Review: PEPPERED: an existential platformer
Every Choice Can Lead to the Worst Possible Path
PEPPERED: An Existential Platformer is one of those games that manages to surprise you just when you think you already understand where the story is heading. The game stands out for the intelligence with which it handles its narrative possibilities. There are paths where you try to do everything right and still end up in a completely absurd situation, while certain decisions that initially seem wrong can lead to much more interesting outcomes. The story constantly plays with these expectations and never treats the player as someone who needs to have every answer handed to them. It is an incredibly original and creative narrative, filled with situations that make you want to find out what would have happened if you had chosen differently.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay in PEPPERED is technically simple, but it works very well within the game's overall design. The platforming relies on basic actions such as jumping, crouching, sliding, and gliding, while the player moves through the environments looking for the next point of progression and interacting with objects. Life Stars are also an important part of this structure, serving both as a means of progression and as part of some of the game's narrative possibilities. There is no huge variety of movements or complex systems, but the combination of these mechanics creates a very enjoyable experience.
What really sets this structure apart is the way the platforming and narrative constantly alternate. At certain moments, I am simply focused on making my way through an area, finding a star, or figuring out how to reach a particular point. At others, my attention shifts completely toward a story-related decision. This balance works especially well because the game never tries to turn every moment into a massive challenge. The simplicity of the gameplay leaves room for what really drives the experience: finding out what happens next.
Even with such a streamlined platforming structure, there is always the feeling that there might be something hidden waiting to be found or an NPC who has something interesting to tell you. The choices also work as a gameplay mechanic in their own right. At one point, you can simply walk out the door instead of following the expected path of the job interview, and that decision puts the protagonist in a completely different situation involving the theft of a star and a police pursuit. From there, the consequences begin to pile up and can lead to different endings. Even situations involving defeats and failures can affect how the adventure develops, meaning that replaying certain sections is not simply about trying again, but also about discovering another narrative possibility.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The achievements in PEPPERED are quite simple and do not require mastery of specific mechanics or particularly complex challenges. The list is directly connected to the game's narrative structure, encouraging the player to discover everything the adventure has to offer through its different choices and endings. Completing most of them requires exploring the various possibilities of the story and understanding how certain decisions alter the path you take. There is also an achievement tied to completing the game more thoroughly, which requires greater exploration, but overall, the list works much more as an incentive to discover the narrative branches than as a series of challenges separate from the main campaign.
TRAILER OFFICIAL
FINAL THOUGHTS
The way the endings are structured, the consequences of your decisions, and the possibility of taking on different roles within the story are excellent. The idea of starting out as someone simply trying to get a job and, depending on your choices, climbing the ranks until the company itself becomes part of your fate is incredibly creative. And when everything seems to go wrong, the game still finds ways to turn those decisions into new possibilities. The situations involving the police officer are also great, especially his relationship with his own boss, as he is constantly trying to get permission to simply shoot the protagonist while being met with one "no" after another.
Overall, PEPPERED was one of the most interesting games I have played when it comes to storytelling. It has an extremely well-crafted narrative, never underestimates the player, and creates enough curiosity to make you want to discover other paths, other endings, and even the small hidden details scattered throughout its environments. Even with its simplified gameplay, there is a lot of charm in the way it supports the narrative, and the sheer number of situations that can emerge from your choices makes the experience feel much larger than its initial structure might suggest.
SCORE: 8.5/10
Review by Gamertag: SCOULZ
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