On the lookout for endless multiplayer fun? Look no further than Moving Out 2.
There was a time when one of the biggest draws of video games was getting together with your friends and running towards the nearest arcade machines. Video games like Double Dragon, TMNT, and Street Fighter 2, to name a few, were part of many people’s childhood special moments, especially when shared with friends. As technology advanced, consoles got into the homes of people, and developers realized moving away from a 2D environment to more complex layouts and having more than one character in control would be costly, and the interest in shared experiences was slowly lost.
Fast forward to 2021, and one of the highlights of the year was the huge gamble of a game that eventually paid off, It Takes Two. A completely shared experience from the get-go, it reminded gamers from all over the world that part of the fun is also being able to share it with someone. Ever since then, there has been a renaissance of unadulterated fun in couch co-op gaming. Moving Out 2, a sequel to the hugely successful game of the same name, released in 2020, returns to grace our screens to remind us that the act of hauling furniture can be a fun and chaotic adventure.
Developed by SMG Studio & DevM Games and published by Team 17, Moving Out 2’s focus as a cooperative game returns bigger and wilder than ever. Greeted by an animated introduction video reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons, the game eases you into the gameplay with a simple and fun tutorial mission.
The gist of Moving Out 2 is the following: you are a mover, officially called a Furniture Arrangement Relocation Technician, abbreviated as F.A.R.T., from the Smooth Moves company, and are charged with moving things in and out of houses.
You move around an isometric map view in your F.A.R.T. truck in the city of Packmore. You can jump, throw, slap, and drag furniture as much as you want with the sole purpose of getting things to the moving truck. Some appliances are connected and require you to apply some resistance so that they pop off the wall and, in turn, sling you around the house.
Unburdened by the complexities of a difficult-to-follow narrative, Moving Out 2 goes all out in fun. There is an underlying story and several paranormal elements that are best left out for people to discover on their own. Wackiness ensues.
After each job you accomplish, you are given a certain number of stars. Each one has a bonus objective that earns you stars and, in turn, makes your progress go smoother and raises your performance for your annual review of the company.
The bonus objectives are as absurd as you would expect from this kind of game, from accidentally burning some furniture to leaving a house in absolute shambles in the process of removing the furniture. Moving Out 2 has a riotous sense of humor, and it’s best to get with the program to enjoy the most that this fun game has to offer.
A huge part of Moving Out 2‘s amusement is derived from trying to organize how to move which furniture first or how to coordinate at the count of three to be able to throw a sizable couch or fail miserably in the process and get a good laugh out of the whole situation.
The very friendly interface tells you where you can locate the items that need to be moved with the click of a button. Part of the somewhat imprecise and silly physics is the moment-to-moment action, where carefully planned movements fall apart in an instant but enjoy every minute of it.
As you explore the layout of each level design and, in due course, replay each one, there is a method to try to easily achieve the best time without breaking much of a sweat. With due coordination and communication, Moving Out 2 can be easily beaten in a considerable amount of time. That said, an unforgettable part of this game is making a mess and acting somewhat rebellious while slapping your friend’s avatar in the meantime and not being too helpful. It’s important to choose which friends will accompany you on this new mover journey.
Water, along with some other hazardous elements such as fire and crabs, are lethal and make your job slightly more difficult as they eat into your total time score. There is no hurry for your furniture to disappear as if you mistakenly destroy it, it will immediately spawn back again at the area that you first grabbed it from. One of the more important gameplay aspects of Moving Out 2 is the enticement of repeating a level to get a better time goal and maybe even trying to do the bonus objectives of each level to further increase your F.A.R.T level.
Touting a very important new feature that was absent in the first entry is online co-op play that finally makes its way into Moving Out 2 for those moments where friends have that healthy need to play together, who are far away. Another online feature is crossplay, as this game is released on an array of platforms in an era where many games come unfinished or features promised in future updates that the norm is defied here.
Hidden across the levels, you eventually find style crates, incentivizing your movers to personalize their outfits with outrageous costumes fitting perfectly in line with the world of Moving Out 2, such as a hot-dog outfit or a taco head with different color options. Secret arcade cartridges on each level unlock arcade levels with challenging, short worlds where you only move one piece of furniture through ever more difficult obstacles to prove your might as a hard-boiled mover.
Going back to the Smooth Moves HQ lets you retry the initial training area to refresh your memory and look at the many different options of movers available on hand or for you to try the new ones scattered throughout the different levels that you can find. Customizable options such as making your character move in a wheelchair or letting it have a cotton candy or speaker’s head ensure you’ll have an inclusive, unique, and personalized experience each time.
Eventually, some of the requests you are asked to do as a mover are not only to move things out at all costs, but also to move some furniture in. As a well-earned change to the formula, the process of progressing through each level and Moving Out 2 throwing you curveballs just as you try to get the hang of things is an excellent way to keep players on their toes and always intrigued as to what may come in the next level.
The quite lenient assist mode is a much-welcome addition to Moving Out 2 because certain features, when playing alone or when trying to reduce the annoyances of some of the game’s choices, are there for you to toggle on or off. Reducing obstacles and having longer time limits, among a slew of other options, are a highlight of the mode. Some are arguably also part of the fun experience, but when playing alone for some reason, the option to have items meant to be carried for two players be lighter when playing on your own is appreciated. Now everybody can play the game without any reservations.
Of course, the most important part of this game is the chaos that is unleashed when you get together with friends, be it now through real life or online. Much can be said about the hassle of hauling your belongings and asking for help from a company to aid you in such a troubled time. But Moving Out 2 is an incredibly amusing and wild multiplayer adventure as a mover that will keep you coming back for one more round.
