The game stars Pepper who must use the titular Grinder, a conical drilling device, to dig through terrain, spin switches, and attack enemies and it is all done very well. A big part of the game’s appeal is the level design, which facilitates the gimmick well and allows for some very creative gameplay that threw me for a loop a few times. This is also a double-edged sword though, since the game can be just as devilishly difficult as it can be addictively fun.
Some of the platforming elements require extreme precision, which when combined with the game’s fast pace, results in multiple areas where you will need to try over and over again and will test the limits of your patience. Don’t get me wrong, the creative level design is great as well, but do not go into Pepper Grinder expecting a simple time. Playing the first few stages should make you realize early on that Pepper Grinder will not be for those who want a light game.
Of particular note are the boss fights in Pepper Grinder, which can get downright sadistic while being incredibly creative at the same time. These bosses have massive health bars, requiring long fights, but the game maintains a fast pace that turns each into a precision puzzle game where one wrong move can throw everything off. It should have been enough to make me quit, and yet the game made me want to keep going and try again with these endurance tests.
Pepper Grinder is a very fast-paced game and makes full use of its gimmick but there is another issue that needs to be mentioned. The game is really short and can be completed at 100 percent in just over three hours, and some of the levels feel a bit artificially difficult as if the developers were just trying to prolong the experience without adding more content. I get that Pepper Grinder uses what it has efficiently, but a lot of the game’s mechanics and concepts could have been expanded on to create a more fleshed-out experience that would last longer and be more fulfilling. Device manipulation works great in the game, but it just feels like these were areas where the Grinder could have been even better used.
This is not to say Pepper Grinder is bad for its length, and as mentioned the game uses its concept very efficiently, but the length of the game through me for a loop. That being said, there is more content to keep players interested such as a time attack mode and collectibles to find that unlock more content. But even with this, I still felt like I was just getting warmed up when the game ended and was left with a bit of an anticlimactic experience.
That brings me to the pacing I mentioned. Pepper Grinder is all about its fast-paced mechanics, but it could have used some areas that were slower-paced at times to allow more of the mechanics to breathe, just for players to have a fully rounded experience. What speaks to the game’s credit though is that it never feels like a moment is wasted in the game, even if some of the ideas are left feeling not fully realized. Pepper Grinder is a well-made game and a fun time, but I just wish the developer had fully expanded on more of the platformer and device use mechanics for changes. Perhaps some of the boss fights could have been handled a bit differently as well.
Pepper Grinder stands as a very innovative game while being a title that should interest fans of off-beat games. It may not be a long game or the exact experience I thought it would be, but I had fun and that is what stood out to me. I can see myself going back to this one as well for replays and more time attack attempts, so maybe I was just looking at it wrong when I initially played and could change my mind later, . I recommend it but be aware of the length.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
