Pizza Possum is a fun-filled hide and seek arcade game that falls heavily into the un-put-down-able category.
The first game from Cosy Computer is Pizza Possum, an arcade-style hide and seek published by Raw Fury. It is an adventure game that puts the player in the shoes of a very hungry possum with no respect for ownership when it comes to satiating his extreme hunger. Players on PC, Xbox Series S and X, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch will all be able to experience the delights of stealing food as a rambunctious rodent. Being published by Raw Fury, Pizza Possum is one of the newest arcade-style games, beat your own high score game; Pizza Possum is a great addition to the genre.
The story of Pizza Possum is kept very simple for the player. The game tells the story of a possum with a ravenous hunger that can only be satiated by the huge pizza belonging to the king of the land, who is a large dog. The pizza is guarded by literally guard dogs who patrol the areas that the hungry possum needs to work his way through in order to get to his big pizza prize. Along the way, the possum can eat huge amounts of food, scare the locals, who drop even more food to gorge on, and find power-ups that can be used in the pizza quest this crazed possum is on.
While not being the next great novel of our times, the story of Pizza Possum serves what the game needs. It establishes a fun villain while not losing any of the whimsy feeling that is necessary for such a game. The guard dogs add little threat as they chase down the possum after seeing him, but they do not come with a level of fear that would be inappropriate for younger people playing the fairly juvenile game. Without an overly complicated story, however, it is very necessary for the gameplay in Pizza Possum to stand up on its own.
The gameplay in Pizza Possum is, in short, an absolute blast. Going in, it seemed like a lot of repetition would make a player slowly tire of the antics of a very hungry possum, but that was not the case in the slightest. The game is scored very simply; the more food you can steal, the more you can progress, the more you can progress, the more food you can steal, and so on. So why is the very simplistic gameplay so addictive? Because as gamers, we need to beat ourselves as much as everyone else, and getting close to that high score of food consumed is the best motivation you could have.
Avoiding the guard dogs that are stationed around and patrolling around the village is one of the main features of the game. This does not, by any means, make it a stealth-based action game. The guard dogs appear to have all the peripheral vision of a gamer with tunnel vision. They ignore all clocks around them as they keep trying to reach a new high score, ignoring any other responsibilities. Not a personal problem, of course; collecting more pizza as a hungry possum has never ruined anyone’s personal timekeeping (if you can’t tell, I really wanted to beat my own high score).
All jokes aside, the guard dogs having such a small field of view is actually such a huge plus to the game. If they were super reactive and were alerted every time the possum moved even a little too close, a chase would begin; it would be very frustrating. If a player gets mad at a game, the fun is at risk, and Pizza Possum is based wholly on the fun that comes with it. It should also be noted that not all the guard dogs share the same level of obliviousness; in later sections of the game, there are some with far more difficult to track paths and move a lot faster than the defaults.
The dogs also allow more features of Pizza Possum to be revealed. Rather than simply hiding from them using the environment, the player can also use items to escape these guards as they make their way through the level. These include boxing gloves for when the possum has been caught or an energy drink that adds a boost of speed to the player, allowing a spurt of energy for a few seconds to allow an escape. And to avoid being seen in the first place, the possum can always use the smoke bomb hidden up their sleeve to cause maximum confusion.
These add a really fun pop of diversity to the gameplay that stops the repetition of being seen and running away, makes it feel less stale, and shakes up Pizza Possum. The energy drink is particularly fun as it adds an insane amount of speed and comes with a music sting that adds a jump of tension and excitement to the moment. The sudden burst of speed on first use is very shocking and will definitely get the adrenaline of any player revving.
Another way the guard dogs can be evaded is through the dog’s masks that can be collected throughout the levels of Pizza Possum. These masks allow the possum to be able to scurry up to the enemies and remain undetected. This means players can have a little more stealth and add another element of dynamic gameplay. The masks also look very silly and goofy, adding to the joy most will experience playing. Some people will not find these items until later playthroughs, meaning that even after several hours of playing, there is still the possibility for additions for someone to experience.
As well as finding food dropped over the ground, Pizza Possum allows the player to terrorise the locals by chasing them, causing them to drop various food that can also be eaten to increase that score. The locals will idle around the town until the player happens upon them, scaring them by running after them until they drop food. While not necessary, the possum can also scream mercilessly as he chases the other animals. The screaming will not cause them to drop food any faster, but the hilarity of it is enough to make it worth doing every single time.
This fun and whimsy really is the highlight of the game. Pizza Possum shines the most. As well as being able to shriek madly, there is the ability to giggle and snigger. This can be fun when running away from the guard dogs, but also when hidden in various bushes right under their noses. While small, these little moments are a wonderful addition to the game and give a uniqueness to the arcade style that really adds to the excitement of the game as a whole.
One of the most fun aspects of Pizza Possum, and the one that can bring the most joy, is the co-op element. While terrorising the town alone is very fun, the joy that comes with having a friend join is fantastic. Being able to have one person distracting the dogs away while the other eats an unbelievable amount of food is a fantastic way to up those stats and avoid being caught. It can also be very effective to have one player equipped with a punching glove or other such item to help while the other is running away, saving them from the dogs that will be in full chase.
Pizza Possum is a wonderful addition to the arcade hide and seek genre, and the simple yet entertaining gameplay is a large part of that. It should be noted that the map is a little limiting; however, if the developers choose to go down the live service route, it would be an excellent game to add seasonal updates to. A Halloween mode would be simple to implement with some reskins and costumes for all the in-game sprites. It is unnecessary, but it would spice up the gameplay and help Pizza Possum have a returning player base with new updates.
Being built in Unity, the frame rate and graphics are excellent. While playing, there will be very few frame drops and crashes, even for those playing on a device with lower specs. The graphics are also very good, and the art design works perfectly for the type of game. The sprites are all fun and very cute, with exaggerated expressions that are fabulous little additions to the fun of Pizza Possum.
One thing that is done nearly perfectly in Pizza Possum is the character design of the various different creatures. The guard dogs are clearly visible while on-screen and are the villainous characters to our scrappy little protagonist. The pigs and geese that can be scared throughout the game are created with designs that demonstrate they are not a threat. This is effective in its portrayal and allows a player to know they can be approached before the player has even got near them. The goofy expressions on the faces of these scared critters are so funny and add to the laughs that can be had while playing.
These dynamic graphics work really well with the lighthearted nature of Pizza Possum, as well as the exciting and arcade-inspired soundtrack. This soundtrack was a huge surprise because of the care and skill that clearly went into it. A generic, overly jolly, or even a cheese soundtrack would have been more than serviceable for the arcade-style title. Pizza Possum, however, goes above and beyond in the sound department. The music is expertly done, and while playing, most will be unable to notice where the track loops. The transition into the chase music is completely seamless and again demonstrates the skill of the composition.
The sound in Pizza Possum is also effective in its sound effects, not just the music. The sound effects are a lot of fun, with the scary noises of the geese and pigs being very funny. The alert sound of the guard dogs is also very nostalgic, reminiscent of the sound effects often heard in the arcade games of old. This addition was another perfect one to the fun, arcade vibes of Pizza Possum.
Easy to pick up, impossible to put down is the best way to describe Pizza Possum. Every element feels designed to keep you playing. The soundtrack is fun, and the excitement drawn for it keeps the player engaged as they try to beat their own score. If you are after a new classic feeling arcade game, then the simple controls with the fun power-ups and exciting chases are definitely the way to go. On top of all of this, the co-op is fantastic, adding hilarity at every corner. And never forget, screaming and giggling as a crazed possum is always a fun way to enjoy a game.
