stef

End of July Update!

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a great month. I only got a couple games done but progress is progress!
 

My Friend Pedro

4.1 hours, 20 of 30 achievements
4/5 go on a killing rampage in the city with your friend Pedro... who is a banana...

This was chosen for my Challenge me challenge

My Friend Pedro is a sidescrolling shooter game where you can do a lot of parkour and cool tricks. Watching a quick minute of gameplay will tell you if you will like this game or not. It's not my type of game but I still really enjoyed it. It gives you a score at the end of each level based on how well you did and how stylish you were doing it. I kind of ignored the score so I could focus on playing my own way. If you are a completionist you'll love this even more.

Pedro (the banana) also adds comedy to the game since you are a silent (pro?)tagonist. The game is short and every chapter adds a new element to the game to keep it fresh throughout. I didn't really understand the ending at all, but I enjoyed the ride.

Overall, if you enjoy sidescroller shooters, scoreboards and gore, you might love My Friend Pedro. I recommend this on sale. Off sale its a little steep for 20 USD but its a very unique game.


Kentucky Route Zero

16.1 hours, 11 of 24 achievements
4/5 a dog, a skeleton, a bar, oh my!

This was chosen for my Play or Pay challenge

I have an interesting relationship with this game. I won it on steamgifts 6 years ago! I played it instantly after I won it before they released chapter 4 and 5. I didn't realize that the game had a reputation of releasing chapters late. Apparantly it took 9 years to release all the chapters. soo.. I marked it as finished after beating chapter 4. Finally years later they released chapter 5, but I forgot about the game entirely! So when it was picked in POP for me I was super excited. Plus they added achievements! Was the entire thing worth the wait? I definitely think so.

Without spoiling the story, Kentucky Route Zero is a point and click game featuring a man named Conway and his dog, on their last trip to deliver a package. From there kicks off a magical realist journey about capitilism, sacrifice, friendship, and the unknown.

Overall I loved this game! But I'm going to break down the good and the bad because it is not a game for everyone.

Pros:
I enjoyed the dialogue and the characters. I like that at several points in the game you can get different character perspectives depending on who you choose. The soundtrack is great. Both atmospheric, chilling and nostalgic in a lot of ways. The game has a lot of interesting surreal ways to give its narrative. I enjoy games that get creative or metaphorical, but its more like a storybook or a piece of art with a message, then a standard video game.

Cons:
The game can be very confusing. It leans in on its magical realism so its hard to tell what is real and what is not. I know thats the point, but the narrative jumps around often and the story left me very confused. I did have to look up some things, which may just be a personal experience but I know I'm not the only one confused often by the narrative. Also, the game feels very sluggish. The characters walk slow, some parts drag on. It can get boring at parts.

Overall I still really enjoyed it. I like games that experiment and try new things so I knew it was something special to me when I played it 6 years ago. This game is not for everyone and it does have its faults. I would 100% recommend it on sale because of that.


Bangledeschler

I’m glad some people have been able to enjoy KRZ especially considering the wait time. I did something similar as marking beaten as it seemed the fifth chapter would never released. However, I was not so enthused by having to do the run back, I was fairly over it by that point. Very much agree with you that it is good that it takes such a different approach and experimentation.

Keep up the good work.

stef

Yeah I agree. I was annoyed at first but luckily I didn’t remember a single thing about the game so the run back didn’t feel so tedious. I think they should have just waited for the full game to release instead of doing chapters, but at least its done now

devonrv

Overall, if you enjoy sidescroller shooters…you will love My Friend Pedro.

I’d caution against saying stuff like that if it’s not your type of game. I consider myself a fan of side-scrolling shooters, but when I played My Friend Pedro, I found it to be very repetitive and boring, with much of what little challenge it has coming from the fact that you can’t really avoid most enemy bullets due to their speed (and due to the fact that you have to stop dodge-spinning to fight back effectively).

stef

Understandable. I changed it to “you might love My Friend Pedro.” I would hope that people do watch a clip of gameplay before buying, especially since my reviews are my personal enjoyment of games, and I have very limited experience with side scrolling shooters.

Kaleith

Do you usually get motion sick in games? I looked into Pedro multiple times but the hectic action makes it look like I really wouldn’t enjoy it

stef

I don’t get motion sickness. Yeah the game has a lot of slow motion and fast paced segments with lots of movement. I definetely would not recommend it if you get motion sick.

Andy

Never heard of My Friend Pedro, looks like a fun short game :)