For fans of action movies and stylish shooters that have wanted to experience The Matrix as a side-scroller, My Friend Pedro is a go, and at the current price point, it’s almost easy to recommend. Just move on to a higher difficulty after a while and on your repeat plays.
Yes, the mechanics were done well, but the repetitive music and the control hiccups had a way of grating on me after a while. The game was enjoyable but just slightly bare. A few more varied musical tracks over the different stages and tightening up of the controls would go a long way here.
I think I’d be less chaffed by the lack of any world building if the game didn’t start off by making me feel like there would be more in that aspect. Why have a talking sword that just delivers the same 3 or 4 lines randomly? Mix this with the frustration of the dungeon design and mini-map issues and I soon wondered what reasons the game was giving me to want to get through this struggle. There wasn’t really anything.
There are lots of unique and sometimes ridiculous playstyles you can find yourself in depending on your choices. Cynical, repetitive, and pretty fun once you get into the groove, 20XX is easy to pick up and worth sinking some time into.
Moonlighter was a joy of feverish repetition that somehow kept itself feeling fresh the whole 15 hours I spent with it.
Between the fresh story and a cast of characters that felt well-fleshed out with their sometimes whimsical sometimes serious dialogue, I was able to get lost in The Alliance Alive in a way I haven’t in ages. A good mix of past and present is found here, redrawing pieces of stories we’ve seen before and twisting them enough to make something that felt brand new.
I hope to see this game tightened up a bit because it was truly disappointing how the core gameplay mechanics and pacing kept prodding me awake when all I wanted to do was dream. I wanted see more and know more, but it would require more patience than it earned from me to see it fully uncovered.
I’d recommend it be kept in any game night’s roulette to be whipped out randomly, enthusiastically, and often. Perfect for the holidays or any gathering of friends and family.