The Search For Fran

About

"The Search for Fran" is a first-person narrative-driven game where players help protagonist Archo Wright on his journey to find his missing friend, Fran. Through puzzles and interactions with NPCs, explore a stylized open world inspired by '90s low-poly graphics, and uncover the truth behind Fran's disappearance. Experience a heartfelt story of friendship, mystery, and self-discovery.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 186 reviews

story12 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game is a unique and absurd experience that many find entertaining and humorous.
Players appreciate the immersive graphics and engaging gameplay, often describing it as a masterpiece.
Despite its flaws, many players feel they got their money's worth and have enjoyed the game multiple times.

The game is poorly optimized, with many players experiencing lag and performance issues even on high-end PCs.
Some players criticize the lack of meaningful content, describing it as a repetitive running simulator with minimal objectives.
There are complaints about the absence of settings and the overall execution of the game, leading some to feel it was a waste of money.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising it as riveting and thought-provoking, complemented by a motivational soundtrack and immersive gameplay. However, others criticize it as simplistic, likening it to a repetitive quest-gathering experience with minimal depth. Overall, while many find the narrative compelling, there are significant dissenting opinions regarding its execution and engagement.
- “10/10 this game has a riveting story, motivational soundtrack, and is fun.”
- “Compelling storyline, gripping characters, and music that is in your face.”
- “I am extremely amazed by the quality of this game, the graphics, the optimization, the gameplay, and the storyline.”
- “This game is utter dogshit, it's a terrible running simulator where you go and talk to the NPCs and get quests from them, mostly you just saying hi, they saying hi and just automatically giving you a quest.”
- “You're going back and forth around the map to these quest markers and that is it.”
- “After putting more time than any man should put into this game, I have not only completed the main quest line of talking to all the people but I have also found all 50 of the yellow orbs.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is praised for its immersive quality and engaging mechanics, complemented by stunning graphics and a thought-provoking storyline. Players appreciate the smooth performance with no glitches, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. The combination of fun gameplay and strong narrative elements has left a positive impression on users.
- “Immersive gameplay, mind-boggling graphics, thought-provoking story.”
- “I am extremely amazed by the quality of this game, the graphics, the optimization, the gameplay, and the storyline.”
- “Gameplay is very enticing, zero glitches at all.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning detail and immersive quality, creating a captivating visual experience that enhances gameplay. Reviewers highlight the beautiful artwork and optimization, which together contribute to a sense of being fully integrated into the game world. Overall, the graphics are described as mind-boggling and essential to the game's engaging narrative.
- “I am extremely amazed by the quality of this game, the graphics, the optimization, the gameplay, and the storyline.”
- “Its beautiful graphics completely immerse you into this fantastic world and gives you the illusion that you are the main character, not just controlling his every action.”
- “Very pretty and detailed artwork.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its motivational and gripping qualities that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as "dope" and perfectly complements the riveting story and compelling characters, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “10/10 this game has a riveting story, motivational soundtrack, and is fun.”
- “Compelling storyline, gripping characters, and music that is in your face.”
- “The soundtrack is dope.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
17%
67%
"The Search for Fran" is criticized for its poor optimization, with users reporting subpar performance even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3090 Ti and i7-13700K. Despite the game's impressive graphics and engaging gameplay, the optimization issues have been a consistent point of concern among reviewers.
- “I am extremely amazed by the quality of this game, the graphics, the optimization, the gameplay, and the storyline.”
- “The search for Fran is quite badly optimized, running poorly on an RTX 3090 Ti and i7-13700K.”
- “Very poorly optimized, as noted in the other reviews.”
- “Very poorly optimized, as noted in the other reviews.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently express that grinding in the game is so demanding that it feels like it requires an additional life to manage effectively. This suggests that the grinding mechanics may be overly time-consuming or tedious for many users.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is polarizing, with many reviewers expressing that it often relies on sarcasm and may not resonate with all players, leading to a perception of it being unfunny or overly niche.
- “I'd bet 90% of the reviews for this are from some unfunny neckbeard being sarcastic about the game being good.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game has captivated players, often exceeding initial expectations, with many expressing a surprising affection for its immersive environment and character, Fran.
- “I bought this game as a joke, but now I'm in love with the atmosphere and Fran.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game exhibits excellent stability, with no glitches or technical issues affecting gameplay.