Have you ever wondered what kind of journey your driver goes on when delivering your pizza?
Well now you can find out…kind of.
A Pizza Delivery puts you in the shoes of B, a pizza delivery rider on her final order of the day. But this isn’t just any order, it’s a peculiar one which will have her ride through a surreal world, where there are beautiful yet eerie locations and some rather interesting people, each dealing with their own pain and regrets.
As she journeys through this liminal realm to deliver the pizza, she’ll connect with its inhabitants and uncover the secrets shrouded by the mysterious world.
A short narrative experience which tells a heartwarming and interesting story
I’m a big fan of short games which impact you in some way, whether it’s a character/the story you can relate to, or simply because it had a certain aspect to it which just made it memorable. A Pizza Delivery was the latter for me, its artwork and liminal landscapes were really something and unlike nothing I’ve quite come across before.
There weren’t many different locations but there didn’t need to be, they were all full of so many different emotions and feelings which reflected each of the respective characters inner turmoil that resided there. Each of them had a different feel to them but at the same time they were all created for the same reason, which made even the most quiet and eerie location beautiful in a way.
There wasn’t an option to run so you were almost forced to take in the surroundings around you without rushing to move on, which meant that most of the game was a walking simulator. There were also some segments where you could ride your bike through the locations, so it was part driving simulator too. It was a nice blend of the two, even though it leaned completely towards one more than both, it made for an effective experience and really allowed you to take in the inhabitants feelings and struggles.
Puzzles were also present in the game, none of them were difficult enough to have you looking for help on the internet so you could figure them out with ease, but they broke up the walking and driving segments of the game well enough that it doesn’t make us sick of the repetitive gameplay.
The story whilst being pretty straightforward was touching in a way and no doubt had some players relating to some of the character’s stories. I don’t think it quite reached the emotional heights that the developer intended it to, but you definitely couldn’t help but feel some empathy towards them all in a way. From someone struggling with sleep, to one navigating the hardships that come with a relationship ending, they all had a story which perfectly complimented the liminal spaces they inhabited alone.
I do however feel like the story could have been delved into more and was missing something, don’t get me wrong, I thought the narrative was clear and fairly strong but there was no doubt room for it to be tapped into more. I think a few more characters to interact with more and a better conclusion could have made up for it, alas it was still good enough that it stood out more than other aspects.
