Francisca
- July 26, 2016
- Kiddy
"Francisca" is a game about Mike, a 14-year-old who moves into a new house and starts derive strange sounds and sensations. Soon, Mike encounters a ghostly girl named Francisca, who used to live in the house and loved to play hide-and-seek. When Mike's parents go on vacation for a week, he must navigate the house and interact with Francisca, learning more about her past and discovering the truth behind her presence.
Reviews
- The game is very cheap, making it accessible for those looking for a low-cost horror experience.
- Some players found the graphics decent for a game at this price point.
- It can provide a few hours of entertainment, especially for those who enjoy jump scares.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, often reducing to hiding and waiting.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, resulting in low frame rates even on capable systems.
- Many players found the mechanics confusing and illogical, such as closing your eyes to reduce fear but losing the ability to hear.
- gameplay14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being boring and lacking depth, with many players finding the mechanics, such as hiding and camera placement, to be ineffective and unengaging. The overall experience is described as slow and repetitive, often reducing strategy to simply waiting in a closet, which detracts from the intended horror elements. Additionally, comparisons to better-executed games highlight its lack of polish and innovation.
“Setting up cameras and switching to their feeds to see where she is, and to try to avoid her, is an interesting but flawed mechanic.”
“Here's a list and a video if you want to see some gameplay.”
“Very boring and bland game, and the hide mechanics are so temperamental and trash that you just end up dying anyways.”
“The gameplay is rather basic; you have four cameras on tripods that you set up around your house and then observe their feed through your tablet.”
“Francisca is mostly a Five Nights at Freddy's clone with minor additives that still manages to have incredibly boring gameplay.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting decent visuals and an interesting concept, while others criticize poor optimization leading to low frame rates and repetitive assets. Overall, the graphics are described as good but not top-notch, with many feeling that they do not significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
“The graphics seem nice, and the concept is interesting.”
“Decent graphics”
“Good graphics”
“Even though the graphics are not top-notch, the AI is a bit ridiculous, and it is extremely repetitive with no real end game or achievement.”
“The sound is very generic (familiar from the previous title I played), the assets I also recognized, and the graphics options with their different sets are pretty much useless.”
“The game has terrible optimization and sees sub-30 fps on the current highest-end graphics card.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, with users reporting sub-30 fps even on high-end graphics cards, alongside subpar graphics and minimal gameplay. Overall, players can expect a frustrating experience due to significant performance issues.
“Really, really poorly optimized.”
“The game has terrible optimization and sees sub-30 fps on the current highest-end graphics card.”
“Yeah, that's right, so expect awful optimization.”
- story3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The story centers around a 14-year-old boy named Mike, whose parents are away in Mexico, but it has been criticized for lacking depth and significant plot elements. While some users find a moral about perseverance, many feel the narrative fails to engage or deliver any real scares.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“After I had played this game for 9 minutes, not only did it not run, it lacked any significant plot or scare factor.”
“The basic story is that you play as a 14-year-old kid named Mike, whose parents have gone to Mexico for a week.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key element, with players enjoying laughter throughout their experience. While it may not be scary, it is described as a lighthearted and amusing game, offering good value for its price.
“Funny games to play with friends.”
“We were laughing all the way through.”
“This game is not scary; it is a funny joke. It's still fun though, it's about $0.87 worth of fun. ;)”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as soothing and calming, providing a relaxing experience that can help players feel at ease.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is perceived as a typical cash grab, featuring occasional card drops that may not justify the overall cost.
“This is a typical cash grab with some card drops.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, particularly due to the need to manually place cameras before surviving the night, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The process of leveling up is painfully slow, turning the game into a chore rather than an adventure.”
“I find myself spending more time grinding for resources than actually enjoying the gameplay.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, with some expressing that it moved them to tears.
“This game made me cry like a baby.”
“The story touched my heart in ways I never expected.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters and their struggles.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is highly effective at creating a sense of fear, immersing players in a chilling and unsettling environment.
“The haunting ambiance immerses you in a world of suspense and tension.”
“Every sound and shadow contributes to an unsettling feeling that keeps you on edge.”
“The atmosphere is enough to scare you.”
“The game lacks any real sense of immersion, making it hard to feel connected to the world.”
“The environments feel empty and lifeless, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the character development is significantly lacking, with users criticizing the character design as poor and suggesting that it could be easily improved with basic modeling skills.
“The character design is awful; I could create a better model in Blender in an hour or less.”
“Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evoke any emotional connection.”