PAX EAST 2023 | "Bread & Fred"
Teamwork makes the dream work, and the dream of two certain penguins is to get to the top of a mountain. Bread & Fred, the latest game from the legends at Apogee Entertainment, brings a new level of co-op to the pixel-filled tundras. At PAX East, members of SandCastles Studio was on-hand to showcase the first part of Bread & Fred, with myself playing with one of their developers. Even in the first part, it’s clear that these two penguins have their work cut out for them!
The object of the game is to work together to reach the summit. With some handy commands, one can set a three-second timer to get your partner to jump in unison with you. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you’ll avoid jumping the gun too soon, with the result being a massive plummet to the bottom! Fortunately, if you desire it, you can plant a flag to mark a checkpoint, and be brought back there if needed.
It’s when you have to make larger leaps where Bread & Fred showcases its biggest challenges. With one penguin tethered to the top, another must spin around at the right speed to make it to the next ledge. At times it can be tough to time it right, whereas other times you’ll have to just gun for it when you heart tells ya. But the hardest part will arrive when will have to quickly go from one ledge to the next, as you take turns holding onto the wall whilst the other swings for the next part. Considering there’s a limit to how long you can hold on, these moments can be considered the toughest!
Vocal teamwork is perhaps the most important part of Bread & Fred. This is not the kind of game where you and your buddy sit there silently and play; you’ve gotta be in perfect synch if you want to get to the highest peak of the mountain. It will result in plenty of emotions being on display, ranging from cheers of victory to screams of agony! Thankfully, Bread & Fred is all in good fun…maybe.
As my demo was finishing up, the team showed me what the single player mode was like. What I witnessed made me sweat bullets, as one penguin was tethered to a rock that they had to throw in order to get to the next ledge. Whomever can master that, I salute them! Me, I might break a few TVs if I tried my hand at that!
Nevertheless, Bread & Fred is shaping to be a charming-yet-difficult adventure. These two penguins will steal your heart, but they may also steal years from your life every time you fail at a big jump. If you have a great gaming buddy close by, then you might be set. However, if you attempt this game solo, then you’ll be in a world of frustration! But maybe its cute visuals will be comforting enough during those tough times…?
Bread & Fred has no set release date, but those who dare attempt to summit the mountain can give a demo a go on its Steam page. Good luck. You’ll need it.
