Game: BFF or Die
Genre: Action, Arcade, Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also on PC and PS4)
Developer|Publisher: ASA Studio | 2Awesome Studio
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US Everyone
Price: UK £7.99 | EU €7,99 | US $7.99
Release Date: November 27th, 2020
Review code provided with many thanks to 2 Awesome Studio
The Best of Alien Friends
BFF or Die is about time travelling aliens coming to Earth to save the Orbees – which I guess is another alien species. Of all the places to time travel, they decide to pick Egypt. Well, despite the unusual premise this is a game clearly designed for fans of a co-op looking for a little game to enjoy together on the sofa.
Puzzle Arcade
The best way I thought to describe the game, in short, is think Pac Man meets puzzle elements. The goal of each single-screen level is to collect all the blue little cat-like collectables within the maze whilst avoiding mummies, ghosts and the odd giant Egyptian God. When you have achieved this you then need to reunite with your buddy and high five to finish the level, the best possible way to conclude a stage bar doing a cool little dance.
Best Friends Forever no Need to Die
There are 30 levels in total. What is interesting is that the levels and general game design will change depending on how many players are brought into the fray. When playing alone the experience felt pretty plain. You run around each puzzle maze as an alien with the left analogue stick, while controlling a machine from the bottom of the screen, usually a beam of light to help see where you are going, with the right stick. It’s OK but not nearly as entertaining as when more players join in the experience.
When playing co-op with my wife one alien got to run around the maze while the other player jumped in the machine at the bottom of the screen in order to assist the other player. Maybe with a light beam or possibly with a grabbing device where you can pick up a player or enemy and place them somewhere more favourable. It’s a fun little adventure which will keep you busy between 2 to 3 hours of gameplay.
The Niggles
BFF or Die is not without its small niggles. The loading time to boot this game up is especially long which seems odd considering how simple the game appears. The graphics are a little boring. It is odd the game only resides in an Egyptian setting since it’s doing the whole time travel gimmick. Why wouldn’t they choose any other time period? Lastly, in handheld mode, it can be a little hard to see where your alien characters are in the maze. A lot of the walls blend into the sandy background and It’s odd how the environments are kinda dull but the aliens are neon and unique an interesting contrast.
Conclusion
BFF or Die is just the ticket if you’re looking for a simple puzzle co-op game to enjoy with family or friends on the sofa. The aliens themselves are fun, it’s just a shame the setting is a bit dull.
Still, the gameplay is solid. Not so much fun alone but might make for an ideal experience to kill a few hours with your BFF on the sofa.
Final Verdict: I Like It
