My Friend Pedro is a 2019 video game that involves running and shooting. It was created by a Swedish company called DeadToast Entertainment and released by Devolver Digital. The game was made available for Nintendo Switch and Windows on June 20, 2019, and for Xbox One on December 5, 2019. A version for PlayStation 4 was released on April 2, 2020. My Friend Pedro is based on an earlier Adobe Flash game called MFP: My Friend Pedro, which was released by Adult Swim Games in 2014.
A free-to-play version of the game, called My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge, was released for iOS and Android devices on August 5, 2021.
Gameplay
The game My Friend Pedro involves the player moving through different themed levels while fighting enemies, as requested by a talking banana named Pedro.
The game builds upon the gameplay from a previous flash game, including similar controls, mechanics, and weapons. Players can now slow time, kick objects or enemies, split their focus between targets, and dodge bullets by spinning. The game also includes parkour movements, such as flips, wall jumps, and rolls, which help players earn more points. Another new feature allows players to defeat enemies by bouncing bullets off frying pans or signs, which also increases their score.
Players earn points for each successful hit, and each enemy kill increases the point multiplier. After completing each level, players receive a rank based on their total points, which is displayed on a global leaderboard.
Plot
The game starts with a masked, unnamed character who cannot speak waking up inside a butcher shop owned by a man named Mitch. A floating banana named Pedro tells the character that Mitch is an arms dealer and must be killed. After leaving the shop and killing Mitch, the character goes to district Null, an old community project that is no longer used. There, the character meets Denny and his group of bounty hunters. When the character confronts Denny, Denny runs away but says his sister, Ophelia, controls the Internet. The character then goes through the sewers to fight Ophelia. After defeating her, it is revealed that the character has been killing his own family members: Mitch was his father, Denny was his brother, and Ophelia was his sister. Pedro explains that the character hated his family for their crimes but could not kill them. To avoid feeling guilty, he knocked himself unconscious and erased his memory so he could kill his family without knowing who they were. When Pedro shares this, he tries to make the character shoot himself. The final battle shows the character struggling to resist Pedro’s influence. After defeating Pedro, the character removes his mask, revealing that he was Pedro all along. The banana was not real but a part of his imagination.
Development
My Friend Pedro began development in February 2015, with work happening sometimes until a blog post on December 4, 2015, announced that development would become more active. On November 21, 2015, it was shared that the game was in the early development phase and planned for release on PC and later on macOS computers.
Reception
The game My Friend Pedro received "mostly positive reviews" from the review website Metacritic. IGN's Mitchell Saltzman gave it a score of 8.5 out of 10, stating that it "feels great to play," but noted that the story mode is not very fun to play again.
The game was nominated for the "Fresh Indie Game" award with DeadToast Entertainment at The Game Awards 2019.
Television series
On July 2, 2020, it was announced that DJ2 Entertainment, David Leitch, and Derek Kolstad will produce a television series based on a video game. The series will be an R-rated show, meaning it is intended for adults only. The show will mix drama and comedy, and Derek Kolstad will serve as the head writer and producer of the series.