My Friend Peppa Pig [Xbox]
Developed by Petoons Studio, My Friend Peppa Pig is a game that, had you asked me 15 years ago if I’d ever see myself playing it, I’d have probably laughed. But with kids, comes kids’ games - and trying them out with my kids to see if they’re any good or if they’re just a lot of old drivel is one of the fun parts of being a reviewer (and I’m sure they’d agree).
Now, as the title suggests, you are not Peppa Pig; Peppa Pig is your friend. So here you’ll find yourself creating your very own Peppa Pig styled character, before heading off to meet Peppa and the rest of the characters you (or rather, your kids) know and love.
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, I was actually very impressed by just how much MFPP looks and feels like the show itself. Some of the voice actors are different from what I remember, after all - it was just a few years ago that my youngest, Eva, went through the whole Peppa Pig phase; but they’re all still recognisably Peppa Pig characters. Daddy Pig getting goofed on endlessly, Peppa being a right sassy little Pig, and George being as amazed by his dinosaur as ever.
It has very straightforward, simple controls that are ideal for younger kids just getting into games, and there’s plenty of familiar scenarios from the show happening in the game: George losing his toy dinosaur; muddy puddles to jump in; and more. In all honesty, it’s probably less of a game and more of an interactive video, with very little required other than moving left and right, and tapping A on relevant things when prompted. You’ll visit a bunch of recognisable Peppa Pig locations, from grandma’s house, to the park as well as school - and younger kids will probably delight in pointing out the things they see.
Sadly, where it falls flat is in its pricing. I understand the pricing, as the £34.99 pricing on Xbox (as well as other platforms) has been a common occurrence in the ‘licensed video game market’ for a while now. But with a game that is as bare bones and basic as this - and again, I get that it’s got a target audience to aim for - it seems mighty high. Eva is 6 years old, and she found that it grew tedious pretty fast. And whilst she is probably more game-oriented than some of her peers, kids are generally becoming more technologically savvy as time goes on, so it may end up being a title that disappoints some kids this Christmas, as they’ll expect more than what it can give.
Overall, My Friend Peppa Pig is probably a game best suited as a ‘first game’ for really young kids. If your kids can handle games like Roblox and Minecraft and are no stranger to playing on console, then they’re probably going to feel a bit babied by the constant hand-holding and very basic gameplay here. But if you’re just introducing games to your little ‘uns, or if they feel a tad out of their depth with some of the slightly more complex titles, then this would be a good place to start. Physical copies appear to be available slightly cheaper from various outlets, so that might be preferable in order to save a few bucks.
In the end, we decided to give My Friend Peppa Pig the Collecting Asylum rating of 6.5/10.
Have you played My Friend Peppa Pig yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!
- V x
Thank you to Outright Games for the My Friend Peppa Pig Xbox review code!
