In Paperman: Adventure Delivered, players step into the shoes of the titular character and his diverse team on a quest to retrieve stolen mail from a greedy dragon. So – not a sequel to Paperboy then, but the game does offer a vibrant 3D platforming experience across three distinct worlds, each one presenting unique challenges and secrets to uncover. During the game, players have the opportunity to switch between four mail carriers, each endowed with their own special abilities, adding an extra layer of strategy and diversity in mechanics to the gameplay. We played the PS5 version.
The concept of having diverse characters with unique skill sets adds depth to the gameplay, encouraging players to strategize and utilize each character’s strengths to overcome obstacles. Paperman himself has the ability to use letters as projectiles and teleport himself across short distances, and Express is a character that emphasizes speed and agility. Scrolly has the ability to glide, while Carl’s more of the strongman character, handling heavy parcels when there’s a need for some lifting. As platformers go, this creates a dynamic and engaging experience, with characters that have plenty of charm.
However, despite this promising premise, Paperman: Adventure Delivered encounters a few stumbling blocks along the way. The game isn’t the most technically polished game out there, and can feel a little laggy. This not only takes the flow out of the experience, but also makes navigating challenges more cumbersome than it should be. Because of its endearing concept and cute characters, this is a shame.
Looking past the issues that hold it back, the game does offer a multiplayer feature, allowing up to four players in local co-op split-screen on the PS4. This certainly adds to the gameplay experience, as it’s very rare to find a 3D platformer with a feature like this.
In conclusion, while Paperman: Adventure Delivered boasts an endearing visual style and an array of engaging characters and abilities, it’s difficult to wholeheartedly recommend at this time. A lack of technical polish hampers the overall playability, ultimately causing more frustration than a sense of a free-flowing and fun platforming adventure. Despite some obvious surface level charm, this one feels like it was pushed out of the oven a little too soon – ultimately feeling like a cute concept that deserved better.
Score: 5.5/10
Press Play Media 