Ever read a comic book and wondered what would happen if the panels were in a different order? Chances are the story would turn into complete nonsense in most cases, but in Framed, the entire game is built around that mechanic. Leaving the story as is will likely result in your untimely demise while rearranging the panels will change the path your character takes and this just might be enough to get you through it in one piece.
I’m not gonna lie, all it took to get me interested in Framed was the concept trailer, which is quite rare. Normally I don’t let my hype train leave the station until far more details are available, but something about this one just clicked with me. Maybe it’s my love for comic books and “what if?” scenarios that did it, but whatever the reason, there’s no denying that this just might turn the age-old ‘slide puzzle’ genre on its head – maybe even literally. But enough of me drooling over an unfinished game, as I doubt that’s why you’re still reading this.
By touching, dragging and otherwise manipulating story panels, the player changes the sequence of events, altering the narrative outcome and helping the man escape.
I mentioned earlier that sliding the panels around will change your route through each scenario (for lack of a better term), but there’s far more to it than that. Each panel has an action/event associated with it, and depending on the order you choose to put them in, the entire outcome could change drastically. This is where the puzzle aspect comes into play. Imagine that your apartment was burning and the front door was blocked by the fire, making the fire escape your only viable exit. In most games, the only ‘obstacle’ would be to run for your life while avoiding the flames, but in Framed you’d likely have to arrange the panels to not only create a safe path to the exit but also make sure you pick up something to break the window leading outside on the way – or find yourself engulfed by the flames!
That’s how I imagine the mechanic will work in its most basic form at least, but I’m willing to bet that Loveshack Entertainment has something far more complex in mind; maybe even scenarios with multiple solutions. Fingers crossed that we’ll know more sooner rather than later, and even if it’s a vague “2013”, we do have a release window for Framed.
