Sega is a more influential video game publisher than many realize. There are countless games that use the classic Sonic the Hedgehog games as inspiration, but the same can be said for some of its classic racing games and pseudo 3D titles, like Space Harrier. Parcel Corps takes this a step further by taking its influences from two Sega titles from the Dreamcast era, and the end result is a game that is ultimately fun but flawed.

The story is set up as a parody of modern times. The game takes place in New Island, and you're the newest member of an on-demand bike courier corporation. As you try to fulfill orders to drum up business, you also get roped into thwarting a scheme that involves another CEO trying to take over the city via political means.

The idea to parody the gig economy is good, but the execution of the humor is very hit-and-miss. The various texts and emails ape current tech culture, from the constant reminders of how you're part of a family to the need to rate everything you do. The clientele can look wacky, from talking statues to a bodybuilder being an actual minotaur. The game goes for some easy jokes, like giving the bodybuilder a familiar Austrian accent and having a pizza parlor owner complain about a relative named Mario. Some of the jokes, such as the constant chat stream throughout the game, can't be appreciated because the text is so small that it's unreadable.

After going through a tutorial that feels longer than it actually is, you start things off by selecting which company you're riding for and which rider you'll be playing as. This may initially seem like a big choice, but it is only for aesthetics. You can change up which company you work for at any time and even change riders, and you don't get any penalty. There also aren't any changes to the storyline no matter who you choose; this feels like a missed opportunity that could've given the game some replayability.

The game is a mix of Crazy Taxi's objective system with the mobility and anti-authority bits of Jet Set Radio. You start an area by scanning the QR code near a business with your phone. The patron comes out and asks you to do a specific task before you get their business. Once they become your customer, you'll receive delivery orders from them. You need to pick up the package and make your series of deliveries within the given time limit. Each successful delivery gives you cash and clout with that business, and once you build enough clout with all of the businesses in the area, you can participate in a big delivery run with all of the businesses in one go — or you reach the next section of the city to repeat the process.

The actual objectives within that game loop never change; you're always asked to deliver packages from points A to B, but the game tries to add some variety to those deliveries. For example, some patrons will ask you to perform tricks while doing deliveries. Others may ask you to get the package to its destination without crashing too much. Some quests will have you posting flyers or destroying surveillance drones along your route, and others ask you to evade the cops while you're delivering packages. The tasks are always the same, but there's a bit of variety to make things slightly interesting.

The incentive for completing these kinds of missions, aside from unlocking new areas, is extra cash that can be used to get new bike parts. This includes everything from bells to new handlebars, tires, frames, and so forth. There's a decent variety of bike parts to choose from, enough to really make your bike your own if you're willing to invest in it. However, none of the parts are anything other than cosmetic. You have a multiplayer mode to show off your bike to others, but without any real upgrades to work for, the motivation for bonuses is up to the player, as the "upgrades" never improve your bike to make deliveries easier.

There are a few other issues that seem minor but add up over time. As mentioned earlier, the text for the game's chat is small enough that you can safely ignore it, but the same size problem also occurs in the game's messaging system. This kills some of the jokes, since you need to get close to the TV to see any of it. Failing a mission isn't so bad, but it means that you have to navigate the phone's delivery menu again and bike to the start to replay the route, since you have no option to retry the mission. Even then, prepare to sit through the same unskippable dialogue. There's the issue of crashing, as you'll always have to go through the same five-second-long animation of pulling a bike from your backpack or whistling for a bike to be thrown to you. It may be humorous to see the first time, but it gets very old very quickly.

One other thing that will trip up people is the controls. Moving your bike requires you to tilt the left analog stick forward, and mashing the X button increases your pedaling speed. Square is for jumping and pulling off tricks when in the air, and you need to hold down L1 to perform a grind. The Circle button initiates a power slide, while the R2 handles the rear braking for drifting, L2 handles the front brakes for slowing down, and pulling both triggers initiates a dead stop. These controls are completely counter to what is used in other racing games, so you'll often do something other than your intended action because you're fighting against years of muscle memory from racing games. This wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that you can't remap the controls. Unless this is your first game dealing with a bike, you'll have to face a lengthy adjustment period before you can get comfortable with the controls.

The same complaint about the controls can also be applied to the use of your phone. You pull up your phone by hitting the Triangle button. Navigation is handled solely by the right analog stick, and selecting something has you clicking in that same stick. This is done so that you can still pedal around the city while on your phone. One can argue that the system works as a way to convince you never to do that, since it means you'll crash into something. However, this doesn't make the use of the phone enjoyable since there's no alternate way to navigate it. It also doesn't help that navigating the phone can be painful even if you do master the controls because the highlighter for the buttons can be difficult to see. The overall system isn't that well done, but you will be forced to do all of this because it's the only way to accept delivery missions.

Even with these issues, the actual gameplay remains enjoyable enough. Part of that is because Parcel Corps does the right things to make deliveries fun. There's never just one route to take, and part of the enjoyment is being able to find the optimal route through experimentation. There's a good sense of speed that feels fast but not uncontrollably so. The idea of taking deliveries at your leisure makes this a bit more relaxed than a typical Crazy Taxi experience, but the option to make things frantic is still there for those who want it. More importantly, there still isn't anything quite like that same cab driving experience that's replicated to this day. This game still does enough of the right things to make the experience appealing, even if you start to see the flaws the more time you spend with it.

The campaign clocks in at a little under 15 hours, but there's still a decent amount to do once the story is over since you don't have to complete all of the deliveries to finish the game. There is a multiplayer hub where you can play faux arcade games, and you can also play a clone of Snake on your phone if you can come to grips with the control scheme. Multiplayer introduces people into your game world, but it feels a bit superficial since everyone simply does their own thing instead of directly competing with you for things like fastest times on your delivery route.

Graphically, the game is mostly solid. The game goes for a cel-shaded look with characters that look more at home in a graphic novel, and the aesthetic works well to make things pop, even if some patrons look creepier as a result. The city feels populated and busy, even if it doesn't take long to see the same bystanders in the same places, and the frame rate is solid throughout. The game exhibits an issue when it comes to items popping up in the distance, but there's not much to complain about.

The audio is also good most of the time. The voices are good, but some of the lines seem to have been recorded without a pop filter, so the Ps and Ts sound harsher as a result. It isn't a huge issue, but it is noticeable. The music is a real highlight, as it goes for an instrumental hip-hop that feels fitting for riding around town but never gets so aggressive that it adds to the stress of making your deliveries on time. The only complaint is that the pool of tracks seems rather small, so expect to hear the same tunes play quite often.

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.

Score: 6.5/10