My Friend Pedro, what a crazy game, I really don’t know where to begin. However, I suppose I should begin with the story (as bare bones as it may be). It’s about a man that goes on a mass killing spree because his imaginary banana friend, named Pedro tells him too. That’s it, that’s the main plot of My Friend Pedro and it couldn’t be better suited for this Max Payne influenced, side-scrolling banana, bloodbath shooter.
Each level is as fast and frantic as the gameplay action itself, it’s a game that you could easily spend a couple of hours with at a time and its ideal for a quick blast of ten to twenty minutes or so in between things. It’s a great way for this game to be structured, especially being an ideal game to play on the go for a console such as the Nintendo Switch. Basically, the principle of each level is to run from start to finish in the quickest time possible, killing as many enemies as you can, all in the best time with added style. Then at the end of each mission, your progress will be broken down and you will be given a grade. This alone urges you to replay the many missions in the hope of beating previous scores.
As you blast your way through a mission, by just running and gunning, might not get you very far, so you’ll have to utilise the skills and abilities available to you, to the best of your ability. As already mentioned, influenced by games such as Max Payne, you can slow-down time to maximise damage and precision. Though you can’t slow down all of the time, as you’ll have to keep an eye on your gauge. You’ll also be able to duel-wield firearms too, from handguns, Uzi’s, shotguns and more. The spit-aiming feature is of the utmost importance, as you use both analogue sticks and the shoulder button to take down multiple targets, which is an absolute blast.
As gung-ho as the action is, if you just run and gun with the odd slow-down later in the campaign, you will die rather quickly. So by using the environments around you to wall run and jump, hit explosives, ricochet bullets and even kick severed heads, you will be taking down enemies like a pro. It will also be handy to use the dodge button to ballet spin your way through bullets like you’re dancing on ice. During the first twenty minutes or so, you might get your fingers in a twist by trying to pull of the stunts, while aiming, but when it all clicks, there are not many games as satisfying and fun as My Friend Pedro.
As you delve deeper into the game, you’ll start to realise that your platforming skills will be put to the test and there will be some puzzle elements thrown in too, as well as some quite wacky levels, even for a game such as this one. These elements certainly help with the games pacing, by breaking up the gameplay from time to time, rather than just running and shooting from the whole duration from A to B. It’s this surprising level of twists and turns that keeps you going from start to finish with its enthralling and high octane gameplay.
Visually, My Friend Pedro is a joy to behold and credit must be given to the artist and developers at Deadtoast. For a game as fast and frantic as this one, it performs at very a smooth framerate, whether you’re playing docked or handheld. Naturally, the game does look a little smoother docked, but that’s the same for just about any Nintendo Switch title. Finally, the soundtrack is fantastic and does a great job in keeping your adrenaline pumping throughout.
In conclusion the story of My Friend Pedro is pure madness, which is a perfect fit for a game as insane as this one. Its blend of violent, slow-motion, ballet-spinning, split-aiming shooting is quite like nothing that you’ll find on the market and it will keep you hooked for hours on end. This is a blood bath from start to finish and having a talking banana as your imaginary friend whispering in your ear is the icing on the cake. My Friend Pedro is one of the most stylish, crazy shooters that you’ll play this year and it most certainly deserves to be in your collection. At the time of writing, My Friend Pedro is only available for PC and Nintendo Switch, so I’m hoping that more formats will follow, because this game deserves to be played by as many people as possible.