Overcooked! 2 Review: A Recipe for Madness
Grab your aprons and fire extinguishers, it's time to dive into the kitchen!
last updated Jan 08, 2024
This game has cooked up the perfect blend of charm, challenge, and chaos, making it a must-play.
Mad Dashes & Kitchen Clash
Like a simmering pot about to overflow, 'Overcooked! 2' turns the heat up on co-op gameplay, serving a heaping portion of frantic fun that’s best shared with friends, much like a large pizza during game night. The game mechanics are slicker than an oil spill in the kitchen, with the addition of online play allowing you to shout at strangers as well as friends – because why limit yourself to ruining real-life relationships? Single players be forewarned - playing alone might thoroughly knead your patience like tough dough, turning a delightful dining experience into a lonely microwave meal. The game genuinely transforms when you form a well-oiled kitchen crew, executing ballet-like precision amongst the culinary chaos.
Symphony of Sizzling Sounds
The audio in 'Overcooked! 2' garnishes the gameplay with a satisfying sizzle; the clangs and the chopping create an immersive atmosphere that'll have you swearing you can smell onions browning. The game's soundtrack has its own flavor, upbeat and jazzy enough to keep you bouncing on your toes like potatoes on a skillet – and when the heat turns up, so do the tunes. It's like a maestro is conducting an orchestra of kitchen appliances, with each beat matched to your culinary capers. Just don't expect any groundbreaking developments in the audio department – the music and effects perform admirably but won't be winning any Michelin stars for originality.
Feast for the Eyes
Visually, 'Overcooked! 2' plates up a delightful feast for the eyes with graphics that are charmingly cartoonish and satisfyingly sharp. The chaotic kitchens come alive in vibrant color, making each dash to the fryer or lunge for the lettuce a vivid splat on this canvas of culinary madness. Performance-wise, it's smoother than a finely puréed soup, provided your rig isn't the equivalent of a kitchen appliance from the '80s. However, it's worth mentioning that players have reported a lack of updates and patches, indicating potential burns that may need some salving over time. And for my friends flipping patties on Mac – it looks like you might be left out in the cold with some technical hiccups souring the broth.
A Dash of Diversity Dietary
Where 'Overcooked! 2' truly excels is in its smorgasbord of level designs, that quite literally take you from hot air balloons to haunted houses, ensuring the challenge is as fresh as farm-to-table ingredients. However, not everything is seasoned to perfection; certain levels appear to induce motion sickness in some players, which is as pleasant as undercooked chicken. A suggestion to the chef: perhaps a sprinkling of accessibility options might prevent patrons from sending their meals back? Lastly, let's not forget the multiplayer spice mix; the game demands communication akin to a head chef barking orders, but some reports suggest that the servers may be running on dial-up modem speeds from the '90s, which can be less 'al dente' and more 'completely uncooked'.
STEAM RATING
Developer
Team17, Ghost Town Games Ltd.
Publisher
Team17
Release Date
August 07, 2018
Our Verdict
In the smoldering kitchens of 'Overcooked! 2', friendships will be tested, spatulas will be thrown, and you'll discover that laughter and shouting often come from the same place in your gut. This game has cooked up the perfect blend of charm, challenge, and chaos, making it a must-play – given you aren't going solo or prone to motion sickness. It's a warm reminder that sometimes, the best ingredient to any game is good company. Ah, and the minor bugs? Consider them an extra bit of protein in this otherwise delightful dish.
