Parcel Corps

Parcel Corps is a fun throwback to Sega’s Dreamcast days of yore, being a hybrid with the feel of both Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi. It doesn’t lend itself particularly well to extended play sessions though. It is generally engaging enough and a fun playground to mess around in.

Parcel Corps is easily one of the best attempts at revitalising a highly addictive subgenre of arcade game. Pulling off gnarly trick combos and thrashing those bike pedals feels great - even if things get repetitive after a while, saddling up for short bursts of play is incredibly fun. The world-building will also keep players engaged between delivery jobs with enough referential humour and satire to warrant the occasional hearty chuckle.

If you're looking for fun, responsive gameplay with a sprinkling of 4th wall breaking, then Parcel Corps is an over the top, fast paced, satirical experience that will have you pedalling up the right street.

It takes a little while to warm to, but once you've got the hang of controlling your bike in Parcel Corps the fun quickly ramps up. Getting companies signed up to your delivery app and mastering each location is an enjoyable endeavour, and delivery rush events feel a bit like a mix between Crazy Taxi and Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, which can only be a good thing.

Parcel Corps is loads of fun in short bursts. It's one of those games that you can play in between other big titles as a palette cleanser. You have to be able to overcome a few things like the unorthodox control scheme to get the most out of it, and if you can get the game for cheap, it's worth a look.

Parcel Corps is an intriguing concept of a game and has all the fundamentals it needs to be good fun. While I enjoyed the elements of gameplay, narrative and art style separately, I personally felt as though they didn't come together as planned. Gameplay was interrupted by the story, and the joy of barspins out of wallrides is soon lost to repetitive missions and accidentally opening your mobile before confidently launching yourself into the side of a lorry. That being said, are in the mood for some simple and fun gameplay, Parcel Corps may be the perfect package.

Whilst the core gameplay loop of riding, swerving and tricking across different parts of an elaborately designed city is fun, the gameplay variety falls short very early on. If you're set on just getting packages from point A to B in sick and quick succession then Parcel Corps may just be the package for you, but those looking for more bite to their bike may choose a different delivery service.

There’s an apparent tension in what Parcel Corps wants to be and what it actually is. The moments where it shines – the early, flexible stages and the later, hyper focused boss battles – are tactile, engaging and nearly worth the price of entry alone. Unfortunately, the current version hosting repetitive and frustrating design, never lives up to that potential. While it’s clear that Billy Goat Entertainment weren’t able to fully execute their vision of Parcel Corps, based on the parts that do work, I sincerely hope that someday they get to.

Filled with all sorts of bugs and in large quantities, Parcel Corps is a frustrating and highly repetitive experience that fails to revive the classic sports and adventure games of the 'golden age'.