I’m still not quite sure what to make of Easy Delivery Co., the “relaxing driving game with strange secrets”, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far, and absolutely want to know more. A premise like the one I’ve just quoted sets certain expectations, and you can definitely see glimpses of it in the bite-sized demo currently available for download: the Eastern European-style block buildings, the increasingly unforgiving weather, the eerily upbeat messages from the company you work for, and the strange bits of dialogue uttered by the locals are just some of the things that make you go “wait a second, what am I doing here?” And I didn’t even mention the thing that happens when you stay out in the cold for too long and freeze to death. What was that all about? Anyway…
At the end of the day, what you do in the demo is pick up packages and drive them to a designated location while occasionally chugging energy drinks to keep you from getting too tired. You can also listen to some chill tunes on your car radio and take in the lovingly pixelated PlayStation 1 visuals as the dark road is illuminated only by your headlights and the occasional street lamp. And that’s about it. The game’s Steam page claims that there’s nothing to see here, there’s nothing strange is going on, and that there’s “no lore, nothing at all, we promise” – well, color me skeptical. Surely there is some lore. Surely there is more to this. You can’t fool me, low-poly delivery cat.
I think the point of the demo was to have my curiosity piqued – so in that sense, mission accomplished. A cursory look at the game’s official Steam forums paints a similar picture, with people wondering if the final release will have horror elements or not. Yes? No? Maybe? I don’t know. I’d be fine with just a chill delivery game without any added nightmare fuel, but at the same time… Well, you know. ORDER 13 was a lot of fun, is what I’m saying.
As for the actual game, there are certain things and improvements I would like to see. Being able to take on more than one job at a time would certainly make things more efficient. More songs on the car radio would also be appreciated. Other than that, I suppose I’m expecting a touch more variety and craziness – let the jobs throw weird obstacles at you. Let your delivery truck break down, forcing you to hike back to town to grab the necessary parts. Allow your delivery driver to encounter… weird stuff when going off the beaten path. Why not? The fundamentals of a cute, engaging indie gem are all here – I just hope the finished game can expand on everything in a satisfying manner without becoming too repetitive. We’ll just have to wait and see, I suppose.
In the meantime, though, do check out the demo – it’s currently out on Steam, just waiting for you to dive in.
