This first-person shooter game My Friendly Neighborhood is reminiscent of Resident Evil, but with Sesame Street aesthetics. In a post-war setting, players are tasked with playing Gordon the janitor, the only human presence in the game. He is required to do one last job before the end of his shift. Unfortunately, it happens to take him deep into puppet territory that has ceased operations. The majority of the game takes place on the TV lot of a Sesame Street-like TV program. The player gradually unlocks access to studios, theatres, back alleys, and underground infrastructures across the game’s interconnected map.
My Friendly Neighborhood’s visuals may initially appear outdated, like those of a pre-rendered background from a 90s game. However, they ultimately fit the unsettling atmosphere of the game, which is reminiscent of something like Five Nights at Freddie’s. In addition to the lo-fi aesthetic, the puppets are simplistic and reminiscent of the 60s. The main humanoid puppets feeling influenced heavily by Jim Henson’s works. As the Szymanski brothers seem to acknowledge his numerous works throughout the game, My Friendly Neighborhood features references to several of his works.
This game is a combination of survival horror and Metroidvania-inspired backtracking. My Friendly Neighborhood makes a rewarding and enjoyable gameplay experience for fans of both genres. A clever twist to MFN’s formula, apart from its silly yet unsettling aesthetic, is its use of limited resources. Akin to classic Resident Evil, My Friendly Neighbourhood uses large nickels instead of ink ribbons, which are required to use the various health and save stations. Moreover, killing an enemy will not effectively incapacitate them. Gordon must bind them using duct tape, a limited resource that takes up precious space in his briefcase.
All weapons (maybe outside the wrench) feel deliberately non-lethal and instead feature scores of the alphabet in the place of bullets and shrapnel to overwhelm enemies. It acts as a fun nod to the affinity shared between puppets and the alphabet in popular children’s programming. Another welcome twist in My Friendly Neighborhood is its use of item management. Of course, this isn’t anything new, but it is handled in real-time, which definitely adds to the game’s tension. My Friendly Neighborhood stands out by nailing its writing and voice-acting chops, with each character sounding appropriately overt in its unhinged friendliness and line delivery, with dialogue that doesn’t quite feel sinister but still distinctly manic.
Finally, My Friendly Neighborhood manages to do an excellent job in paying homage to the survival horror genre while creating its own unique identity that blurs the line between funny and nerve-wracking in a thrilling way. If you’re a fan of old-school survival horror, My Friendly Neighborhood is an essential playthrough that feels fresh yet familiar to fans of the genre.
