Item: Fran Bow Chapter 3
Rating: 92
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

92/100

Chapter 3 of Fran Bow is arguably the most imaginative and visually stunning part of the entire series. Moving away from the typical horror tropes, this chapter transports Fran to the land of Ithersta, a vibrant world where time and seasons are controlled by the player. The shift in tone—from dark psychological horror to high-concept fantasy—is executed flawlessly, showing the versatility of the developers.

The logic puzzles involving the changing of seasons are brilliant and rewarding. It’s here that the world-building truly takes flight, explaining the different 'realities' and Fran’s place within them. Even in this more colorful world, an underlying sense of sadness remains, making the story feel mature and grounded. It’s a masterclass in world-building and puzzle design that feels like playing through a dark Studio Ghibli film.

Reviewed on: Sat May 11 2024

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. Chapter 3 is where Fran Bow actually starts to feel like a proper game rather than just a digital art book. The move to Ithersta is a bold choice; swapping the blood and guts for 'vegetable people' shouldn't work, but it does. The mechanic of changing seasons is a classic adventure game trope, but it's implemented well enough here to keep my interest.

It’s still a bit too whimsical for my personal taste, and the pacing slows down as you backtrack through the same screens in different seasons. It loses some of that raw horror edge from the first two chapters, which I find disappointing. It's competent, but it feels like the developers took a detour into a different genre entirely for a few hours.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Seasonal mechanic is the best puzzle element in the series
Whimsical yet slightly off-putting world-building
Longer and more substantial than previous chapters

Loses much of the horror atmosphere of the earlier chapters
Backtracking through seasons can become tedious
Dialogue is a bit heavy-handed at times

Technical Report

Performance: Stable performance; the seasonal transitions are smooth without loading screens.

Accessibility:

Subtitles

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoyed the first two chapters but want more depth in the puzzle mechanics.

Skip if: You strictly wanted the dark, gritty asylum horror of the first chapter.

Similar Games:

The Inner World
Machinarium
Botanicula

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40yo Male, Conservative Veteran Gamer
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
Playtime: 3 hours
Status: Finished Chapter

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

1085769571

$1.99 13+★4.7 85 reviews

Author : Killmonday Games

Pubish Date : Thu Mar 03 2016

Last Update Date : Sat Mar 19 2016

Support Languages : English

Genres :

Version 1.1Sat Mar 19 2016

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
-Improved description and OS requirements.
-Added localization for German, Russian and Spanish. <3
Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.
After witnessing the gruesome and mysterious loss of her parents, found dismembered at their home, Fran rushes into the woods, together with her only friend, Mr. Midnight, a black cat that Fran had previously received as a present from her parents.
In the forest, Fran goes into shock over the loss of her parents and when she recovers, she’s at Oswald Asylum, an oppressive mental institution for children, and Mr. Midnight is nowhere to be found.
After having a dream about her beloved cat, Fran decides to escape from the mental institution to find him and go back home to Aunt Grace, her only living relative.
FEATURES
* Story driven creepy psychological horror adventure game.
* Unique and peculiar hand drawn 2D Art-Style and 2D animation.
* Self administer medication to open the terrible hidden world that will help solve puzzles and find objects.
* A big variety of puzzles designed with different levels of difficulty and specifically based on the story.
* Original Soundtrack.
IMPORTANT: New iPad, 3rd Generation, iPad Mini 2, iPod Touch 6th Generation and later devices with at least 1 GB of System Memory--RAM or more) are strongly recommended when playing the Fran Bow apps. Older devices may experience crashes or not play the Fran Bow apps at all.
Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.
After witnessing the gruesome and mysterious loss of her parents, found dismembered at their home, Fran rushes into the woods, together with her only friend, Mr. Midnight, a black cat that Fran had previously received as a present from her parents.
In the forest, Fran goes into shock over the loss of her parents and when she recovers, she’s at Oswald Asylum, an oppressive mental institution for children, and Mr. Midnight is nowhere to be found.
After having a dream about her beloved cat, Fran decides to escape from the mental institution to find him and go back home to Aunt Grace, her only living relative.
FEATURES
* Story driven creepy psychological horror adventure game.
* Unique and peculiar hand drawn 2D Art-Style and 2D animation.
* Self administer medication to open the terrible hidden world that will help solve puzzles and find objects.
* A big variety of puzzles designed with different levels of difficulty and specifically based on the story.
* Original Soundtrack.
IMPORTANT: New iPad, 3rd Generation, iPad Mini 2, iPod Touch 6th Generation and later devices with at least 1 GB of System Memory--RAM or more) are strongly recommended when playing the Fran Bow apps. Older devices may experience crashes or not play the Fran Bow apps at all.

Ratings & Reviews

4.7 out of 5 with 85 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 13+

In Fran Bow Chapter 3, the horror takes a backseat to wonder as Fran is transported to the Third Reality: Ithersta. In this land of rooted people and flying fish, Fran must find a way to return to her human form. The chapter introduces a revolutionary mechanic where Fran can change the seasons at will. By switching between Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn, players solve intricate puzzles that involve the growth of plants and the behavior of the land's inhabitants. This chapter is vital for understanding the lore of the Five Realities and features some of the most beautiful art in the series.

Features

Innovative seasonal puzzle mechanics

Vibrant and surreal fantasy world

Expanded lore of the Five Realities

Interactive mini-games and logic tests

Emotional storytelling arc

Tips

Manipulating Time

Use the seasonal clock in the center of Ithersta. If a path is blocked by a river, switch to Winter to freeze the water and cross. If you need a plant to bloom, switch to Spring.

Promotion Videos

Fran Bow - Now On Consoles! Official Trailer (2023) - YouTube

News on this game

Fran Bow Aims to Bring Horror and Madness to iOS Next July

The young protagonist of this dark point-and-click adventure has to deal with the loss of both of her parents, who happened to be brutally murdered.

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Gameplays

Seasonal Logic

Gameplay revolves around observing how the environment changes through the four seasons. Many characters only appear during specific times of the year, requiring you to 'time travel' to gather information.