DreadXP may be becoming the video game equivalent of the highly popular film distributor, A24. With a focus on releasing unique, one-off horror films, DreadXP follows this path with its selection of horror that has recently put out banger after banger for content. From the jumpscare galore of The Mortuary Assistant to the wall-breaking and immersive atmosphere of Amanda the Adventurer, the latest by John Szymanski and Evan Szymanski bring us a unique entry into the mascot horror genre. My Friendly Neighborhood is Sesame Street (GONE WRONG), with gameplay reminiscent of Resident Evil’s classic survival horror and a story that does not take itself too seriously. This is Vincent’s guide on everything you need to know about My Friendly Neighborhood.
What is My Friendly Neighborhood?
My Friendly Neighborhood is the latest in mascot horror and childhood memories turned wicked. Whilst it is uncertain if the goal for this game is to market real life plushies like Scott Cawthon’s Five Nights at Freddy’s or MOB Entertainment’s Poppy Playtime, a horror game about puppets gone wrong deserves a few plushies to be made. But what exactly is My Friendly Neighborhood and should you enter to see for yourself? You play as Gordon, a repairman, sent onto the worst and longest shift of his life. With little to arm himself with, he quickly realises that escaping from this puppet hellhole would be far harder than he initially thought. As the corridors house rouge puppets that look for fresh meat to give a warm and deadly embrace, your only option is to carry the Alphabet Gun and take the trash out the neighborhood.
After the Friendly Neighborhood stopped all broadcasting due to its heavy decline in sales, the show resuscitated itself. But in the attempt to shut the production down for good, it would turn out that the puppets that were previously controlled by strings would have minds of their own.
Review: LISA: The Painful is a Painfully Addictive Nightmare.
How to Play Inside the Friendliest Neighborhood Around
For those who wish to take the puppets on at the source, you can find My Friendly Neighborhood at Steam. After releasing on July 18th, 2023, the game has already received 108 reviews, getting a Very Positive score alongside the first page of reviews showing only thumbs-ups. The pricing of My Friendly Neighborhood is $26.99 which for its contents, length and difficulty, I believe is very appropriate. But will this game come out on console? There is good news for console players, this neighborhood will be coming to PlayStation 4/5 and Xbox Series X/S, however the release date is uncertain. We can expect a release on these platforms to hit by the end of 2023 but this is pure speculation.
How Long to Beat and Escape from your Childhood Nightmare
My Friendly Neighborhood features classic survival horror mechanics of puzzle solving, limited inventory space and a non-linear design that allows players to explore everything or risk missing secrets. Whilst you may find that this game can be completed within a 3-4 hour timeframe, this only accommodates those who are focussed solely on narrative completion. With multiple endings to witness, its 3 hour average playtime can easily be extended based on how much you want to play and see.
The game even offers cheats for players to locate and use to take the edge of the horrifying fights and flights you will often find yourself in. Not only this but its achievements add a layer of challenge and keeps you replaying My Friendly Neighborhood. From difficulty challenges, to no-healing and no-saving for those hardcore gamers.
All Voice Actors in My Friendly Neighborhood
With voice acting similar to High on Life with a Mickey Mouse twist, the voice actors in My Friendly Neighborhood truly bring the story to life. The behavior and voices of the deranged puppets makes the show of the friendly neighborhood feel like it was real and something that kids would have actually watched throughout their childhood. It feels similarly to Five Nights at Freddy’s iconic Fazbear tune when you lose the game or Amanda the Adventurer’s educational moments and fourth-wall breaks. So who are the voice actors in My Friendly Neighborhood?
Voice Actors
- Gordon – Tom Schalk (Mike McLacklan in FULL DIVE and @TomSchalkOfficial on YouTube)
- Ricky – Arlo (@ArloStuff on YouTube)
- Pearl and Dogs – Lindsay Sheppard (Saphron Cotta-Arc in RWBY)
- Ray – Paul Greene-Dennis (Olcan Mondkrieger in Tales of Annualia)
- Gobblette – Blythe Melin (Jialiang and Jiwani in Genshin Impact)
- Arnold, Hand, Randy and Pig – E.G. Simmons (Crypto Administrator in Splatter)
- Curtain and ‘All about space’ Narrator- Gianni Matragrano (Gabriel in Ultrakill)
- The Amalgam – Marissa Lenti (Moze in Borderlands 3), Tom Laflin (Vedan and Morvus in AFK Arena) and Emily Fajardo (Sarahebi in One Piece)
- Norman – Leo Wiggins (Vurk in AFK Arena)
- Junebug – Natalie Roers (Katie in Before I Wake)
- Lenard – Joshua Cookingham (Michael Cooper in Titan Station)
- George – Kamran Nikhad (Darren Cross and Yellowjacket in Marvel Avengers Academy)
- Lilianna – Erin Blaber (@plasterbrain on Twitter)
Actors for TV and Radio Segments
- Radio DJ – Brad Wingler
- Sound Recording and Location Scout – David VanMatre
- Stage Hand – Emma Szymanski and Bradley Peters
- Talk Show Guest – Katie Thompson
- Talk Show Host – Frank Tipping
- Newscaster – Rachel Nicely
For those interested in seeing more horror game content or just looking for all the latest content written by the Gamer Journalist team, click here for horror and here for the newest gaming guides. Thank you for reading this guide on My Friendly Neighborhood.
Published: Jul 19, 2023 04:21 am