Back on March 29th, the regal Yasmin got to review Pepper Grinder on Steam, and I was sad at missing out as it looked fun and interesting. My assumptions weren’t wrong, with Yasmin scoring it a 9/10, but now I get the opportunity to have a go myself as Pepper Grinder is now coming to consoles. So, as I take up the PS5 controller, what thoughts do I bring?

If you want to read Yasmin’s full review you can find it here, where it drills down on all the important information. I will touch briefly on everything, but honestly, the developers Ahr Ech, and publishers Devolver Digital, have brought their A-Game in bringing an already fantastic game over to the consoles.

You play as Pepper, a treasure hunter who is very good at what she does, but when a storm sinks her ship, she loses all her gathered treasure. Regaining consciousness, she pursues the thieves only to be thwarted on a rope bridge. This, however, is a blessing in disguise, as Pepper finds Grinder, a drill that will help her regain all her stolen booty.

Pepper Grinder is a two-dimensional platformer that allows you to move through the environment as a dolphin moves through the water. Controls are basic, and playing with a controller was well-suited for Pepper Grinder.

You can jump with X, use grapple points with Square, and activate Grinder with R2, all while controlling Pepper with the Joycon or d-pad. With easy-to-use controls progressing through these environments will have you battling enemies and solving puzzles with ease, allowing you to thoroughly enjoy what Pepper Grinder has to offer.

Found treasure can be used at the curiosity shops to purchase armour or stickers. Armour adds temporary health to Pepper, and stickers are a great little collector’s item you can use in the sticker books. Getting the sticker books requires skull coins which are hidden throughout the levels, and are also used to purchase cosmetics or keys to unlock bonus levels.

The pixel art is gorgeous and easy on the eyes, allowing you to absorb everything happening on the screen. Animations are smooth, allowing flow through the environment with ease, however, I found the precession on direction and landings were slightly off, sometimes resulting in frustrating moments where you will question the legitimacy of the action, but with generous checkpoints, you won’t feel too robbed of your progression.

When it came to the audio, I had to stop and actively listen to it. As weird as that may sound, I was so immersed in the gameplay that I didn’t notice the music or the sound effects. It ties in perfectly with the environments and what is happening on-screen, so you barely recognise that you’re listening to something in-game.

I am 100% in agreeance with Yasmin when it comes to recommending Pepper Grinder. It’s a brilliant game that will test your platforming skills without being overly punishing. Its easy-to-learn-and-use controls, complemented by the graphics and audio, make for flowing gameplay that’s uncommon for most platformers.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove