The actual level design is really good and it’s clear Victor has spent a lot of time making all the various parts work well. I mostly enjoyed the level themes on offer here, only one dream sequence near the middle of the game didn't quite sit right and left me wanting to get back to the more realistic action. As you might expect, these encounters use the various game mechanics as a means to beat the boss, such as ricocheting bullets at weak points of the rear of an otherwise unbeatable enemy. You will make your way across themed levels, usually with a boss fight to close the sequence. The loose story is carried along by the floating banana can also converse with you, well of course it can. There is very little story to grapple with here which is actually fine because the action is where the fun is at. That then allows you to manually aim with the other and easily create the most awesome carnage as you encounter multiple foes. One very cool feature is when you right click and hold on an object: if you are holding duel wielding weapons one will snap to this target. The time slowing gauge also refills quite quickly which leaves you free to enjoy the insane action and plan ever more audacious fight scenes. You can slow time down at will and I am really glad this is in plentiful supply. You start the game with a pistol and will pick up more weapons as you progress, including a dual option for pistols and Uzis. This follows with Victor's goal of making the player feel cool and killing three guys while bouncing bullets off an airborne frying pan is certainly that. The ricochet mechanic is a good example of this because it lets you bounce your firepower off certain surfaces but then there is clearly a level of assistance helping in the background. Thankfully Victor has done a great job of creating in-game systems which give you the freedom conceive insane action sequences, but at the same time don'’t tether you in unforgiving physics. One of the most difficult hurdles a developer has to overcome is to give the player a control system that doesn’t leave them unable to actually play. The first time I saw a trailer for My Friend Pedro, I was left with one resounding question: how the hell does the player get his character to do that! The player had just performed an action sequence that included careering through a window on a skateboard, killing someone with said skateboard while backflipping through the air and killing two other goons with his duel Uzis. However, once the firing starts and you see the whole thing moving, this game looks great with stylish action and satisfying gameplay. Indeed, the game does have a few rough edges here and there. The first thing I did notice about this game is that many of the textures are low resolution and the main character isn't particularly well animated especially when walking. I do remember playing through Max Payne for the first time and enjoying those slow-motion sideways leaps that never got old. He wanted to make a game that gave you the same sense of awe while intense action sequences played out in bullet time. In an interview with IGN Victor explains that this game was influenced by a whole catalogue of films and games: namely Max Payne and The Matrix. It is even more impressive then when you consider that My Friend Pedro is an astoundingly good one. I’m not a game developer but I do have friends that are and to make a game single-handedly is no mean feat. So one of the most incredible things I have learnt this week, aside from the history of somersaults, is that My Friend Pedro was made by one man: a fine chap called Victor Agren.
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