Parcel Corps, an upcoming game, has been described as a mix of influences from various classic video games. It features the cel-shaded animation of Jet Set Radio, the time-sensitive delivery gameplay of Crazy Taxi, and the quirky characters of Banjo-Kazooie.Parcel Corps, an upcoming game, has been described as a mix of influences from various classic video games. It features the cel-shaded animation of Jet Set Radio, the time-sensitive delivery gameplay of Crazy Taxi, and the quirky characters of Banjo-Kazooie. Upon playing a demo of Parcel Corps, the game’s potential is evident despite some initial difficulty in mastering its controls. However, a demo is now available for those interested in trying it out before its official release on September 3rd for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
There are only two games in the Jet Set Radio series, but given the effect it has had on pop culture you would think there were many more. The cel-shaded animation can be seen in games like Borderlands and Wind Waker. The mix of music genres on the soundtrack can be seen in Kingdom Hearts and the later Persona games. It feels like there are more than two Jet Set Radio games, because developers have been paying tribute to it for over twenty years. Whether in small ways like above, or more obvious influences like Sunset Overdrive and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.
I start with this because Parcel Corps has been compared to Jet Set Radio on a bicycle, and it’s easy to see why this comparison has been made so often. It has a cel-shaded art style and offers the ability to grind through a city, perform impossible tricks and move at super-fast speeds. However, this is not the only comparison that can be made. You make temporary deliveries like in Crazy Taxi, and it features crazy characters like in Banjo Kazooie. Parcel Corps takes all those old-fashioned influences and combines them into something new.
Parcel Corps / Secret Mode
In Parcel Corps you play as a delivery driver, who, thanks to late-stage capitalism, must deliver his deliveries in minutes or even seconds. The courier makes connections with the businesses in the area, like a chip shop owner with a fish head, and you deliver their goods to desperate customers. You’ll gain speed, ride rails and climb walls to reach the finish line in time, all the while learning the ins and outs of the city map to find the best shortcuts. You do all this while absorbing the wacky, reference-heavy humor of Parcel Corps.
Playing 20 minutes of Parcel Corps with director Will Barr, it was clear to see the team’s passion for the game. Barr is wearing his signature form-fitting courier uniform that he wears in all Parcel Corps trailers, and he talks at a rapid pace about all the details of the game. He wants to make sure I don’t miss anything. The way my carrier moves is nothing like the slick movements in those trailers. I look more like Neil Armstrong than Lance Armstrong, riding off into the sunset embodied by another car. There’s a definite level of skill required to pull off all of the game’s fluid movements, and I imagine it’ll be quite satisfying once you get there.
Parcel Corps / Secret Mode
In this short time it is difficult to fully master the game, but this fragment shows that Parcel Corps holds a lot of promise. Don’t just take my word for it, you can try it for yourself as a demo is now available. You can also wait until its September 3 release for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
