Mail Time (Review)
Ah, autumn – the falling leaves, cooler weather, and hot apple cider have all arrived. What better time is there to relax inside, under a blanket, with your Nintendo Switch and a new game? Mail Time seems like the perfect game for this, as a soft, cozy mail delivery adventure set in a little secluded village.
Congratulations! You’re a mail scout, and it’s your first day on the job. You were basically made for this, and your task is to bring mail to the handful of residents in your little area (quite literally little, as you visit woodland creatures and climb over picnic baskets). You’ll deliver your mail with a nice mix of exploration and platforming – up trees, across bridges, to infinity and beyond!
Mail Time begins, as many games do, with a character customization screen, and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable aspects. The game does a great job of not making customization unapproachable (as can sometimes happen with TOO many options), while still letting you create the character you want thanks to a range of aesthetically-pleasing designs, options, and colours. You can really customize yourself, and the cherry on top is being able to choose your pronouns, which offer a neutral option for nonbinary players.
You’ll get to enjoy your character not only as a 3D avatar, but also as a 2D avatar in conversation, which is a nice touch that I didn’t expect, and that made me feel a little closer to the character that I so painstakingly put together.
The humour in Mail Time is incredibly silly, focusing on lighthearted commentary and the occasional bits of sarcasm. You won’t have to worry about heavy conversations, making it a great game to just relax with. Honestly at times I wasn’t sure the dialogue was the best fit for me, because it felt like maybe it was trying a little too hard, but I can appreciate the lighthearted atmosphere and occasionally far-too-accurate real world concerns.
I do really struggle, however, with how I feel about the actual gameplay of Mail Time.
Completing quests feels like a lot of fun – I love the concept of each neighbor having their own personalities and needs. As a mail scout you don’t just delivery letters – you delivery smiles, relief, and even love. This is complemented by a free-spirited sense of adventure as you explore the area. The village you’re tasked with delivering within is quite small, meaning it’s manageable to explore and learn early on in the game and really gives the feel of learning a little village.
Unfortunately the part of the gameplay I struggle with enjoying is also the most important part. Mail Time’s 3D platforming should feel fun – what could be more adventurous than climbing your way up trees and gliding across the jars of jam left behind on picnic baskets? It should be fun, but for some reason it doesn’t feel enjoyable, especially with an occasionally finicky camera and awkward controls. I think maybe for some platformer-lovers this challenge might be perfect. For me, it took me out of the comfy vibe that I kept trying to enjoy.
It's worth noting that the game has some accessibility options, which I always love to see! Unfortunately none of those really seem to be focused on smoothing out these gameplay mechanics.
Overall, Mail Time is a generally enjoyable experience with a well-above average character creator, fun dialogue, and great atmosphere, held back a bit by somewhat clunky (but not unapproachable) platforming mechanics. If you enjoy exploration and don’t mind the occasional trial and error, it makes for a solid choice for anyone seeking an extra-cozy platformer.
Overall Rating: 7/10