We analyze The Pedestrian, a superb puzzle game that hits full with excellent mechanics and a very original and attractive staging.
A few days ago, in the Reviews of that jewel of the videogame world that is Kentucky Route Zero, we congratulated all the good that the independent sector of the medium has brought to it. Undoubtedly, the genre of puzzle games, in its many possible variants, has been one of the most benefited from it. Mr. Jonathan Blow entertained us in full irruption of what became known as the indie explosion with that timeless classic that was the wonderful Braid, and a couple of years ago he offered us another wonder of the puzzles as it was the evocative and immersive The Witness The good people of Croteam abandoned the shots of the Serious Sam saga to give us the colossal puzzle game The Talos Principle, masterfully melting puzzles with philosophy and existentialism in one of our favorite games of this generation that begins to give its last strokes. Other jewels of the genre were the great The Turing Test, with an excellent science fiction setting that posed the dilemma of what differentiates us from machines, or the superb, original to rage and merciless Stephen's Sausage Roll, never cooking sausages supposed so many headaches and at the same time it turned out to be such a satisfying activity.
Precisely, if something must be highlighted of all of them, in addition to the quality that they overflow on all four sides, is the variety of their proposals and their ways of capturing them. Sharing gender, very diverse titles result, with their own mechanics and developments, without even sharing perspective in many cases. This is one of the reasons why we adore gender and all that the imaginative independent sector has contributed to it. And it is precisely for this reason that this phenomenal puzzle game that the small independent developer Skookum Arts has created has conquered us. With a groundbreaking staging, fresh and personal as few, and great mechanics in constant variation, this The Pedestrian that has surprised us so much is not only one of the best puzzle games we have played in a long time, it is also One of the titles that has made us enjoy lately. Of course, we warn you that we are facing a new essential of the genre, a game that we recommend without the slightest hint of doubt and that we guarantee that you will spend some wonderful hours if you like to wind your brains.
Moving around the city in a new perspective
The Pedestrian is a groundbreaking title since its very staging. The original proposal of the title invites us to handle the typical sign monigote by a series of posters, blackboards and similar elements, in two dimensions as can only be done in these elements, but in turn we see a detailed three-dimensional representation of the world around them , in a wide variety of urban and industrial environments. The contrast between two-dimensionality of the posters through which we move and the three-dimensional representation of the environments where they are located is something worth seeing and that is really spectacular and leaves really beautiful moments, reinforced effect on transitions when we move between areas. This original commitment to such a fresh and personal approach is the first and enormous success of the title. We are facing a puzzle game with one of the most attractive packaging we remember.
Such a success would be in vain if it were not accompanied by the proper mechanics, something vital in a puzzle game. And the truth is that at the playable level The Pedestrian is a genius. The mechanics are as fresh as their staging, and in fact this staging is what marks the initial mechanics of the game. Our goal will be to advance through the little signs we find, collecting various objects at some points. The different posters or panels have several points of entry and exit, represented by doors and stairs. Uniting these transition zones between them, we must create our route to move forward. That said, it may not sound too attractive, but we guarantee that we have rarely had such a pleasant feeling solving puzzles in a video game.
By pressing a button we can alternate between two forms of control: in one we handle a pointer, which will allow us to move the panels across the screen and join the different inputs and outputs of them. Pressing this button again, we move directly to the puppet to the puppet (you can choose the sex of our avatar) to move and move through the posters. The basic rules are that if a sign has an exit for example on the right, we can only connect that output with one that has an input on the left, and said panels must be located so that the first one is physically left of the second. Once we go through a transition between panels with the stick, if we undo it to make another connection, the puzzle is restarted. This duality between placing and joining the panels and handling the avatar is very satisfactory, both in situations where we take our time to order and join the panels calmly and then control the character to move from the beginning to the end of that puzzle, as in those where we must alternate the two control modes and move forward as we reorganize everything.
We guarantee it. It is complex to express with words, but we assure you that the playable proposal of this magnificent puzzle game is an absolute genius. In addition, we will soon see that it combines with switches, mechanisms, cubes and lasers in the best tradition of the genre, to season the great puzzles of the game with elements that make them even more attractive. But it is that the best of all is that from this base, which as we already told you is very good, The Pedestrian is constantly introducing novel mechanics to give the game a new twist and force us to think things again when we believed We already had them dominated. Development never falls into tedium, it always surprises us with something new, and it knows how to introduce these new mechanics in an appropriate and staggered way, without the need for any tutorial or explanation beyond presenting them effectively.
One of the things that makes a puzzle title really great is that sense of satisfaction that comes from solving the puzzles it poses. The Pedestrian is in this sense an absolute triumph of the genre, with some great puzzles, raised in a staggered way and always logical, with a progressive difficulty, demanding at times but that is always well measured and although it will demand the best of our neurons. catch up to find the solution to that enigma we face. And we repeat, the feeling of satisfaction we feel when we get it is huge, and it leaves us with the feeling that we really enjoy ourselves while we squeeze our brains.
The Zen puzzle
As much as we insist throughout this text, we will never do justice to the phenomenal and personal staging of The Pedestrian. The fusion between two-dimensional elements in the form of posters, blackboards and the like that we move through, with detailed and varied three-dimensional environments is one of the most attractive. The perspective of the city and other environments that this fusion throws is enormously original, and leaves surprising moments and of great beauty, it is special in certain transitions between scenarios very well achieved and that are spectacular. The amazing visual set of the game is wonderful, and it makes us see with a new approach everyday prints that we never imagined that would be embodied in this way.
The successful musical selection does a great job of accompaniment while we squeeze our brains, and it works dynamically, so that it increases in emphasis when we solve a puzzle, increasing our sense of satisfaction. The music is relaxing, emotional and evocative, and in conjunction with the staging and the challenge proposed by the title, all these elements reinforce each other to bring the enjoyment of the title to a kind of Zen experience.
In the title must few things we can throw in face. What hurt us most is that it becomes sadly short. In just 5-6 hours we have completed it. Dciha sadness is reinforced by the fact that the game ends just when it gets better, when it gives the final twist to proposal, and leaves us wanting much more. It is also true that he could have made some more effort at the narrative level, trying to tell more about what he does. In any case, given how much it has made us enjoy and the way in which it has completely trapped us while we have played it, along with its more than adjusted sale price of 16.79 euros, we not only forgive these defects, if not that we place it in the pantheon of the best puzzle games in a more than deserved way. If you like the genre, or you just want to give it to the coconut while you enjoy a groundbreaking and the most attractive staging, The Pedestrian is one of the best options you have today.
Code supplied by GOG
CONCLUSION
The Pedestrian has been a sovereign surprise, becoming one of our favorite puzzle games, and being one of the titles that has made us enjoy lately. With a tremendously fresh and original staging, its puzzles show off some basic mechanics that work great to pose fantastic and challenging puzzles, but it also knows how to constantly introduce new mechanics and elements to your proposal so that this Always stay fresh and catch us completely. Because of the well measured and raised challenge it offers, it turns out to be one of the most satisfactory exponents of the genre. Its mixture of two-dimensional development in posters and blackboards with three-dimensional environments leaves moments of great beauty and originality. Too bad we get a little short and finish when it gets better, because it could have rubbed without problems with the titans of the genre. Even so, for us it is a real must and one of the most recommended titles to give the coconut in a really satisfactory way.
THE BEST
- Its staging is really attractive, fresh and original.
- Their mechanics work great, and they are constantly evolving and adding new elements to the mix.
- Its development is masterfully designed to be a stepped, demanding and really satisfying challenge to solve.
WORST
- We have been short, and ends when it gets better somewhat accelerated.
- I could have made a greater narrative effort.
Very good
Remarkable game that we will enjoy and remember. A good purchase, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well taken care of at all levels.
