No-this game didn't fall off the back of a lorry
HAVE you ever stopped to consider the everyday hazards and difficulties
that the driver of a delivery van encounters? To be perfectly
honest neither had I. At least, at the risk of sounding like part
of some glittery TV commercial, that was until I came across Paean
System's latest game.
Joking apart, I was at least initially attracted by the comparitively
obscure nature of the game.
The screen is divided into sections comprising a map, a compass,
a road junction layout and fuel and distance indicators.
Your job, as a newly-appointed driver, is to deliver various
goods to different locations, using a road network constructed
by the computer.
You are assisted on your travels by a display of your position
and the possible directions in which you may continue as well
as the status of the roads. There are one-way streets, bad roads
which cause accidents and even speed restrictions.
Being allowed an initial commission bonus of £1,000, you
can increase this figure by successful delivery of goods. It may
also be decreased, however, by fines, endorsements and bad deliveries.
A score of more than £2,000 could win you a holiday, but
return with a score of less than £10 and you join the ranks
of the unemployed once more.
The game is not exactly an action-packed thriller. It does,
however, have a few pleasing touches. You are personally selected
for the job in hand and are accompanied in your errors to the
tune of rather embarrassing sirens as well as unconstructive advice
from your co-driver.
I found myself on more than one occasion tip-toeing away from
the accusing alarms, denying all knowledge of a game they called
Delivery.
For those of you, like me, who welcome any game that does not
involve spaceships, man-to-man combat or rescuing the damsel in
distress, Delivery provides a reasonably entertaining and original
alternative.
Karen Torevell
