I think I spent the majority of my gaming time in the ’90s in a cartoon make-believe fantasy world. Gaming back then was all about big colours and Disney-type worlds with larger-than-life characters. The true real-life gritty games of the 2000s seemed like a lifetime away.
Cute platformers were abundant, for both adults and children alike. There was Spryo, Crash Bandicoot, Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim, and countless other franchises and lesser-known characters. Now we are going back to that time with a big platforming world to explore, and we’re doing it with Paperman: Adventure Delivered. It promises old-school mechanics along with the chance to bring a friend along for the ride in co-op. But does it stand up in the modern world of gaming?
There’s a cutscene that delivers a bit of a story for Paperman: Adventure Delivered. I say cutscene but it’s a series of drawn stills, running in order. That story though goes a bit like this – Paperman has delivered a million letters, so to celebrate the post office is going to send out special golden letters to certain customers. A dragon is watching this news, takes umbrage and decides to steal all the mail and golden letters, adding them to his stash. It’s up to Paperman and his friends to get it all back, doing so through an adventure that plays out across many different worlds.Â
There is some lovely charm to this Paperman world with some nice characters and fun enemies in place. It means it should cater to all, pleasing the family-friendly market for which this game is aimed at. It’s a simple story and setup, but that works fine.
The gameplay doesn’t do anything new in the platforming department, but I suppose if it ain’t broken it doesn’t need fixing right? The problem is, whilst not new, it’s also not as intuitive as you would like, and Paperman: Adventure Delivered takes a bit of getting used to.Â
However, Paperman and his friends can jump and double jump. There is an attack button that fires projectiles out in the form of letters, along with a weird teleport allowing you to move across a small distance in an instant. There is also the usual grabbing of blocks, moving them around, as well as some basic puzzling solving. The world is fun to explore and nothing is ever too difficult to grasp.
The real problem though is that the physics in Paperman: Adventure Delivered aren’t as successful as other games in this genre. It doesn’t mean the game is broken, but it just isn’t as fun at times and makes the gameplay a bit ploddy. Jumping feels too light, rarely solid enough. And the same can be said for all the actions in the gameplay. It takes some getting used to, but there are times when you’ll find yourself having a pleasant enough time.
The puzzle elements of the game are simple but very effective. It’s these which are easily the highlight of the game. It’s also capable of providing an addictive element, as you look to go collecting letters, hunting secrets. Paperman: Adventure Delivered is also helped along by the inclusion of some cooperative play, boosting the enjoyment.Â
There’s no doubt that Paperman: Adventure Delivered has been inspired by the old-school platformers from years gone by. It’s full of brilliantly dazzling colours and cutesy characters and locations that are full of fantasy. Perhaps it would have been nice to have a fully fledged narrative cutscene setting things up initially, but that probably comes about due to budgets.
Similar goes for a lack of voice work; instead we get little snippets of sound from the characters. I do however like the soundtrack – it is nice and breezy and helps you jog around the world without too much of a care. .Â
Paperman: Adventure Delivered presents a cute story with some fun characters and a colourful world to explore. Yet whilst there are some good puzzles and the inclusion of cooperative play, the mechanics are not as intuitive as other games in the genre. Still, it’s fun enough, especially if you’re looking for something to take you back to the glory days of old-school adventure worlds.
