Whether or not the slow-mo effect that movies like the The Matrix made popular in the early 2000s is dead or not, slow-mo in video games has been a long-surviving feature. It can help players strategize their plan of attack in games like SUPERHOT or just provide a moment to enjoy gloriously gory details as accomplished in Tripwire’s Killing Floor series. During their absolutely insane and hilarious E3 press conference, publisher Devolver Digital unveiled the just-as-crazy debut trailer for My Friend Pedro from indie developer DeadToast Entertainment.
From the developer’s website,
My Friend Pedro is a violent ballet about friendship, imagination, and one man’s struggle to obliterate anyone in his path at the behest of a sentient banana. The strategic use of split aiming, slow motion, and the ol’ stylish window breach create one sensational action sequence after another in an explosive battle through the violent underworld.
The timing for this title is great being that we live in a decade where beautifully brutal media like the recent Deadpool movies have successfully hit mainstream success. DeadToast Entertainment is the sole work of Victor Ågren, former collaborator of Media Molecule, the creators of the Little Big Planet series. Ågren initially started DeadToast Entertainment to release his first experimental titles in the early 2000s.
Clearly, Ågren’s experience over the years as lead him to master the intricacies of good and accurate game mechanics. As seen in the frying-pan-blasting example below, the physics for My Friend Pedro have been meticulously executed.
One question that arises is whether or not the player’s bullets can be self-harming. This could add some challenge in the game so as to have the player truly feel like a dead-eye badass. It also seems that players will have control over the direction each arm/hand can point to. One could assume this would be best executed through the use of controller analog sticks. All in all, the initial trailer shows great promise with over-the-top stunts and platforming that go hand in hand with varied gunplay action.
My Friend Pedro is currently in development and will be available for Nintendo Switch and PC some time in 2019. Presently, Steam has a product page up.