Developer: SMG Studio, Devm Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 4 & 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Genre: Action, Casual, Indie, Simulation
Publisher: Team17
Moving Out 2 is the sequel game in the Moving Out series. It is a cooperative moving simulation game developed by the Swedish studio DevM Games and Australian developer SMG Studio. The game is published by Team17, who have also published the well-known game Overcooked. Moving Out 2 plays similar to the first game but also has similar characteristics to the co-op game Overcooked. There are a lot more similar games to Moving Out 2, which include the following: Overcooked, Tools Up, Out of Space and many more. This review was done for the PC, but the game is also available for the Switch, PS, Xbox and Mac.
Moving Out 2 can be played both in single-player and multiplayer. You can have up to four players on the screen. What differs about this game from the first game is that it supports online multiplayer alongside cross-platform play. Moving Out did not support online multiplayer, which makes this game a lot more accessible to play with friends anywhere around the world. After playing the game with friends who were based in both Asia and Europe, we found that it was difficult for people outside of the region of the person hosting the game to play. They would lag in the game, and it would almost feel like they were being controlled by a ghost. When swapping hosts, the issue would happen for the other players and not the person hosting the game. The issue did not seem to correlate to Wi-Fi connections, so it’s possible in-game; hosting servers are not ideal for playing with friends in other regions. This turned out to be a bummer because it was difficult for the others to play. As for local play, everything ran extremely smoothly. The best way to play locally on the PC is to connect a bunch of controllers, we used Xbox controllers, and go from there. There was no lag, no delay, no issues that were spotted while playing locally, and the experience was extremely fun. As for single-player, I found that it wasn’t as much fun as when playing with others. It tends to feel slower and can get boring. Usually, when playing a single-player, there are fewer objects for you to move, and none of the objects are ones that need two people lifting them. Now, the game can be played by yourself, but it’s just so much more fun and chaotic with friends.
The concept of the game is very straightforward. You are playing as movers, “movers” that have received the F.A.R.T certification and now have to move objects out of people’s houses into your van. The world you start in has multiple houses that act at different levels. Each house will have various obstacles for players to face, and each house is different from the one before. You can encounter one-story houses, two-story houses, and even beach houses where crabs get in your way.
The game has weird physics that you have to try to play alongside. It doesn’t matter if things break or if you have to slap several things out of your way; as long as they get into the truck one way or another, then you are very much successful. When you play a level, there is a certain time limit to which you can get more or fewer stars (your ranking) and also some extra objectives to earn more stars. Extra objectives are ways for you to earn more stars that can be done by replaying levels to beat certain times or completing those objectives. You can also play levels where you move things into a place, so you aren’t always moving out but are also moving in on some levels. The game is split into five different areas, which have roughly 60 levels for you to play. This is a lot more levels from the first game, so expect to have fun for much longer.
The game also has many characters for you to pick from, each with great characteristics. There are over 50 unique characters you can choose from, and some have more variations that you can unlock as you gain style crates through playing the game. There is also an option where you can give a wheelchair to the characters, which is a nice little feature that adds more inclusivity to the game.
The controls of the game are straightforward. You can play both on a controller or with a keyboard and mouse. I found that when playing with a keyboard and mouse, specifically rather than using the key buttons, using the mouse to throw and pick up items is easier. This is made so you can easily move your character without having your fingers placed all over the keyboard. Though, of course, it was even simpler to just connect your controller and play, both methods are effective with no delay. Plus, when you start the game, you go through a training session that highlights all the important controls for the game.
Now, the difficulty of the levels increases, and a feature that was both in the first game has been added again into this one, which makes the experience better. The option of Assist mode. Sometimes, getting stuck on a certain level can get frustrating, so having assist mode allows you to turn on different options to make the level more accessible. For instance, you can switch on the following settings in Assist Mode: longer time limits, objects disappear on delivery, reduced difficulty and more. Assist mode makes it easier for players to help themselves if they’re stuck on a level to blow off some steam.
The art style of Moving Out 2 is very cartoonish but amusing to look at. I love how each house is designed differently, and even though it’s similar to the first game, it still has its charm. The cutscene at the very beginning of the game is also really fun to watch. It sets you up for the hecticness you are about to embark on. I also love how you can control the moving van on the map to select the levels you want to play. The animations and visuals of the game are bright, fun and colourful. After all, it is a party game, so it sets up an enthusiastic vibe. The art style is a bit similar to Overcooked, but I find this game to look much more smoother. The map is well designed, for you to drive the car around to the different houses on the map. The characters are also designed so well, each having their animations. My favourite part would have to be the dialogue between characters, which can really be funny. When playing the game with my friends, we each took a character and found that the dialogues were ones we would say if we were in that situation. The visuals go really well with the soundtrack and sound effects of the game. It makes everything a lot more immersive. The soundtrack is consistent with amped-up music but also varies depending on the theme of the level you are playing. On top of that, the sound effects also sound real, from pulling electric wires to breaking windows and throwing fragile boxes, all bring the game to life. I really appreciate the design of the game, as it creates a fun atmosphere to play.
Two of the people we played this game with had the following comments to say about Moving Out 2. First, Genno said the following, “The game is fun as I really enjoyed playing it with other people, though it was very laggy for the most part. I’m sure with a good connection or game server the experience can be better but still it was loads of fun. The art style is so cosy and loveable, and the characters are extremely adorable. I do find that it’s difficult to play this game by yourself and not having people to play with makes it so much more boring. I do want to say that I loved the different achievements and how you can challenge yourself to get better by replaying levels, also Little easter eggs in the game were fun to spot, like for instance the goose. Overall I liked playing the game. It was much better with friends.”
Second, Vroggo said the following, “Moving Out 2 is such an adorable and fun game. The diversity of unique characters you can choose from is impressively creative. Right at the start, the worm-in-an-apple and the fish-in-a-bowl are the most outstanding, but the Ice Cream Man will always have a special place in my heart. Not to mention the funny graphical details of the map like how you can see tire tracks and debris from the pick-up truck rushing over and pulverising the the property. Absolutely comical. Overall, love the game. Aside from being a casual single-player game, it’s so much more fun playing with friends, but there’s quite a bit of lag that prevents you from playing the game to its fullest when playing with friends further away or when playing in another designated “server” from the one you’re supposed to.”
Moving Out 2 is the perfect addition to the Moving Out series as it adds more characters, levels, and fun to this great party game. With the addition of online multiplayer, it makes it even better, as you can play with friends from anywhere. The levels have a good mix of difficulty to them, and all are extremely unique. The arcade levels and objectives add more to the game, which increases the fun as well. If you enjoyed Moving Out or are looking for a fun party game, then Moving Out 2 is definitely the game to check out!
Overall: 8.5/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
