Moving Out 2 - Summer Co-op Gem
Moving Out 2 is a colorful, over-the-top game that captivates with its humor and sometimes presents quite a challenge. In co-op mode, it's a veritable festival of fun, perfect for short sessions between autumn releases.
Attending the Team 17 game show, I was primarily interested in Classified: France ’44 – an upcoming clone of XCOM, set in World War II and depicting the actions of the French resistance. A brief moment with this game only allowed me to complete the tutorial, so it's hard for me to form a concrete opinion about it yet. I certainly didn't suspect that an entirely other production would steal the show – actually, two productions, but I will only be able to write about the second one in a few weeks. For now, I'm enjoying the delightful Moving Out 2.<br>
The gameplay bought me right off the bat, and it only got better from there. In Moving Out 2, your gaming universe revolves around the chaos of relocations, just as the title insinuates. But unlike in customary new-home arrangement games, here you play a worker at FART corporation, a relocation enterprise, whose job is loading those pesky belongings to the designated spot, typically a transporter truck. And our hero is one of those people who interpret the "Caution: fragile" sign as "Just toss it somewhere." Combined with time pressure and creative location design, this creates a real moving chaos and offers a lot of fun, especially in the co-op mode.
From couch to network on all platforms
I'll be honest, I had no clue about the first part of this game that came out in 2020. The authors themselves emphasized, however, that they shot themselves in the foot a bit, because they released a game focused on couch cooperation during a period that coincided with the peak of the pandemic and lockdowns. The sequel eliminates this problem and now we will also be able to play online, including cross-play and on every possible platform. Optionally, of course, because you can also complete all levels alone.
What really grabbed me about Moving Out 2 was the fun, consistent cartoon-style visuals and the clever, super engaging gameplay. Sometimes the fun is just about moving boxes and items to the right place, but as things progress, it all starts to heat up. Spaces can be interestingly connected with each other through passages, which open up in different configurations. It's kind of like a puzzle every time we want to place something somewhere.
Moving Out, Team17, 2023
The stage at the farm turned out to be a huge challenge, where we had to put the right farm animals in their designated pens. Turns out, they had their own ideas about this and kept running all over the yard, especially the chickens and piglets. At first, it felt like a never-ending job, but after a few moments, you could figure out which pens could be blocked off and which animals to leave for last. Then you could quickly herd them where they needed to be.
You hold it and I'll turn – pivot!
Apart from such unexpected, minor challenges, which can be quite engaging by the way, Moving Out 2 also has decent object physics. You can see and feel it, especially when we throw various objects or when we try to move them. There's a huge difference between picking up a small cardboard box and trying to move a heavy couch. It works even better in cooperation, cause totally different mechanics kick in here. We can't move that sofa by ourselves anymore – we need to grab it with a buddy, just like Ross and Rachel in that memorable scene from the TV show Friends. Only then can we shift it and get the furniture loaded up.
The sequel is also expected to be much richer in terms of level variety. And then, thanks to special portals, we will travel to other dimensions, sometimes ending up in very strange worlds. There will be no shortage of science fiction tropes, a realm of candies, or completely abstract interiors. And besides, we'll have the indispensable customization of our characters' looks and a lot of humor!
A perfect interlude between AAAs
Moving Out 2 is slated to release this summer, mid-August to be exact. This is probably a perfect moment to take advantage of the free time before the school begins and – what seems more important – the flurry of autumn premieres unleashes. But even then, between Starfield, Forza, Baldur’s Gate 3 or Lies of P, a game such as Moving Out 2 can be a great break for short relaxation sessions in between tackling longer, more time-consuming titles. The original went kind of unnoticed, so I hope that this sequel will manage to make an impact, because it might be well worth it. I will definitely not miss the opportunity to toss some sofas around as a proud FART employee.
