The Pedestrian is an indie game about that stick figure you see on bathroom doors and street signs. But this little guy (or gal if you so choose) isn't just stuck on his sign. He run around and travel to other signs, exploring the world that way. The game has the block-pushing, key-finding, obstacle-jumping action of classic platformers, and would not be noteworthy if that's all it had. But besides running and jumping, you actually build the levels by connecting signs to each other so that you can reach the exit. It's a twist that makes this game as challenging and inventive as Braid and Portal. The Pedestrian has high production values, featuring not just a stick-figure running through simple 2D signs but also the detailed 3D industrial environment in which those signs are hung. The music alternates between smooth jazz and cinematic (which reminded me of the American Beauty soundtrack), and reacts dynamically by getting louder and adding instrumentation when you finally make progress. There is a story of sorts. The hopeful inner thoughts of your stick figure are told through Achievement text. Whatever the game reveals in the end is also part of the plot, though I can only guess as to what it's all about. Some reviewers are saying Pedestrian can be finished in an evening. They're either pretty good at puzzles or used hints. It took me 12 eyeball-straining, brain-melting hours. The final puzzle is a real porker that took me about 2 hours to figure out, though it was fun because it was so different from everything that came before. Puzzle-solving isn't my forte, and platformers aren't my favorite genre. But like Braid and Portal, Pedestrian has the right mix of difficulty and aesthetic appeal to stay fun enough for me to complete without giving up or using hints. I recommend it if you like such games or just want a new way to appreciate your stick figure friend on the bathroom door.
The story is very good. I feel that, through allegory, it shows how someone whose outlook is warped by depression or loneliness can seek solace in a relationship, to the extent that the relationship becomes all-consuming. If a relationship becomes a person's only reason for living, it can further alienate the person from the rest of the world and make them dissociate from reality and morality. There are also intriguing science fiction elements that comment on the nature of life. The first several hours do a great job building up a sense of dread. It's all backed up by good music and Japanese voice acting with English subtitles. Even though this is not my first explicit visual novel, and I bought this one expecting it to be harsh, I was not ready for this. There are multiple rape scenes, very explicitly shown. The story is a bit too eager to get to these scenes, not doing enough to establish the character motivations for committing them. Even the consensual sex scenes involve someone who looks a little young. Another problem with this game is it feels too long. Even though there are only two choices to make and three different endings, it took me 10 hours to see everything. Some of the images are recycled too much. The dread and shock just wore off about halfway through the game. On the whole, I found this game a letdown, though still worth a try because of its thoughtful premise.
