Finding Frankie Review | TheXboxHub

The mascot horror subgenre invariably has you running away from various cartoonish nightmares through tight and winding corridors. That’s not a sweeping statement, that’s a fact. 

So, how does one buck the trend? Finding Frankie, a mascot horror with strong parkour elements, attempts to find out if it is worth it.

Arriving on consoles after a short but successful stint on PC, Finding Frankie is the latest in a long line of horror titles that will confuse YouTube age restrictions. You are the latest contestant in the Finding Frankie gameshow after finding a special invitation in a box of Frankie’s cereal. Think Willy Wonka’s golden tickets and you get the idea. 

However, instantly I am confused. The gameshow is livestreamed but viewers can clearly see that almost every contestant succumbs to a gruesome death, so why would anyone choose to enter? Well, how does a grand prize of $5,000,000 sound?

Only this time it appears that Frankie and his pals have upped the ante, because they’ve become sentient and sinister.

PARKOUR

Finding Frankie follows a similar trend to the likes of Billy’s Game Show, Poppy Playtime and Garten of Banban; a first-person mascot horror game where there are mascots trying to kill you, and those trying to help you; if they can be fully trusted. But it throws in this parkour element and some severe verticality that not only *cough* elevates *cough* it above other similar titles, but captures that liminal horror essence that is also all the rage.

A short tutorial is available to show you the ropes. It takes a bit of getting used to but after channelling my Mirror’s Edge muscle memory it got a lot easier after just a short time. Which is just as well, because Finding Frankie isn’t overly concerned with ratcheting up tension; one of the first set pieces in the game involves the obligatory chase sequence. And from there, the stage is set with some really tense moments as the music swells and some pretty effective jumpscares as well.

Most areas you explore will have a number of switches that need to be pressed within a time limit. It’s fairly standard stuff, but it’s with the placement of these switches in which your parkour skills will come into play.

Frankie isn’t alone in his attempts to dismember you either. Henry Hotline soon joins the fray; arguably scarier than Frankie. There’s always been something creepy about those kids’ toy phones on wheels and that is fully explored here. Henry Hotline may not pose as persistent a threat as Frankie, but is the more frightening of the two.

And even when not being chased by these two, death is everywhere as you navigate through the parkour park. One moment will require you to find two keys to open a door but has you exploring some really creepy places. The waterpark section instantly reminded of POOLS, a game that didn’t quite make our list of games we want to see on Xbox in 2025, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still want it. The high ceilings, winding waterslides and just a general sense of unease throughout it all.

Not to mention the soundtrack that fits all moments in the game perfectly. From the tension building, to the thumping finale and even the credits song; it’s wide ranging and a lot of fun.

Imitation Is The Highest Form Of Flattery

Contrasting the waterpark is the trampoline park that are next to each other. At this point, Finding Frankie appears to borrow heavily from another title: Fall Guys. That only continued into the final sections.

When you’re not chasing down Noob Noobs that remind of Pegwins, or climbing up a large structure trying to beat the rising slime, the final showdown will definitely feel familiar: A large platform consisting of hexagons that disappear when stepped on. Of course, you won’t be alone on this but it still feels like a carbon copy of some Fall Guys levels. Not necessarily a bad thing, but then not wholly original either.

And once you’ve finished, try again. Finding Frankie is only a short game, but repeat playthroughs are encouraged. There is a leaderboard where your time can be compared with friends and other players. My first completion of two and a half hours felt commendable until I saw the top time of less than ten minutes. Certainly doable though for the speedrunners out there.

Say Cheese!

There are also collectibles to find and secrets to uncover if you venture even just a little bit off the main path. At one point I found the CEOs office hidden away that I would have explored a bit more thoroughly had I not been such a scaredy cat.

Finding Frankie’s use of lighting was the reason for that and should be mentioned. At one point you get access to a small portable unit called Deputy Duck who can use a radar to find items and also flash like a camera and light up dark areas. Only be careful where you are pointing the flash because it can and will light up something you’d rather wish it hadn’t.

More Mascot Horror With A Twist

Another day, another mascot horror game releases on Xbox. The efforts that Finding Frankie has gone to in order to differentiate itself from others works very well. The parkouring takes a few goes to get used to but it quickly snaps into place and feels great. You can see where things during the design were a bit rushed with some dodgy clipping between assets but overall, if you’re a fan of these mascot horror games that keep popping up, Finding Frankie will be another to add to your list. 

And if you’ve yet to give one a try, there are far, far worse than what is on offer here.

Your Links

Finding Frankie: Mascot Horror Gets a Parkour Twist in New Console Release – https://www.thexboxhub.com/finding-frankie-mascot-horror-gets-a-parkour-twist-in-new-console-release/

Buy Finding Frankie on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/finding-frankie/9P87DHLSDVVG