My Friend Pedro Review: A Bloody Banana Masterpiece

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch

Release Date: June 20th, 2019

Reviewed On: PC

Developer: DeadToast Entertainment

Publisher: Devolver Digital

Price: $19.99

My Friend Pedro is a heart-pounding shooter/platformer from DeadToast Entertainment and published by the always humorous Devolver Digital. This game has been one of the most anticipated Indie titles in recent memory, but does it live up to expectations? Let’s dive in and talk about it.

Gameplay

My Friend Pedro really shines through in the gameplay and is absolutely what makes this game a one of a kind experience. The mix of platforming and gunplay is almost perfect, with some levels having a heavier platforming focus causing you to slow down and think about how you progress. While some levels are just absolute bloodbaths with a large number of enemies filling the level from front to back.  This variety really helps change up the pacing of the game and makes it feel fresh from front to back. It is also worth noting that there are some straight up strange levels that will leave you….well confused. However, it really makes the game a great laugh as you slaughter enemies in some of the most bizarre worlds.

Gunplay is very dynamic and responsive, with a focus on using slow motion and “split-aiming” while using akimbo weapons to quickly dispatch large batches of bad guys. The weapon variety is well thought out, as throughout the game you will get a variety of weapons that can change how you play. From snipers to assault rifles there is no shortage of ways to dispatch enemies. However, some of the less traditional ways of killing enemies are the most fun. As demonstrated in this clip below, using a frying pan to deflect bullets at enemies you could not shoot otherwise adds a whole new layer of fun to the gameplay.

The Matrix-style slow motion gives you plenty of opportunities to approach certain scenarios very differently. With a scoring system that encourages you to try to get the highest combo possible. I found myself replaying some levels and trying to chain every encounter into one epic combo. It added a great level of replayability and really pushes the arcade style of the game.

Story

The story revolves around you waking up in a basement of a mob-style boss as you are about to be “taken care of”. You awake to a banana named Pedro who is determined to help you free yourself and to punish those responsible. Through twists and turns the story takes a side to the amazing gameplay, however, Pedro is always there to inject humor into the situation. There is also one hell of a plot twist, that may take some players by surprise. Overall the story doesn’t take itself too seriously and seems to understand that players are here for the matrix style action and not a deep think story on society as a whole.

Audio

The soundtrack in My Friend Pedro is full of pounding electronic vibes, which when mixed with the dynamic Matrix-esque gameplay. It is nothing short of perfection. Whether you are playing through the game for the first time and taking your time or trying to speed run the level to get the best score. The soundtrack thumps along with you on your murderous adventure. A small detail that really made me laugh out loud, was during a set of levels you use a set of bounce pads the actually make the vocalization of “boing”. I was amused by this for much longer then I should have been.


Graphics

The game has a very smooth and unique art style. Having a variety of dark and bright environments with some great gore effects to splatter your foes across some very memorable worlds. While the game is not insanely detailed in terms of graphical fidelity, the game runs flawlessly. In my entire time with the game, I only had two crashes in the first level which were fixed after rebooting my computer. The game has smooth and seamless framerate, which is very important in order for the gunplay to feel tight. With no frame drops, and only 2 crashes which never reappeared again, in terms of quality I felt very impressed especially considering the game is from a smaller indie developer.

Summary 

My Friend Pedro is an absolute must play if you are a fan of arcade style shooters. With big action, great humor and some serious head-scratching moments. It truly was one of the most unforgettable games I have played this year.

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