Florence
- February 13, 2020
- Mountains
"Florence" is a touching and interactive narrative-driven mobile game. Follow the protagonist, Florence, through her romantic journey with a cellist named Krish, as players solve simple puzzles to progress through the game. The game explores themes of love, self-discovery, and communication through its engaging and relatable storyline.
Reviews
- Florence is a beautifully crafted interactive story that effectively conveys deep emotions through its gameplay mechanics, art, and music.
- The game offers a relatable narrative about love, loss, and self-discovery, making it a touching experience for many players.
- The unique use of simple interactions and clever design elements enhances the storytelling, creating a memorable and heartfelt journey.
- The game is quite short, typically taking only 30 to 45 minutes to complete, which some players feel does not justify the price.
- While the art and music are praised, some players found the story predictable and lacking in depth, leading to a sense of disappointment.
- The gameplay is often described as simplistic, with minimal challenge, which may not appeal to those looking for a more traditional gaming experience.
- story1,588 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "Florence" is widely praised for its emotional depth and relatability, effectively conveying themes of love, loss, and personal growth through minimal dialogue and innovative gameplay mechanics. Many reviewers highlight the game's beautiful art and music, which enhance the storytelling experience, although some express disappointment over its brevity and predictability. Overall, it is regarded as a touching and immersive interactive narrative that resonates with players on a personal level.
“A fantastic piece of interactive storytelling that, clearly, a lot of contextual thought and design went into.”
“The story is simple, but the mechanics, art, and music bring you in and make you feel like the relationship is your own.”
“Beautifully done artwork and music with a story that is wonderfully told and deeply human.”
“However, the story itself is kind of boring and I think it sends the wrong message about relationships.”
“The story is basic, focusing on a couple who meet and then split up, and you have no choices in the outcome.”
“The story isn't compelling enough; it screams 'basic' on it.”
- music574 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is universally praised for its beauty and emotional depth, significantly enhancing the storytelling experience. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings and complement the game's art style, creating a captivating atmosphere that resonates with players. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a remarkable musical score makes the game a memorable and moving experience.
“The music is beautiful and the art is sweet.”
“The music absolutely helped tell the story.”
“The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic and one that I will be listening to for a long time.”
“It went fine until the music not scene.”
“Due to the Chromebook's way of screening, the music notes weren't appearing.”
“I was excited to play this, when I was finally with time to do it I found a music corruption error in my Pixel 2 that seems to be not just me, sorry for the low score but I want to experience the game with the music, if this gets solved I certainly will give a second chance.”
- emotional548 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game "Florence" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, beautiful art, and evocative music, which together create a deeply moving experience. Players report feeling a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, often leading to tears, as they connect with the relatable narrative of love and self-discovery. Despite its short playtime, the game effectively delivers an emotional journey that resonates with many, making it a standout example of how interactive storytelling can evoke genuine feelings.
“I've never left a review for any game I've played... but this simple little game made me feel things that I didn't think were even possible with a phone game.”
“A unique and relatable short story that manages to deliver an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end that satisfies the reader through its unique and simplistic gameplay along with phenomenal music.”
“Florence is a deeply emotional experience like no other, and an outstanding example of games as an art form.”
“It's a beautifully drawn but absolutely boring story.”
- gameplay324 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Florence" is characterized by its simplicity and effectiveness in conveying emotional depth, serving as a unique narrative tool rather than a traditional gaming challenge. Players appreciate how the mechanics are intricately tied to the story, enhancing the emotional experience through relatable interactions and artistic presentation. While some find the gameplay brief and lacking in complexity, many agree that it beautifully complements the heartfelt narrative, making it a memorable and immersive experience.
“The way it uses the gameplay to give us an understanding of how the characters feel, change, and develop is unlike anything I've ever experienced.”
“The mechanics used in the game brilliantly get across the emotions and feelings of Florence, and to top it all off, the soundtrack is perfect too.”
“Florence is a brilliant example of how gameplay elements can complement storytelling.”
“The gameplay is simple and clearly expresses emotions from the characters and the developers. I only wish there was more to play.”
“You can't describe a love story as a phone game without actually developing the gaming aspects... gameplay is 100% boring, repetitive and does not blend at all into the story.”
“The story is intentionally simple, a choice which mostly works in this game's favor, but doesn't allow the game to utilize its mechanics to their full potential.”
- graphics223 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, charming, and stylized art style, which effectively enhances the emotional storytelling. Players appreciate the seamless integration of visuals and music, creating a captivating and immersive experience that resonates deeply. Overall, the game's aesthetic is described as a perfect blend of simplicity and artistry, making it a standout in narrative-driven mobile games.
“The graphics are gorgeous and stylized, and the music is excellent.”
“The artwork is so lovely, the music is beautiful, and playing has been so calming and intriguing.”
“The visuals and music mesh beautifully to draw you deep into the story.”
“The graphics are indeed cute, and the storyline is sweet, but the gameplay is very lackluster.”
“Most cliché and boring plot on earth, adds nothing new to the table except some decent visuals but honestly I laughed at the end, 'that's it?'”
“Florence is a great example of a quality narrative game that doesn't require great graphics or complex mechanics.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting its short duration and limited content that diminishes the incentive to play again. While some appreciate the experience akin to an interactive book, the consensus is that once the story is completed, there is little reason to revisit the game.
“Great little story with no words spoken, not much replay value personally but could share with others.”
“Not much replay value once you know the story, there is value in it for me.”
“My only complaints are that it is rather short and there doesn't really have any replay value.”
“The only downside is that there's no replay value, and you'll probably end up removing the game once you've completed it to make room for new ones.”
“But lasts roughly 20 minutes and there is no replay value whatsoever.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its heartfelt and surprisingly humorous moments, eliciting both laughter and tears from players. Reviewers highlight its romantic and positive tone, describing it as a well-developed interactive experience that balances humor with emotional depth.
“Heartfelt and surprisingly funny at times!”
“It made me laugh and cry within the space of half an hour.”
“Funny and positive game!”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Florence is widely praised for its rich emotional depth and artistic presentation, effectively transforming mundane experiences into meaningful moments. The combination of beautiful visuals, an evocative soundtrack, and a compelling narrative creates an immersive experience that resonates with players, fostering a strong emotional connection to the characters. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the storytelling and player engagement.
“Amazing atmosphere and all the feels.”
“I absolutely adore this game, it's beautifully drawn, conducted, the soundtrack was amazing and played well to the atmosphere and on top of all that it managed to get someone to get emotionally invested in two characters within a couple of minutes.”
“The music, the art style, the narrative, the atmosphere is really a work of art.”
“Beautifully made with great music which really puts you in the game's atmosphere, but not really a challenging game as I played through it in about 30 minutes.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with repetitive gameplay and puzzles that can feel monotonous, particularly in certain chapters. The overall experience may leave some feeling underwhelmed, despite the appealing soundtrack.
“I was just stuck in a rut of playing repetitive, grindy PC games and then decided to check this little story out after hearing Kevin Penkin was the composer.”
“Some puzzles are rather tedious (chapter 'Drifting', for example) and the ending is quite underwhelming.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game's innovative approach to dialogue and interactions offers valuable lessons for character development in triple-A RPGs, emphasizing the importance of nuanced relationships and engaging storytelling.
“Triple-A RPGs could learn a lot from this game's tactile and kinetic dialogue. Video game developers could also learn a lot about character development and relationships from this game, along with many other aspects.”
“Triple-A RPGs could learn a lot from this game's tactile and kinetic dialogue. Video game developers could also learn a lot about character development and relationships from this game, along with a whole mess of other stuff.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model is well-received, featuring minimal ads and a lack of aggressive in-app purchases, which contributes to a positive user experience.
“The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“I was disappointed by the constant prompts to buy in-game currency, which detracted from the overall experience.”
“While the game is fun, the aggressive monetization tactics make it hard to recommend to others.”