I agree with the notion that a lot of games like this basically owe their existence to
EarthBound [Mother 2 ギーグの逆襲] and
Undertale (especially considering the developer herself is working on
Deltarune), but I like how the game knows exactly what it is.
Franken is a cute, free, short, and sweet RPG with extremely simplistic combat and great writing.
The focus is on the characters and, according to the dev on twitter, whatever she thought was funny to write. Although there are items to help your (not-so-silent) protagonist in the adventure, they only serve to deal more damage or get past an obstacle, and nothing can be swapped out. Even though
Franken is a gag-fest, it never tries to convince you that it's more than what it is. The game doesn't try to go above and beyond, but it never misses.
Speaking of never missing, the writing is hilarious, and I appreciate that the gags aren't all "VIDEO GAMES AM I RIGHT?" that these Earthtales (quirky RPGS) often fall back on. The art is also stellar: the designs follow the standard tropes of a JRPG, but are visually distinct and extremely pleasant to look at (the final bosses, in particular, kick ass).
I'm trying to find more words to say about this game, but talking any more would be spoiling this one-hour experience. If you have not checked it out yet and have an hour to spare, I highly recommend doing so. I look forward to seeing a more fleshed-out experienced from Splendidland, especially if the writing is this good already.
I'm sure for most that's a much better thing but I am so tired of indie pixelshit anti-games