Deadline Delivery Review (PC)

Need for Speed has been real quiet since Deadline Delivery put on the leather gloves and slipped behind the wheel. Granted, I’m not entirely sure if Criterion Games is quaking in its boots in envy at this point, or if the team are just confused by the whole concept of meshing monkeys with mail, and dangerous driving with matchbox drifting. Either way, I’ll happily add my two cents to the pot and say, you know — it’s a good idea, even if it is a little, well, kooky. But it isn’t the premise that’s strange here; it’s the way in which Deadline Delivery weaves its gameplay and waxes explosive (literally) consequences with annoyingly addictive drifting maneuvers. It’s a bit like Tokyo Drift with a temper tantrum—a chaotic pursuit that is reminiscent of a toddler’s imaginary shenanigans. This world just happens to have monkeys for couriers and bombs for packages. We’ll let you remove the rest of the contents from the envelope.

The idea is simple: deliver a collection of packages in a flimsy yet versatile soapbox truck whilst battling against the clock and, more importantly, the explosive device that just so happens to be strapped to a timed detonator. If you can successfully deliver your items in the allotted time, then you can move on to one of eighteen levels. If you fail to reach your destination before the bomb sheds its weight, however, then you must start the delivery from scratch. In other words, it’s a “peaceful” courier sim with a number of deadly consequences and an hourglass that relies on your ability to weave through traffic and avoid collisions. Again, it’s a simple setup that doesn’t leave too much to the imagination, but stick with us. Oh, we’re not done just yet.

Deadline Delivery is all about cashing in on that all-important dopamine boost to ensure the swift release of your precious cargo. As I said, the objective is as clear as day: to swiftly snake through a series of roads, highways and ludicrous asphalt formations by either operating a drift mechanic or blindly skirting through the streets, and delivering packages a timely manner. Think of it as a Trials episode, only you don’t explode at the checkered flag, but out on the open road if and when you mistakenly hit the wrong prompt or drive directly into oncoming traffic. That’s the point here. It isn’t about making deliveries; it’s about preventing a grizzly climax from occurring on the road. But that’s where skill and calculation comes into play.

While the act of barreling through the streets isn’t all that complicated, Deadline Delivery does make it so that each of its eighteen stages has its own array of challenges and ill-placed hurdles for you to tackle. The traffic is one thing — but then there are the other issues—the stunt jumps, the reckless driving, and the multiplayer mode that forces you to wage war with an entire spectrum of ill-tempered couriers who can’t tell their brake pedals from their blinkers, for example. Deadline Delivery has all of that, and then some. It isn’t a difficult game by any stretch, but then, it is one that requires you to think on the spot and make bold decisions in the heat of the moment. The inclusion of an armed explosive is just the frosting on the cake here, yet one that also serves its purpose as a vicious incentive to keep your eyes on the road and your mind out of the gutter. And it works, too. Who’d have thought?

If you’re familiar with games like Park It and other bite-sized vehicular combat games à la Cel Damage, then you ought to have a vague idea of how Deadline Delivery visualizes the world and how matchbox cars can seemingly operate like slinky cardboard boxes with the ability to launch, barrel roll, and jackknife in any direction possible. It’s the same case here, except that you don’t battle other vehicles, but do all in your power to push flimsy pieces of rubber and plastic to the brink of catastrophic failure before the timer on a bomb goes kaput. It’s quick, disorienting, and yet, also a lot of fun — even with the pressure of being saddled with an explosive in your backseat, weirdly.

Visually, what you see here is what you get: a comical image that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It doesn’t do much to elevate graphical innovation I’ll admit, but it still serves its purpose as an entry-level indie with a palpable aesthetic that’s surprisingly easy on the eyes. Does it look great? No. But I’ll give credit where credit is due and say that it is a fitting choice for the nature of the game.

Of course, while I certainly wouldn’t turn a blind eye to a few additional stages and a couple of extra modes to work with, it does seem that Deadline Delivery has the potential and, more importantly, the capacity to adopt more content in the near future via DLC and post-launch updates. But that’s a letter that we can’t quite afford to post yet. For the time being, I’ll settle for the minivan and the monkey, the small package of levels and the unhinged drifting. Here’s hoping that, with any luck, there’ll be more to follow in the coming months. Don’t fail us, GOOD1 Studios.

Verdict

Deadline Delivery is a bit like Hot Wheels with a twist of volatile asphalt, or better yet, Lonely Mountains with a few extra collisions and daringly devilish feats. It might be a relatively simple game that capitalizes on the basics of a matchbox drifting IP, but thanks to its explosive elements and stupidly entertaining stunt-based driving mechanics, it’s also a game that delivers on all fronts and, above all, keeps you coming back for another quick romp through the motions, whether it’s as a lone courier with a god complex or as a troop with a shared obsession with reckless driving and high-octane shenanigans. Heck, if Trials can do it, then so can Deadline Delivery.