Sesame Street Survival Horror Is The Stuff Of Big Bird's Nightmares
You won't be asking anyone how to get (how to get) to Sesame Street, as a new survival horror is a not-so-subtle homage to the legendary series. Since its inception in 1969, Sesame Street has kept us entertained and educated in equal measure, however, a new game from DreadXP shows Bert and Ernie like we've never seen them before.
While Sesame Street is definitely aimed at kids, that doesn't mean it hasn't strayed into the dark sometimes. People seem fine with the homeless grouch who resides in the bin, no one speaks to Cookie Monster about him clearly using food as a coping mechanism, and why aren't we bothered by a Rain Man-inspired vampire who lives among us?
Adult parodies for Sesame Street have previously appeared in the likes of Family Guy, while The Happytime Murders was a whole movie dedicated to taking the mickey out of perverse puppets. If you'd ever wanted to play a crossover between Resident Evil and Sesame Street, now you can.
What is the Sesame Street survival horror?
As the brainchild of indie developer John Syzmanski, he's put his previous work on games like Kyle is Famous to bring My Friendly Neighbour to life. Giving us some welcome Five Nights at Freddy's vibes, My Friendly Neighbour proves that cute can still be terrifying.
The FNaF comparisons don't end there. In My Friendly Neighbour, you take on the role of Gordon the handyman. Years after this Saturday morning puppet show has been taken off the air, the long-abandoned studio has flickered back to life.
As old episodes of My Friendly Neighbour start to broadcast around the globe, it's clear something is wrong here. The puppets have a mind of their own, and with the neighbourhood having gone to sh*t, they've started eating each other. It's up to Gordon to save the day, with an arsenal of imaginative weapons to stop these playtime foes.
If you're already sold, the official description for My Friendly Neighbourhood reads, "If you're tired of games that rely on gore more than solid scares, then come on over to the streets of MFN! Featuring a mix of action and adventure, MFN is the perfect game for horror fans looking for something a bit different. Sure, there might not be any dismemberment or decapitations. But that just means the puppets don't stay down for good..."
When is My Friendly Neighbourhood coming out?
Syzmanski has hyped My Friendly Neighbourhood for those who want genuine scares instead of gore, but by all accounts, that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of stuffing that goes flying. The puzzle-solving elements scream Resident Evil 7, and by what little we've seen, the whole thing reminds us of going back to the Baker Ranch - if it were populated by possessed puppets.
Speaking of the Resiverse, the grid-style inventory system harks back to the old days of Racoon City and the latest entry of Resident Evil Village. There's a non-linear structure, and although the main puppet could land My Friendly Neighbour in trouble thanks to its obvious likeness to Ernie, the girl puppet is a more generic pigtail character. Either way, we're excited to see what My Friendly Neighbourhood can bring to the table.
There are no details on when My Friendly Neighbourhood will be released, with the official Steam page simply saying, "Coming soon". Even if we'll never see an official Sesame Street survival horror, the mere idea of a carnivorous canary being a final boss of My Friendly Neighbourhood has us hooked.
