. The collection includes 2 parts of Framed at once, but they themselves are very short, the idea and concept for the completion of the second part is squeezed out like a lemon, thanks to the fact that the game is downloaded on time.
Неплохая головоломка с идеей перестановки кадров сцен действий и их игрой в перспективу, благодаря которой меняется полностью логика и заставляет последовательно продумывать дальнейшие действия. Коллекция включает в себе сразу 2 части Framed, но сами по себе они очень короткие, идея и концепт к завершению второй части, выжата как лимон, на то и спасибо, что вовремя закачивается игра.
Неплохая головоломка с идеей перестановки кадров сцен действий и их игрой в перспективу, благодаря которой меняется полностью логика и заставляет последовательно продумывать дальнейшие действия. Коллекция включает в себе сразу 2 части Framed, но сами по себе они очень короткие, идея и концепт к завершению второй части, выжата как лимон, на то и спасибо, что вовремя закачивается игра.
İki oyundan oluşan, müzikleri ile tek seferde bile bitirmeniz için sizi bağlayan puzzle oyunu serisi. Oynadığım ilk puzzle oyunu oldu.
Oynanışı adı üstünde, karelerin yerini değiştirerek doğru senaryoya ulaşmak ve sonuca doğru güzel müzikler eşliğinde gitmek.
Hikayesi de güzeldir.
Oynanışı adı üstünde, karelerin yerini değiştirerek doğru senaryoya ulaşmak ve sonuca doğru güzel müzikler eşliğinde gitmek.
Hikayesi de güzeldir.
Sights & Sounds
- I know that these were originally iOS games, but the minimalist comic book style translates well to any platform, it seems
- So does the music. If you like your noir with a heaping helping of jazz, then you'll enjoy the soundtrack
Story & Vibes
- The minimalism of the visual design bleeds over into the storytelling. There's no voice acting or text bubbles to be found; the story unfolds with the scene you create when you solve each puzzle as well as the occasional cutscene
- Although this is, of course, a collection containing a pair of games, both stories can be summarized as mini crime thrillers where you're trying to evade capture from the police
- The relationship between the male and female leads is interesting, and Framed 2 appears to provide a bit of backstory
- Collectively, the package tells a neat little multilayered narrative and does so without any bells or whistles. I think the real critics would use the term "elegant"
Playability & Replayability
- The puzzles are pretty neat at first, but after a while, the small number of mechanics that get introduced leads to a little bit of repetition. You can only play so many variations of "pathing puzzle with cops as dead ends" before things begin feeling same-y
- Additionally, some of the narrative puzzles that don't directly involve forming a path can require a little bit of guess-and-check. You can intuit the solution sometimes, but the solutions to these sorts of puzzles aren't always obvious
- Complaining aside, some of the puzzles are really neat. The one with the multicolored doors and 4 exits sticks out in particular
Overall Impressions & Performance
- It's a mobile game from 2014. You could run this on basically any hardware. It certainly ran fine on the Steam Deck
- It's a roughly 4 hour experience that pulls off some very stylish narrative tricks. Just wish the puzzles evolved a little more
Final Verdict
- 7/10. It's a fun little game that's really good on the Steam Deck. The storytelling (moreso than the plot) leaves an impression. Worth wishlisting for a sale
- I know that these were originally iOS games, but the minimalist comic book style translates well to any platform, it seems
- So does the music. If you like your noir with a heaping helping of jazz, then you'll enjoy the soundtrack
Story & Vibes
- The minimalism of the visual design bleeds over into the storytelling. There's no voice acting or text bubbles to be found; the story unfolds with the scene you create when you solve each puzzle as well as the occasional cutscene
- Although this is, of course, a collection containing a pair of games, both stories can be summarized as mini crime thrillers where you're trying to evade capture from the police
- The relationship between the male and female leads is interesting, and Framed 2 appears to provide a bit of backstory
- Collectively, the package tells a neat little multilayered narrative and does so without any bells or whistles. I think the real critics would use the term "elegant"
Playability & Replayability
- The puzzles are pretty neat at first, but after a while, the small number of mechanics that get introduced leads to a little bit of repetition. You can only play so many variations of "pathing puzzle with cops as dead ends" before things begin feeling same-y
- Additionally, some of the narrative puzzles that don't directly involve forming a path can require a little bit of guess-and-check. You can intuit the solution sometimes, but the solutions to these sorts of puzzles aren't always obvious
- Complaining aside, some of the puzzles are really neat. The one with the multicolored doors and 4 exits sticks out in particular
Overall Impressions & Performance
- It's a mobile game from 2014. You could run this on basically any hardware. It certainly ran fine on the Steam Deck
- It's a roughly 4 hour experience that pulls off some very stylish narrative tricks. Just wish the puzzles evolved a little more
Final Verdict
- 7/10. It's a fun little game that's really good on the Steam Deck. The storytelling (moreso than the plot) leaves an impression. Worth wishlisting for a sale
I played it on android 8 years ago.
I miss the days when devs used to release innovative games on mobile such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Temple Run, Subway Surfers, The Room, Framed, The Silent Age etc.
I miss the days when devs used to release innovative games on mobile such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Temple Run, Subway Surfers, The Room, Framed, The Silent Age etc.
Novel idea but the individual set pieces are very hit or miss. Some extremely easy, some stupidly hard to solve and some the right amount of challenge. Part 2 introduces a different city with plenty of potential for the visuals but you still solve puzzles around boring grey industrial zones that could be anywhere in the world.
a pretty good puzzle game collection, though i think they could have done more with the format, personally. changing the outcome by switching around frames is great but they never use it to a point where i LOVE it. it was fun but nothing too special.
You play as spies trying to avoid being detected by moving panels from a comic strip like format, sometimes swapping panels mid game. Very interesting concept I haven’t seen before. I made the poor guy ride a bike for 30 panels straight until I got bored.