The opening and peaceful beginning of A Pizza Delivery set up a tranquil and charming path, only to reveal at the end that I ordered the wrong pizza.

High Hopes

Indie games have brought forth some of the most relaxing and uniquely memorable experiences, creating situations that evoke feelings or emotional distress. They take players on journeys across deserts, the open seas, or, in the case of A Pizza Delivery, which only lead to frustration and starvation.

I wanted so much more from what was supposed to be an emotional story about a pizza delivery person named ‘B’ searching for answers about herself, only to find disappointment in the fallen pieces around her.

A Story Within

I couldn’t help but wonder if the solo developer was trying to tell their own life story within the game - something often found in narrative-focused games. Was this Eric’s life journey as we played a pizza delivery game for two hours with dull, boring landscapes and meaningless puzzles? Talking to three people throughout the journey, with very little emotion or purpose, dragged this rather short experience on for far too long. The story doesn’t come together in the end; instead, it’s a half-baked pizza, with the inner crust still raw.

The ending of the game left me asking: why? Why were we playing this game at all? I found notes from the past left in blatantly obvious places, which added to the boredom instead of the mystery. Where am I? Where am I headed with this pizza? Who ordered this pizza? When I finally found out who ordered the pizza, it was so disappointing that I wished I had just eaten the pizza myself at the beginning of the game.

One Step Forward, Five Steps Backwards

Games are meant to be fun - a form of expression, telling an emotional journey that could bring a player to tears. But sometimes, games are frustrating, especially when they’re as broken and bad as A Pizza Delivery.

Early in the game, you are tasked with wedging yourself through a tiny area to reach the next open part of the puzzle, only to be blocked by an invisible wall. Walking back and forth, hoping to squeeze through, I was forced to return to where I started and to try again and again, taking one step forward and five steps backward. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only section where I had to squeeze B through, only to face the inevitable invisible wall again!

Adding to my frustration were the animations - or lack thereof. B rides a scooter to make her deliveries; however, when turning corners, she never leans into the turn. Instead, she stays completely rigid and upright, not following the natural curve of riding a bike. It might seem minor, but it adds life and believability to the experience. When trying to get off the scooter, I encountered bizarre animations as her arms twisted backward in a weird yoga stretch, with her leg still trying to hold onto the scooter for dear life. Once again, this added to the pile of frustrations.

Transported Back In Time

If the animations weren’t enough, the graphics were another step back in time. Playing on my PlayStation 2 was enjoyable, but whether it was a stylistic decision or lack of experience, A Pizza Delivery transported me back to my childhood with its artistic approach that doesn’t stand the test of time. Dull textures along with roads that are met with flat curbs, or riding into a direct cut of a sloped hill at a hard 30-degree angle left me with more questions about the poor design.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

Ultimately, I can’t suggest anyone buy this game. It’s broken, graphically disappointing, with jarring moments of portal jumps that made me think my TV glitched, empty locations, and no personality. I played on Xbox, and during one puzzle, I was prompted with PlayStation instructions to turn the starfish with the L1 and R1 buttons.

These reviews are tough - I never enjoy ripping a game like this to shreds. I could keep going, but I believe I’ve made my points clear enough. However, this was my honest and unfortunate experience with A Pizza Delivery, and I can’t recommend others play it. There are far more enjoyable narrative-focused games to play which will leave an impactful and purposeful impression on you.