Bread & Fred
" Challenging cooperative action-adventure with unique physics and charm but unstable online multiplayer "
Bread & Fred Review
Bread & Fred is a cooperative platformer that emphasizes challenging gameplay and teamwork, often described as a "rough challenge" especially without checkpoints. Many players enjoy the core mechanics and the art style, praising the game's unique concept and the recent laboratory update that adds fresh content. The game is best experienced with a close friend willing to endure its difficulty together, as it fosters a fun yet demanding cooperative experience.
However, the game suffers from significant technical issues, particularly in online multiplayer. Numerous reports highlight frequent bugs, lag, desynchronization, and connectivity problems that severely impact gameplay. These issues lead to frustration, with some players unable to join or host sessions, causing them to request refunds. The UI also has bugs that block visibility or cause loading screen freezes. Overall, while the game has potential and a charming aesthetic, its multiplayer instability and bugs hinder the full enjoyment of the experience.
Highlights
Players appreciate the challenging cooperative gameplay that requires coordination and patience. The art style and music receive positive remarks for their charm and quality. The laboratory update is noted as a meaningful addition that enhances replayability. The storyline and lore, though not deeply expansive, are liked by those who enjoy the characters and world-building. The game also supports single-player mode, maintaining the core experience.
Many find the core mechanics fun and the game rewarding when checkpoints are enabled, making it approachable for those seeking a tough but fair platformer.
Criticisms
The most common criticism is the poor multiplayer stability, with frequent connection failures, lag, and desync issues making online play frustrating or impossible. Bugs such as animation canceling and players getting stuck in the air disrupt gameplay flow. The UI suffers from glitches like invisible menus or loading animations blocking the screen. The tutorial is considered insufficient, leaving players confused about controls and mechanics. Additionally, the game is shorter than expected, and some find the difficulty punishing without checkpoints. Overall, technical problems and lack of polish detract significantly from the experience, especially for cooperative play which the game heavily markets.
Pros
- • Challenging cooperative gameplay fosters teamwork and patience among players.
- • Beautiful art style and atmospheric music enhance the game's charm.
- • Laboratory update adds new content and increases replay value.
- • Single-player mode available with similar engaging mechanics.
- • Enjoyable lore and characters add depth to the story.
- • Checkpoints option makes the difficult gameplay more accessible.
- • Unique concept and physics-based platforming mechanics.
Cons
- • Online multiplayer is frequently broken with connection and lag issues.
- • Bugs cause players to get stuck or exploit unintended mechanics.
- • UI glitches block screen visibility and hinder gameplay.
- • Tutorial is inadequate, making controls and physics hard to learn.
- • Game can be too difficult without checkpoints enabled.
- • Shorter than expected with limited content outside expansions.
- • Multiplayer desync leads to unfair advantages and frustration.
Rating Criteria
Grab your best bud for help in this new co-op challenge to help two adorable penguins, Bread and Fred, reach the top of the snowy summit. Time your jumps, cling to walls and swing across gaps to see how far you can make it before you tumble all the way back down the mountain.