The Post Office sent my Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to another address, so I decided to play this parcel delivery gem

Today is the big day: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is officially launched. We’ve waited five years since Marvel’s Spider-Man and three years since Miles Morales. The excitement is in the air so much so that last night I saw again Spider-Man: No Way Home Yes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse .

Last Monday, October 16, 2020, I reserved my physical edition of Spider-Man 2. I admit that it took me a while to do it, but I have plenty of time for the package to arrive at home in time via express shipping. Or at least, that’s how it should have been. The harsh reality is that today I’m not going to play Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 .

Turns out the Postal Service updated the tracking this morning (very early) with one of the worst reports: « Due to a classification error, your shipment did not arrive at the correct destination. » It’s not that they were wrong, it’s that the package didn’t even arrive in my autonomous community. And I come from Andalusia, which is one of the largest in Spain. They had the opportunity to make mistakes.

Despair, based on the experience of dozens of packages not arriving the same day, quickly fills my heart. I go to my colleagues at E.S News to tell them what’s going on and I joke around playing a video game about package delivery that I find after a quick search. And the joke ended up being a very satisfying discovery.

Lake, the life of the small town deliveryman

Forrest Gump was more right than a saint when he said, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” You never know what you’re going to get. » How could I imagine this morning, when I woke up, that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was going to be delayed (credibly) and I would discover a video game about package delivery that I would love?

Lake , released on September 21, 2021 and developed by Gamious, is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It is a narrative experience that uses a letter and package delivery system to tell the story of Meredith Weiss as she returns to a beautiful small town called Providence Oaks. The woman takes advantage of two weeks of vacation to replace her father, a delivery driver.

The Steam version has a demo and was my lifeline for the hour or so that I took off to finish it. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting a marvel like Death Stranding, but the positive reviews helped me face the first few minutes with positivity. Additionally, its visuals are quite beautiful and colorful.

The game takes little time to teach us the basic mechanics: entering and exiting the delivery truck, storing and retrieving packages from the back, and making deliveries to different locations in the form of letters and boxes of different sizes. All without timers or NPCs encouraging us to hurry. Anyone who has played Call of Duty campaigns knows what I’m talking about.

My first day as an actor at Providence Oaks was uneventful. Most deliveries involve dropping letters into mailboxes and delivering packages by hand or to their owners’ doors. Some, however, have their own comic strip. In this case, they are all reunions with people who knew Meredith Weiss during her childhood. Highlight Mrs. Jenkins, whose house is full of kittens.

It is important to add that we travel with a delivery van and the mini map indicates the street name to be able to identify where each package should be delivered. I loved it ! Plus, the map isn’t too big. It’s basically repeating the same job every day (with different locations and surprise deliveries). Something negative for many people, but not for me.

The radio in the delivery van, respecting traffic laws and the stories that we find during deliveries are all that Lake presents in the demo to entertain us. If you’re looking for something else, I doubt you’ll even be able to complete the demo.

Beyond letter and parcel delivery

As I make deliveries, I get to know the locals a little more and they take the liberty of asking me for favors. For example, Mrs. Jenkins asks me to take her sick cat to a man who understands veterinary medicine. And if I have to highlight a moment, I will undoubtedly choose the Video Club of the city. It has covers with references so clear that they border on illegal. Just before finishing the demo, I and the salesperson set up a portable VHS player service at my home to encourage neighbors to watch movies.

Lake It has its intense and profound moments. Even if it is not intended to be the most introspective experience in the world, it uses conversations to address certain delicate/serious subjects: exploitation through work, mourning for a deceased loved one, the destruction of natural spaces for construction, etc. Always with a few touches of humor to lighten the point.

My Friday evening Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has disappeared due to a « classification error » and will most likely end up farming candy during Destiny 2’s Halloween event. The positive part of this little disappointment is Lake . It gave me a great time and is already on my PlayStation wishlist. I plan to purchase it as soon as it goes on sale. It’s never a bad time to discover new games!