Straight out of the gate, Totally Reliable Delivery Service oozes charm. The simple, cartoon-like graphics and innocent, flubbery characters create a striking first impression. Following a simple mechanic of collecting and then delivering packages, the hardest obstacle you are likely to face is getting to grips with the controls in this physics-based postman sim.
The premise here is a simple one. Starting the game as a jelly-like avatar you wobble your way to a delivery machine, pull a lever to dispense a parcel, and deliver it as safely and as quickly as possible. How you deliver this parcel is up to you, with Totally Reliable Delivery Service giving you a variety of vehicles in which to carry out your task.
It is here that the first real hurdle comes into view – the control scheme. Totally Reliable Delivery Service is simple enough to get to grips with, but often frustrating in its delivery down to the physics it relies upon. The whole idea of getting a parcel from point A to point B is easy enough, but getting your little delivery guy or gal to respond is often fraught with difficulty.
Controlling your character is a case of lifting your arms and grabbing the parcels with the shoulder buttons. Manoeuvring each parcel requires you to grab it, lift it up and then haul it into a vehicle to deliver it across the map. Vehicles range from golf carts and cars to aeroplanes and helicopters, and taking charge of a vehicle is a case of hopping aboard and grabbing a lever, then using the analogue sticks to safely navigate your way to your destination. Easy enough in principle, but often the physics get in the way – with a simple turn becoming a navigational nightmare should you take it too quickly.
For many, this will be where the fun lies, as you watch the physics of Totally Reliable Delivery Service flip and throw your character any which way. For me, this fun wore thin incredibly quickly, replaced by frustration as I would often try to complete a simple task. Jobs like putting a parcel in the back of a vehicle could quickly become lessons in contortion as your character twists and turns trying to put it in. Completing a delivery is often as frustrating as you try and remove the parcel and put it in a blue receptacle that sucks your parcel up close upon completion.
Aerial vehicles are a nightmare all of their own, but once you do get the hang of them they make for the quickest and most efficient means of travel. However, getting the hang of the helicopter was one of the most satisfying things I was able to accomplish during my time with Totally Reliable Delivery Service.
As much as the whole point is delivering parcels, with the clue being in the title, a lot of the fun I had playing Totally Reliable Delivery Service was in exploring the world map. The game’s developer has created a small but lovingly crafted world with lots of secrets to discover. The map contains an eclectic mix of areas, from a stadium and a Ferris wheel to an island resort and airport. Each area comes with a set of deliveries to complete, and a variety of vehicles to use to complete them. Now and then you might stumble across a lever that can be pulled in an area, causing something out of the ordinary to happen. I’ll leave that to you to find out.
It was here that I found a reason to extend my enjoyment beyond the task of delivering parcels. Exploring the world and trying to find unusual outcomes and events that I could control meant I spent slightly longer with Totally Reliable Delivery Service than I would have done had it been without them, but to be fair a massive appeal is in exploring this world and discovering these events with some friends. During my review, this was not something I was able to explore, but I can see the videos on YouTube now as friends discover weird and wacky ways in which to experiment, with Totally Reliable Delivery Service providing you with enough tools to stretch this out beyond the game’s main task.
After about the 50th delivery, I felt I had seen all that Totally Reliable Delivery Service had to offer. Without friends to tag along there is only so far that the simple “get a package, deliver the package, repeat” formula can be stretched before it gets tiresome, but if you enjoy physics playgrounds then Totally Reliable Delivery Service might just be for you. Just remember to bring a friend along.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service PS4 Review
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Overall - Not Bad - 5/105/10
Summary
Totally Reliable Delivery Service is a physics playground that tasks you with getting parcels from A to B, giving you the tools to do that in as many ways as you can think of, but the fun does run a little thin before you can find them all.
Review Disclaimer: This review was carried out using a copy of the game provided by the publisher. For more information, please read our Review Policy.
Reviewed using base PS4.
