I was hoping I'd get the chance to play this at some point. "The Pedestrian" first caught my eye during a PlayStation State of Play showcase in August 2020. At the time, I had no clue the game had previously been released on PC, and I thought it was a totally new thing coming to PlayStation, but I was pretty enthralled by it. It was a unique-looking puzzle-platformer mix taking place across a variety of 2D signs. It looked wildly different from anything I had seen up to that point, and it was something I definitely wanted to play. So would you believe me if I told you I never got around to playing it until just yesterday when it came to Xbox Game Pass? Yeah, sorry, I play a lot of games and some slip through the cracks. Still, I'm glad I finally got to try it, and I can say that while it wasn't the mind-blowing experience I expected, it was still pretty good.
"The Pedestrian" is a pretty unique take on the puzzle-platformer right off the bat. A 2D adventure where you venture entirely through signs is definitely pretty clever, and the overall platforming gameplay is pretty solid. The puzzles themselves do a very nice job of testing your brain without becoming overly difficult, allowing the game to feel like a nice entry-level puzzle game. I also liked the minimalist approach: at times, you might not even tell that the narrative is there, but I think it's crafted subtly and the minimal approach helps add to the intimate feeling of the game. Visually, there's a good sense of scope to the game's design, and I think the music is beautifully light and mellow, adding to the serene feeling of the game. There's a lot to like about "The Pedestrian," and I think that it works as a challenging but accessible puzzle game with a very light ambiance.
I did have a few issues with the game, though. As it started reaching its final moments, I found the puzzle structure to be rather repetitive. It was nice to have the unexpected twist at the end, but up until that point, the general structure just started to dull out. I also think it would be nice to have something of a hint system: I know the goal is to not tell very much, but it would've just been a decent addition, given that some of the puzzles can take a while to figure out and you might die more than a few times. My biggest issue, though, is that I unfortunately found the game to be a bit too shallow at some points. As the game went along, I found myself wondering what the motivation for getting through these puzzles was. I'm not sure if it was because the gameplay felt nondescript or because the narrative was so minimal, but I found myself wishing there would be some kind of motivation.
Overall, "The Pedestrian" didn't quite blow my mind, but it's still a fun little puzzle-platformer game that I'm glad I finally got to experience. It's a decent quick play that you can and will most likely get a few good plays out of. And now that it's available on Xbox Game Pass, there's no reason not to give it a look. It's the perfect kind of game for Game Pass, and if you're a subscriber, definitely give it a look. If not, I'd still say it's worth a look if you're down for a short but sweet adventure.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"