It’s been just over half a year, but everyone’s favourite bit of sentient pasta is back for another adventure. You may remember from my review of the original Freddy Spaghetti that I enjoyed the first game despite its problems. I mean, how can you not enjoy flinging a piece of spaghetti around as he shouts “whooopeeee”? Anyhow, Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 is here courtesy of the folks at Playful Pasta, but how does this new version differ from the first?
Freddy 2.0 (as he is dubbed) seems to have lost his maniacal tendencies, and instead is trying (and failing spectacularly) to hold down an honest job. Yes, after being deleted when he got a little carried away with himself, who we have here is a brand new Freddy.
Immediately, the game sets a different tone with its tongue in cheek intro sequence, very much in the style of an episode of The Office. The story is told through interviews with Freddy’s colleagues, as you discover just how ill matched he is to the world of work (as you may well have assumed for a piece of spaghetti).
Each interview segment between levels will normally give you a clue on how to beat said level. However, this can broadly be broken down into: reaching the blue goal, giving something or someone a good duffing up, or beating your opponent at fussball or ping pong.
In Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 the levels are very similar to each other and are actually less varied than the first game. For example, you’ll be playing ping pong several times which, whilst fun at first, ends up feeling like repetitive filler. This time around all the action is set in the same location (the workplace) whereas in the first game you were exploring past, present and future worlds.
The flip side of this means less is being asked of you, which better suits the controls. Once again all you need to do is use the bumpers to fling Freddy around from each end and setting a nice rhythm to this will see him speed around his workplace like a, er, piece of spaghetti possessed. As the levels in Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 are more simplistic, the control niggles from the first game don’t tend to surface. For example, as there are less of them and you tackle them head on this time around, climbing stairs isn’t nearly as frustrating. Freddy’s physics are still pleasingly realised, and match the slower, less frantic pace of the levels.
Although it’s near impossible to dislike Freddy and the absurd world he lives in, Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 doesn’t really have a story to tell. You’re waiting for it to develop into something more, or for something ridiculous to happen, but it doesn’t and instead the game comes to an abrupt end. It’s really disappointing and seems to lack the flair of what made the original so intriguing.
What hasn’t changed in Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 is its visuals which are once again optimised for Xbox Series X|S (although I’m not sure how you would ever notice). Despite the slightly disturbing faces of Freddy’s colleagues (a bit like something from The Escapists gone horribly wrong), the game looks pretty much the same as its predecessor. The good news here is that the absurdly dramatic soundtrack returns, which should put a smile on your face.
There are 40 levels to twist your way through with 25G up for grabs for completing each one. Unfortunately, it’s all over in less than 1 hour and there are no bonus levels on offer this time either. The game feels like it should be DLC; there’s a lot less happening than in the original that doesn’t make it feel like a sequel at all. Not only this, but it’s also very easy. The first game built towards levels that attempted to test your skills later on in the game, but Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 offers virtually no challenge at all through its very short campaign.
Despite the name, Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 is a step backwards. It has less ideas, less levels and less ambition than the first game. As a fan of the original, I was hoping for something more from the oddly lovable strip of slinky sentient spaghetti.
Bring home the bacon as Freddy Spaghetti 2.0 – pick up the game on your Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One today!
