Frank and Drake Review: Supernaturally Poetic

Tackle the day as Frank or take back the night as Drake in this completely refreshing narrative puzzle experience. Frank and Drake require multiple playthroughs, but it does so in a way that adds to replayability and respects the player, thanks to the game's well-catered visual narrative experience. Frank and Drake's artistic prowess shines to the extent that I was left wanting more, and its puzzles are very organic, for better or worse. Yet it's the game's intertwined narrative that carries the experience.

A Visual Feast

Players will first notice the game's hand-drawn art and rotoscoping animations. Not only do character models shine, but the city is sometimes downright gorgeous in a much more secluded and poetic way. For example, in a specific animation early on, players control Frank as he jaunts through some back alleys. These alleys have some authentically breathtaking visual art that I had to stop and take in.

Interactable objects and words upon a page essentially pulsate so players know they can interact with them. This effect accentuates the hand-drawn vibe and improves the game's no-hud approach.

As someone who fell for the artistic approach of Frank and Drake, my one caveat is that I was left wanting more, even after multiple playthroughs. Admittedly, it's understandable that the scenes were capped in a way due to workflow or similar development realities. However, some of my favorite moments are the scripted walk animations that show off characters in their natural habitat - whether it be Frank during the day or Drake at night. Yet, these moments are far too short. I want them to continue forever, but they would too often last just a few seconds. 

Additionally, I got used to when these moments would happen in the narrative and expected them at times when it felt needed. Too many times, opportunities to show off one of the best elements of Frank and Drake fell to the wayside. Still, if my only gripe with the game's presentation is that they succeeded to the point where I couldn't get enough, I'm most likely pulling hairs.

A Tale of Consequences

Frank and Drake is a tale about insufficient time, desires, loss, and consequences. So much more, but as I mentioned above, it will require multiple playthroughs to experience the game's many branching narratives and themes completely. On top of the branching narratives, there is a relationship mechanic that tracks your friendship between Frank and Drake, which can also play a crucial part in how choices are swayed or locked out. This combination of mechanics, the overall narrative structure, along with a naturally poetic storytelling delivers a final product that refreshingly hooks those trying it.

Frank and Drake's narrative structure is unique because you have two main characters simultaneously communicating once a day, thanks to leaving post-it notes on the fridge. As one character calls it a night, the other finally takes on the day. Yet, as a player, you can decide what you put on the note and how real you want to be depending on your friendship. It's genuinely a structure I haven't experienced before, and I was immediately intrigued.

Since Frank moves about during the day, the crux of his play revolves around him besting his mightiest enemy; his amnesia. I know what you are thinking; amnesia is tropey and overdone. Yes it is, but in Frank and Drake, the narrative structure does so much heavy lifting that even amnesia as a narrative trope feels original in its own right. While Frank tackles his amnesia, Drake takes on his past and supernatural-like life. As each character sets off on the path you choose for them, you can't help but live in the small part of the world you are shown. Each chapter, per se, accomplishes the narrative goal, but it does so in a manner that evokes a strong emotional response, unlike poetry.

As someone who typically skims through written work in games, I did not leave a single stone unturned. The plot itself isn't incredible, but there's magic in how it's being told. It's a fresh take on games, but more importantly, narratives.

A Bit out of Sync

To elaborate on a few things I mentioned above, the relationship system is separated into three parts; Distant, Neutral, and Close. It progresses alongside the story and shows you that actions are taken that directly affect it. Additionally, the game's intractable objects pulsate, indicating their intractability. Yet, when players participate in puzzles, this system goes out the window, and one puzzle's logic is entirely different. The puzzles, overall, are pretty clever, but the indication of whether or not you are attempting a puzzle correctly is nonexistent. You never truly know if you are on the right path during a puzzle. Sometimes you enter into a puzzle, and you have no idea it's a puzzle until you attempt to leave and you can't.

The puzzles' authentic or organic approach works when you catch on and solve one as intended, but if you don't, you sometimes feel punished for not understanding the game's logic, which could be more evident. On top of puzzles, Frank and Drake also has what I am coining the game's minigames. Some sequences are genuine puzzles, while others are just unique gameplay segments. For instance, at one point, I completed a word search where I learned about the town, there was a packing minigame, a top-down stealth portion, etc.

Technically, the game is more than serviceable, but I did have several hitches when inputting commands and did experience a few freezes. Also, load times can be extended from time to time.

Breakdown

Game: Frank and Drake 

Developer: Appnormals Team, Chorus Worldwide Games

Availability: PC, Switch, PS4| PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch

Pros:

+ Unique intertwined narrative

+ Art and animations

+ Fresh take on storytelling

+ Poetic nature

Cons:
- Some puzzles aren't so player-friendly
- Small technical hiccups

Final Thoughts

Overall, Frank and Drake isn't perfect, but what it does well, it really does well. The game's narrative is refreshing and takes game writing in an interesting new direction. The game's art and animation are super engaging and left me wanting more. The puzzles need work, but their overall path feels suitable for this type of game. Rehashing some of the puzzles to be more user-friendly would go a long way, and aside from a few minor technical hiccups, players won't experience too many stoppages that take them out of the experience. If you like narrative adventures with poetic art and storytelling, Frank and Drake's minor missteps will hardly be a blip on your gaming radar.

Written by Austin Ernst