The Pedestrian Review

Intuition: quick and acute perception. This review will start with this short, simple, but absolutely impactful definition. The word intuition is, in my opinion, perfectly fitting to talk about Skookum Arts’ title. This is a puzzle platform title with a very strong style and personality. It can keep players glued to the screen for the entire duration of the game. However, how next-gen is this title? Let’s find out! Here is my The Pedestrian review on PlayStation 5.

PASSION = POTENTIAL

This is a title that released on January 29, 2020 for PC. Skookum Arts’ title enjoyed great interest from users with it having overwhelmingly positive votes on Steam. During a State of Play in the month of August 2020, they announced the availability of the game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The trailer that they released was very captivating. The title then officially released on January 29, 2021 for both Sony consoles.

This is a nice step forward for a studio like Skookum Arts that gave birth to the game. The potential that they are showing is very good. I think this is purely because of the amount of passion the developers have for creating games. The Pedestrian has a strong and decisive concept that tries to give an extra and new nuance to a genre. This genre is that of puzzle platforms, which always needs innovation, intuition, and ability.

ART BECOMES MAGIC

I started my The Pedestrian review by talking about intuition. The guys from Skookum Arts had an intuition, and a very brilliant one too! The concept behind the creation of this title is perhaps the element that most convinced me. Even just thinking of making a video game in these terms and with these ideas earns the software house a modest applause. In this game, you will need to select a character, either male or female. Take note that you will go through and face a series of levels with this character. This, so far, is nothing new.

However, the design of the character itself is where the magic happens. You will have a stylized male/female that recalls, in all respects, the men drawn on the various road signs. Your task will be to overcome a series of levels. These levels are waiting for you in the different panels, signs, various small circuits, and traffic lights. This is all with the possibility of combining and connecting the various parts.

POINT AND CLICK

The platforming phases in The Pedestrian are all in 2D. Take note that they are all based on fairly classic canons with decidedly innovative contexts. The signs and panels within which you will move, will host small levels with bouncing platforms, moveable elements to reach certain points, and much more. In short, these are all characteristics of classic platforming games.

However, everything becomes much more interesting, and also more complex, when you need to combine these same panels with each other. The puzzle phases, in fact, offer very stimulating puzzles and without repetition. In Skookum Arts’ title, you will have to connect the various panels through a simple point and click system. This system is very straightforward to use! When you create the correct combination, the game will allow you to go to the end of the level.

GOOD AND BAD MECHANICS

The game introduces the mechanics with a proper cadence. It gives the player unique elements one bite at a time. Take note that you will have the opportunity to digest and assimilate that element before moving on to the next. This is definitely a strength that avoids a possible sense of loss and confusion. Unfortunately, there is a mechanic that Skookum Arts slightly forces on you.

You will have the possibility to overlap some panels and, through a sort of portal, you can transfer to the panels you have overlapped. All the other mechanics fit perfectly with the puzzle concepts put in place. However, in my opinion, implementing this mechanic was not very intuitive. By playing The Pedestrian, you will understand why.

CREATIVE MODE

PlayStation’s DualSense controller is, in my opinion, potentially the most interesting feature of the next generation consoles. Making the most of this sometimes “game changing” feature is therefore an obligation for developers. This is especially true when creating PlayStation 5 titles. Skookum Arts made use of these features in The Pedestrian, but only to a minimal extent.

The haptic feedback is noticeable but, besides this, I did not find any other elements. Despite the excellent potential of the title, this is a real setback for me! In my opinion, the developers needed to add a sort of creative mode to the game. A mode like this will give the player the possibility to create first-person levels with all the panels, signs, traffic lights, and signals made available during the campaign.

This would definitely expand the longevity of the title! This would also perhaps offer online access to the various levels created by the community, without necessarily having to increase the hours of the campaign itself. Furthermore, this would also give the possibility to enjoy more of the splendid artistic sector and the excellent style that The Pedestrian presents.

Of course, all this could be possible if players also see the potential in the title. This will also improve the income that the team will receive to create an improved game. However, this all remains an idea and what I feel the game needs to survive. Sometimes, as a developer, you need to think a little bigger as soon as possible. One last note: the music is very pleasant, never disturbing, and the performance of the title is perfect!

Do you want to try Skookum Arts’ The Pedestrian? What do you think of my The Pedestrian review on PlayStation 5? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Are you interested in more games? Check out our reviews for Hitman 3, Morbid: The Seven Acolytes, When The Past Was Around, Infernal Radiation, Chronos Before The Ashes, El Hijo – A Wild West Tale, Haven, DOOM Eternal, and Super Meat Boy Forever.