Welcome to CRAAZY Delivery Simulator
Deliver at all Costs, developed by Far Out Games and published by Konami feels like a throwback title in a lot of ways. It’s a chaotic, open-world driving game that blends delivering items at high speeds all the while destroying the buildings and items in the world around. Narratively speaking the game isn’t ‘Shakespeare’ but it gets the job done, players will take control of a down on his luck scientist, Winston Green, who himself has a mysterious past. Winston ends up working for the shady ‘We Deliver’ courier company and that’s where the fun begins.
Set in the fictional island of St. Monique in the 1950’s, Deliver at all Costs displays the world with a hand-painted and retro look which works on a few levels. For one being that this game is all about driving and chose the era where the cars were built like tanks works out especially well since players will be driving through buildings and more. Even the music is just as much from the era with tracks ranging from doo-wop to early rock & roll; each seemed like it fit the vibe as I was tearing through town trying to deliver a truck full of watermelons.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: PlayStation (reviewed), Xbox, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
At its core, Deliver at all Cost is a fast-paced, physics-driven driving game; it feels like if Crazy Taxi was taken to the next level. Players will be tasked with delivering increasingly bizarre orders from a machine that makes ballons and causes the truck to float, to a giant marlin that needs to be painted white to impress a father of a would-be bride. Each of these deliveries come with their own wrinkles, the aforementioned marlin will flop around causing the whole truck to sway back and forth. Unlike traditional delivery games, this one encourages players to drive reckless, destroy things and take unconventional routes. If smashing thorough a building and breaking a bridge is the fastest way to get the watermelons to their destination, then so be it.
Players will also be able to upgrade Winson’s delivery truck as the story progresses. Things like a winch that makes delivering super easy, even a hydronic system that opens both doors and the hood to help throw off crazy NPC’s when they grab on. There is no real consequence to running over pedestrians or knocking down buildings, in fact when people get mad and catch Winston on the street, he can just shove them away and that’s the end of that. Coupled with the fact a fair bit of the missions feels like they have no meaningful stakes, which kind of makes the destruction and over the top driving get a little repetitive after a while.
While the overall premise of the story is intriguing, the storytelling can feel a bit inconsistent at times. The story in Deliver at all Cost unfolds through some humorous cutscenes and interactions with come eccentric characters around town including the mayor and his doppelganger. The biggest issue with these cutscenes is I swear they were produced with PS2 tech, like they just look extremely dated to the point I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be some sort of in-joke or something. The game shifts between lighthearted satire and serious noir elements, sometimes struggling to balance the two. Much like how I feel Tyler Perry struggles with his writing in every single one of his ‘Madea’ productions. (Yes, I will mention my distain for him every opportunity I can).
Deliver At all Cost offers plenty in the way of replayability, thanks to its open-world nature and a whole host of mission types. But the repetitive nature of some of the mission designs will wear thin after a time. While the game delivers a fun and chaotic experience that excels in destruction and absurdity it struggles with pacing and narrative cohesion. Fans of Crazy Taxi and the Burnout franchise will appreciate the reckless charm therein but those looking for a deeper story or more refined mechanics may find it lacking.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
