Bread and Fred is a wonderful little adventure that does so many adorable things right but shows just how hard it is to build a game centered around multiplayer while keeping single players invested
Players will see that the game has a major focus on multiplayer before the game even begins. Upon starting the game, you are presented with the option to play in either single player or multiplayer. The multiplayer option is the one that is front and center while single player requires you to tab down a bit to access it. For those who have a friend to play through this game with, you are in for a wonderful experience that is filled with laughter and frustration. For those embarking on the journey up the mountain on your own, just know that it can be extremely frustrating to start off with.
Bread and Fred are both penguins who have been tasked with climbing to the top of the mountain. Since I played this game on my own, I was not partnered with another penguin but instead a rock. The game acknowledges this choice and even tells the penguin that advancing up the mountain with just a rock as a companion is a strange option but is doable with an extreme amount of perseverance. I thought it was funny to hear the game reference the fact that I was playing the co-op game by myself but not long into my journey, I had wished for something a little more supportive than the rock.
You see, the titular characters are relying on each other to navigate the mountain, so they are tied together by a rope. This also happens when you are playing on your own as well, with the rock tied to the singular penguin. While co-op would allow you to plan out strategies with your friend to progress through the mountain, the single player mode will have you flinging the rock and hoping that the momentum can carry you on to the next platform. I would have loved to see a CPU controlled character that could support you, like the one found in Little Nightmares 2. This would help ease some of the frustrations found when I was constantly repeating the same jump over and over, only to fail and must try again.
Thankfully, there are a couple of accessibility options that will help make the journey a tad bit more tolerable for those who are struggling with platforming. One option is the ability to add infinite jumps so that you can continuously jump upwards to the next segment in case you are unable to progress by the usual means. You are also given the ability to create checkpoints and return to them that was you are not forced to try and redo a part that gave you and your co-op partner some trouble.
Visually, Bred and Fred have a very colorful palette and the graphics seen here are pleasing to the eyes. The backgrounds provide some beautiful scenery to accompany us up the mountain while managing to make each jump and segment stand out against the backdrop. As you move up the mountain, you will see the backdrops changing while still being fun to move through. The first area is a snowy mountain where our protagonists live, and we soon find ourselves deep in a fish mine on the way through the mountain. At first, I was curious why there was a mine dedicated to moving fish around but then thought about just how cute the idea of these penguins making a mine for their fish but struggling to figure out how to climb up the mountain and let it slide. There are a lot of moments here that will have you and your friend chuckling as you progress through the mountain.
I really enjoyed my time with Bred and Fred, but the single player mode really makes it a more frustrating experience than it needs to be. This is a title that I can highly recommend if you have someone who wouldn’t mind sitting down and putting a couple of hours into it with you. Otherwise, I highly recommend that you prepare yourself for a frustrating time as you throw a rock around in efforts to achieve the same results as someone else who has a competent partner with them.
