Many months ago I reviewed a game called Commander Cherry for Kinect. It was an interesting title because it required you to use your body and take a snapshot in order to build platforms for the titular character to cross. While there were many levels, you could see that there was a lack of polish in the game. There was a distinct disconnect between the platforming and the Kinect portions.
Fast forward a few months and now we have Fru which, in my opinion, perfects the formula. The game requires you to constantly use your controller and body to help a little fox-like creature reach her destination. From its beautiful visuals to its smooth and precise gameplay, Fru is a delight to experience throughout its handful of chapters.
There are only a few Kinect developers out there and while the initial games coming out of these studios were imprecise and somewhat humiliating, it’s great to see that smaller studios have taken up the mantle because they’re doing a much better job at realizing the peripheral’s potential. Fru not only looks great but your silhouette translates accurately on screen. For all of you who haven’t been following the game, the premise is quite simple really.
Fru is a platformer with hidden elements that can only be revealed when you stand in front of the Kinect camera. Doing so changes the look of the world to red and reveals hidden structures. Sometimes it can also be used to dissolve existing objects. Alternating between this forms the foundation of the experience, however it’s much more complex than that the later you progress. The title introduces traps and other devious challenges that require coordination between moving your fingers to control the character as well as your legs to make sure your silhouette is in the place it needs to be at all times. You’ll also end up adopting some strange positions to get Fru across so be prepared for that.
The game runs at a locked sixty frames per second and features some of the best antialiasing I’ve ever seen in a game. It looks like a moving painting on my screen—it’s just that stunning. The environments are intriguing and the sense of exploration is palpable. While I would’ve liked to see the game feature a proper story, I think the developers were just trying to capture that sense of wonder and the unknown. They accomplish this task with flying colors. At times I marveled at my surroundings and the use of Kinect makes you feel that you’re part of the world. There aren’t many games out there that let you help a character out like this.
A title we reviewed a few months ago called République comes to mind. While République featured a mature story, it lacked this sense of wonder. Fru is definitely unique in that sense and this is what sets it apart from other games…not to mention how it stands above all other Kinect games out there due to the sheer amount of polish and style baked into the experience. I feel bad for saying this but a few days ago I received Kung-Fu for Kinect, I thought that was the best Kinect game available to consumers. However, I have to take that honor back because Fru is the one you want.
The best way to experience Fru would be to stand up and make sure you have plenty of space available to walk back and front between the Kinect camera and the edge of your room. While Microsoft’s new Kinect camera works in less space, you’ll need to move around the room and make yourself either smaller or larger to complete all challenges. I initially tried to play the game sitting on my couch and while I was successful—when I adopted positions a contortionist would be proud of—it would’ve been much easier just to stand up and play the game properly. Just keep the significant space requirement in mind when playing it. Also, don’t drop your controller when you’re doing some moves as I learned the hard way. Luckily my room is carpeted.
Summary
While Fru might not be as long as you would like, it’s still a phenomenal experience which every Kinect owner should purchase. The hybrid gameplay is great and I wish other Kinect games I’ve played took lessons from Through Games on how to properly incorporate movement into titles. This is what sets the Xbox One apart and I hope Through Games continue to make amazing games like this. They’re a strong studio not only when it comes to their art direction, but also when it comes to technical mastery over the technology available to them. You should definitely support Fru and these amazing developers.
Asher is a games journalist, former News Writer (Gaming) at Windows Central. They contributed 1110 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: wrote over 1,100 ICXM pieces on Xbox news, hardware reviews, and platform commentary before joining Future plc’s Windows Central in 2017.