Moving Out – much more fun than the real thing (Picture: Team17)
One of the best couch co-op games of recent years gets an excellent new sequel, as the pain of moving house is made unexpectedly enjoyable.
At a time when more games are released than ever before, it’s a shame local multiplayer is still such a neglected feature. As shown by the success of Overcooked! and It Takes Two, approachable co-op experiences primarily aimed at the living room audience can be hugely successful, and yet most major publishers continue to ignore them.
Another modern highlight of this ilk was Moving Out, a relentlessly punny simulation of repeatedly ramming your sofa through a door frame. It was novel, accessible, inclusive and, most importantly, wildly entertaining in groups – possessing a surprising level of strategy over what furniture to prioritise first, finding the quickest route through levels, and managing how to cram every item into your truck space.
For anyone who finished Moving Out and its downloadable content, you might imagine a sequel has little room for expansion – outside the obvious support for online multiplayer. Moving Out 2 packs in what you’d expect from a sequel, but it’s surprising how much mileage it gains by experimenting with its concept in more unexpected ways.
At first glance, everything is very familiar. You’re thrown back into the overworld of Packmore with the same moving truck, as you complete levels to earn stars which boost your F.A.R.T. (Furniture Arrangement Relocation Technician) rating. Much like progression in Overcooked 2, also published by Team17, access to the overworld is gated by your rating, encouraging you to repeat levels to complete bonus objectives for more stars.
Once the basics have been re-established, Moving Out 2 accelerates faster into the absurd. You’re given access to three separate worlds simultaneously, connected via portals from Packmore, allowing some freedom to choose the order you tackle them. These include a confectionery-themed zone, a fantasy medieval town, and a futuristic cloud city – which all house distinctive mechanics and level design motifs to match the aesthetic.
For example, Snackmore introduces a wrecking ball to smash through gingerbread walls and break items free from pots. Middle Folkmore is all about rotation and movement, where you’re often shipping items around with trains driven by flying fish, while Pactropolis City emphasises perilous drops and the manipulation of wind, to clear visually obstructive clouds.
Some experiments work better than others but Moving Out 2 rarely repeats its tricks. Every level is more distinctive and memorable compared to the original, between maze-like hostels with one-way doors, spinning libraries, and one structured around a giant gumball machine. The portable wind machine requires a level of coordination beyond our group’s station, but stages are consistently imaginative, to the point where you’re always keen to see the next idea it throws at you.
This is boosted by improved mission variety. Along with the traditional rush to collect furniture from a house for the best time, moving in challenges – originally introduced in DLC – also return. These offer a different brand of chaos, requiring you to plan around each item’s designated place to prevent any time-wasting collisions, like navigating a refrigerator through the hallway without knocking the lamps. A standout level uses this concept with catapults, as you launch sofas and toilets through windows before the inevitably haphazard clean-up.
A new addition is score attack levels, which function as brief but welcome palate cleansers between the core experience. In an early example, you’re shooting gumballs through basketball hoops for the highest score in a honeycomb colosseum, while another acts as a shooting gallery with moving lollipop targets. Coupled with the return of the arcade, home to assault course-style challenges, Moving Out 2 is far more robust, and continually engaging, than its predecessor.
Moving Out – things can get pretty complicated (Picture: Team17)
Like the first, Moving Out 2 only excels in multiplayer. You can play solo but the crux of its design, including its exaggerated physics, thrives on the comedy of coordinating with others. The sequel does add online functionality, with cross-play to make it more convenient, but there’s no option to matchmake with randoms. It’s a decision which might be disappointing for some, but it’s somewhat understandable considering how vital communication is to the experience.
If the online is restrictive, the accessibility options are the opposite. Along with its inclusive representation (like the first, every character can be placed in a wheelchair), the sequel features an expanded Assist Mode to make the game easier. These toggles include longer time limits, objects disappearing when delivered, making two-person items easier to lift, and the option to skip levels entirely. Moving Out 2 is already flexible in its progression and customisable controls, but it’s admirable how many options there are to cater the experience to everyone.
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It’s all held together by the charming details in its presentation. The overworld is more tactile, with collectables hidden in secret corners and some satisfying environmental destruction. You might resort to skipping the joke-filled interactions between characters after the first few levels, but the commitment to silliness is, generally, a likeable boon. A personal favourite touch is the opening loading screen, which scrolls through nonsense boot-up phrases like ‘ironing the shirts’ and ‘alphabetising the stationery’ before you’re thrown into the main menu.
Much like Overcooked 2, the sequel to Moving Out is an impressive, widespread upgrade. The levels are more varied and imaginatively designed, it feels snappier to play, and the expanded multiplayer and accessibility options make it more approachable than ever. If you’ve exhausted Mario Kart and Lego Star Wars at friend gatherings, Moving Out 2 is a souped-up party package ready to save your gaming summer.
Moving Out 2 review summary
In Short: A superior multiplayer co-op sequel, which maximises its novel premise with improved level design and a flood of clever new ideas.
Pros: Stages are highly varied and consistently surprising, with a bunch of fresh gimmicks. Great accessibility options. A more polished version of one of the best co-op games around. Better incentives to replay stages, with characters and arcade levels to unlock.
Cons: Still a dull solo experience. Dialogue can get a bit too much.
Score: 9/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £24.99
Publisher: Team17
Developer: SMG Studio
Release Date: 15th August 2023
Age Rating: 3
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One of the best couch co-op games of recent years gets an excellent new sequel, as the pain of moving house is made unexpectedly enjoyable.
