Where the game’s problems mainly lie is that there really isn’t anything more to offer in regards to extra content. Simply finishing the rather short campaign allows the freedom to concentrate on earning that shiny S rank without the impatient curiosity of where the game leads next. With that said, beating the game the first time around soon shows its strength and weakness. However, My Friend Pedro plays at its best when simply working from one end to the other with little else to think about outside slaying enemies as quickly and as stylishly as possible.
The shift in gears by diversifying the formula in an effort not become too familiar does bring with it some pleasant surprises along the way. Such moments can provide a nice break from the grungy tones of abandoned buildings where villains stereotypically hang out. The gameplay can sometimes tread into bizarre subliminal territories as an excuse to temporarily introduce a small variety of new mechanics. The key ability here, of course, is the slow-motion bullet-time feature – a rather generous meter-filled skill that not only helps keep the tide flowing in the player’s favor but also helps to make the action look and feel badass as hell. Pedro’s pal can then concentrate on showing off his evasive skills such as somersaulting over a staircase, rolling across the floor, wall jumping towards his next victim, or salsa-spinning his way through a swarm of gunfire. Aiming is done with the right stick, while pointing two pistols towards separate goons is executed by automatically locking onto either one of them with the ZL Button. The controls themselves are simple enough to grasp and easily customizable to suit the player’s taste.
This quickly leads the way into dozens of scenarios of stylish bloodshed, skateboard shootouts, and a reign of hellfire that’s easy to pick up and seductively difficult to master.
After familiarizing the mysterious masked vigilante with a taste for blood, Pedro advises that he may as well carry on regardless and finish what he has started. We start off with our unnamed protagonist waking up from a dazed stupor only to be greeted by the fruitful personality of Pedro himself. Yet, while the action stays diverse, replayable, and moreishly satisfying from beginning to end, it just seems to fall a clip or two short from reaching its true potential. An escapade of acrobatic athleticism coached by an almost choreographed firework display of shrapnel and gunpowder. It’s like a side-scrolling Max Payne infused with the murderous talents of John Wick. Originally starting out in life as an Adobe flash game, My Friend Pedro allows the player to live out their gun-toting fantasies of John Woo classics, Matrix-style gunplay, and the dynamic flow of Equilibrium. But, rather than drag us along for a quick pint that leads into a three-day bender full of good times and regret, Pedro would much rather see us massacre a horde of thugs like Chow Yun Fat in a church full of white doves and Desert Eagle handguns. They can make us feel pretty good about ourselves at times when it matters most, or happily lead us into mischief with a corrupt motive to fuel our own ego. We all have that friend who is just as bad an influence as they are a reliable crutch of support.
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