You’ve probably played Death Stranding. You might have even spent a few stressful hours in Overcooked or Moving Out. But those games are basically professional logistics simulations compared to the sheer, unadulterated carnage of Deliver At All Costs PS5. Developed by Far Out Games and published by Marvellous Europe, this isn't a game about careful driving. It’s a game about a man named David Cotton who has reached his absolute breaking point in a world that looks like a 1950s postcard but acts like a demolition derby.
I’ve been watching the development of this one closely because it taps into a very specific kind of gaming catharsis. We’ve spent years in games being told to protect the cargo, to drive carefully, and to obey the physics engine. Deliver At All Costs throws that out the window. If the fence is in your way, you drive through it. If a building is in your way, well, hopefully, your truck is heavy enough.
The Narrative Hook of Deliver At All Costs PS5
Most "delivery" games focus on the "how." How do you get from point A to point B? In Deliver At All Costs PS5, the focus shifts to the "why" and the inevitable "oops." You are David Cotton. He's a guy who is perpetually down on his luck, living in a stylized 1950s era that feels both nostalgic and incredibly volatile.
The story isn't just window dressing. It's actually a pretty deep dive into a man losing his grip on reality while trying to maintain a professional veneer. You start with simple tasks, but the game quickly escalates. One minute you're delivering a giant marlin; the next, you're hauling a nuclear warhead that’s ticking down. The stakes are ridiculous, which is exactly why the isometric perspective works so well. It gives you a bird's-eye view of the wreckage you’re leaving behind.
Destruction is the Core Mechanic
Honestly, calling this a driving game is a bit of a lie. It’s a destruction engine disguised as a career path. The environments are almost entirely destructible. When you turn a corner in your delivery van, you don’t just graze the curb; you might accidentally take out a lemonade stand, a row of park benches, and a civilian’s sedan.
The PS5 hardware actually matters here. We’re seeing a level of debris persistence and physics-based chaos that wouldn't have worked as smoothly on previous generations. When you plow through a grocery store, the cans don't just vanish. They scatter. The "at all costs" part of the title is literal. The game doesn't care if you arrive with a pristine vehicle. It only cares that the box (or the bomb, or the fish) hits the target zone.
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Physics-Based Mayhem
The physics engine is "floaty" in a way that feels intentional. It’s not Gran Turismo. It’s more like a high-stakes version of Micro Machines where the cars have the weight of actual steel. You’ll feel every bump and collision through the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback, which adds a layer of tactile stress to the experience.
It's chaotic. It's loud. It's often frustrating in that "one more try" kind of way.
Why the 1950s Aesthetic Works So Well
There is something deeply satisfying about ruining a pristine, suburban utopia. The 1950s setting provides a perfect contrast to the gameplay. You have this upbeat, big-band soundtrack playing while you’re accidentally flattening a picket-fence neighborhood. It’s a classic trope—the "perfect" world being torn apart—but Deliver At All Costs leans into it with a specific kind of dark humor.
The art style is vibrant. Think bright teals, sun-drenched oranges, and polished chrome. But by the time David Cotton is done with a level, the map looks like a war zone. This visual storytelling is one of the game's strongest suits. You aren't just reading about David's descent into madness; you are literally creating the trail of destruction that proves he's losing it.
The Difficulty Spike is Real
Don't let the colorful graphics fool you. This game is hard. As you progress, the "cargo" becomes increasingly unstable. Some items react to speed. Others react to impact. Some are just giant and awkward, making your center of gravity a nightmare.
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You have to manage:
- Vehicle Integrity: Your truck can only take so much before it’s a flaming wreck.
- Cargo Stability: If you’re hauling something volatile, one wrong turn ends the run.
- Environmental Hazards: It’s not just your driving; the world seems out to get you.
Many players get frustrated early on because they try to play it like a standard racer. You can't. You have to learn the art of the "controlled crash." Sometimes the fastest way to stop is to hit a tree. Sometimes the best way to make a delivery is to launch your car off a ramp and hope the cargo lands in the right zip code.
Comparing Deliver At All Costs to the Competition
When people talk about Deliver At All Costs PS5, they inevitably compare it to Teardown or Crazy Taxi. Those are fair points of reference, but they miss the narrative weight. Teardown is a puzzle game about destruction. Crazy Taxi is an arcade timer. This game is a character study wrapped in a chaotic physics sandbox.
It fills a gap in the PS5 library for "Short Burst" gaming. You can jump in, ruin a city block in fifteen minutes, and jump out. But if you dig into the story missions, there’s a surprising amount of meat on the bones. The voice acting for David captures that "retail worker on the edge" energy perfectly. We've all been there—maybe not with a nuclear warhead in the trunk, but we've all felt that pressure.
Technical Performance on PS5
The transition to consoles can be rough for physics-heavy games, but Far Out Games seems to have optimized this well. The frame rate stays remarkably stable even when half a dozen buildings are collapsing simultaneously.
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One thing to note: the loading times are near-instant. This is crucial for a game where you will inevitably fail a mission because you accidentally drove into the ocean. The "Restart Mission" button is your best friend, and on the PS5's SSD, it's a seamless transition back to the start of the carnage.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Gameplay
There's a misconception that you should avoid the chaos. Actually, the game often rewards it, or at least necessitates it to meet time trials. If you try to drive like a law-abiding citizen, you will fail every single objective. The game is teaching you to embrace the "At All Costs" mantra.
It's also not just a driving game. There are segments where David has to get out of the car. These on-foot sections are shorter but help ground the scale of the world. Seeing a giant Cadillac-style car from a human perspective makes you realize just how much damage you're actually doing.
Is It Worth the Full Price?
This depends on what you value. If you want a 100-hour RPG with a skill tree the size of a galaxy, this isn't it. But if you want a polished, hilarious, and genuinely unique action-delivery game that looks gorgeous on a 4K display, then yes. It’s a "B-movie" game in the best way possible—high concept, high energy, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
The replayability comes from the "Chaos Grade" you get at the end of levels. Going back to earlier missions with a better understanding of the physics to see just how much property damage you can rack up is a legitimate secondary game mode.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you're picking up Deliver At All Costs PS5 this week, keep these specific tips in mind to avoid early-game frustration:
- Ignore the Road Rules Immediately: The "optimal" path is rarely the road. Look for shortcuts through parks, malls, and backyards. The destruction is a tool, not a penalty.
- Watch the Cargo Weight: Large items shift your vehicle's weight significantly. If you're carrying something top-heavy, your "drift" will turn into a "roll" very quickly.
- Use the Environment to Brake: Braking is for losers. If you need to stop fast to make a delivery drop, aim for something semi-sturdy like a wooden fence or a parked car to bleed off velocity.
- Upgrade Your Hub: Don't ignore the progression outside of the missions. Improving David's garage gives you access to vehicles that handle the late-game volatility much better.
- Master the "Eject" Timing: Sometimes the vehicle is going to explode. Knowing when to bail so David survives while the cargo slides into the goal is a legitimate strategy.
Ultimately, the game is a reminder that sometimes things just fall apart, and the best you can do is make sure they fall apart in the right direction. Stop trying to be a perfect driver and start being a successful deliverer. The two are rarely the same thing in David Cotton's world.