A Delivery Driver Becomes the Hero
In fiction, the pizza delivery person is normally a bit of a side character; someone who appears in the story as a minor character to move a bit of the narrative along. It could be that they are part of an undercover operation, or someone who gets killed in a horror movie, or one of those who has a little more to deliver in some more x-rated films. But you rarely get the pizza delivery person to be the hero.
Well, in A Pizza Delivery, you are the hero; it is you who is out there working on a moped with a hot pizza. Things aren’t going exactly as you thought they would, though.
The Surreal Journey
You play B (no other name), a pizza delivery driver on a little moped with the pizza box on the back. You start the game outside, and there is a payphone which starts to ring, and there on the other end is your boss. He tells you to deliver the pizza, and off you go.
But as soon as you go on your journey, the world twists and turns, and you’re not in Kansas anymore. Each area you go to, trying to deliver your pizza, will see the boss ring up and give you more strange instructions: “Follow the coloured lights,” or “Don’t sit on the benches,” or “If you meet someone, share a bit of pizza with them.”
The journey is about memory, I think, and the human condition. It’s a surreal, fragmented exploration of narrative when people you meet are lost or want to forget. If you do sit on a bench for too long, the colour drains from you, and you seem to forget everything. I liked this weird, strange world and what the developers are trying to do with the story of A Pizza Delivery. The dialogue is well written, and there are good characters to meet along the way, plus some great places to discover.
Clunky Commute
Gameplay is in third person and at times it’s a bit messy and more than a little clunky. Your main mode of transport is the moped, and it takes you around the areas, but you won’t be able to drive everywhere. It works fine, but it’s a bit too rough for my liking, and not the greatest thing to drive around. And of course, sitting around back is the pizza which you can grab and carry around to share with people. Sometimes if it’s raining you must run from place to place to keep it dry or the game restarts from where you left off. This isn’t a great mechanic in my opinion and I could have happily got through A Pizza Delivery without it.
Inventive Ideas vs. Stodgy Execution
The game is full of lovely inventive ideas, but not always the greatest execution. It has a puzzle at its heart, hiding away in the gameplay where you are trying to solve certain things or progress through an area. You might get something which requires you to observe something, like a TV screen to get clues as to how to unlock a combination door. Or you may discover that a password is needed to open a door that can possibly be found on an item hidden away in an area where someone gave you a photograph after chatting to them over pizza.
There are also dialogue options to take part in and little mini games that help to move along the story. One time you have to take part in a skimming stone competition to get an item which results in a skill-based QTE. There is also a bit of a point-and-click adventure feel to the game, as you go about collecting items in an inventory, all before using them on certain things. Overall it’s fine, but everything feels a bit stodgy in its execution and sometimes a bit frustrating.
Breathtaking Vistas and Minimalist Audio
The game visuals show where the real invention lies, with strange but familiar landscapes hinting at a world that is between realms of the real and make-believe. There are epic landscapes at times, both city-based and countryside, that can be breathtaking, and some more surreal areas that play with the mind. It’s not perfect though, and throughout my time with A Pizza Delivery, came across some technical glitches.
Sound wise, it has no voice-over for the character conversation, but there is a soundtrack that plays along with the action, dipping and changing with the mode of the narrative.
A Strong Idea Marred by Clunky Mechanics
I am a fan of games that take risks with their gameplay content. A Pizza Delivery does this with an offbeat narrative and visual storytelling. There are some excellent moments, and I like the main character and the dialogue with the many different characters you meet along the way. What doesn’t work so well are the actual gameplay mechanics – jarring at times, far from fluid, and a bit basic.
Those issues won’t ruin your time with the game, and the main ideas are strong enough to shine through, but at times, this can be a frustrating experience. If you can forgive that, A Pizza Delivery might be worth ordering.
Important Links
Your Final Drop is to a SURREAL LIMBO in A Pizza Delivery – https://www.thexboxhub.com/your-final-drop-is-to-a-surreal-limbo-in-a-pizza-delivery/
Buy A Pizza Delivery on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/A-Pizza-Delivery/9PG0HZX751ZT
