At E3 2018, while we were waiting for our hands-on demo with Super Smash Bros Ultimate, a Nintendo representative asked our group if we would like to try out Overcooked! 2. Overly excited by the hype around Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Mario Tennis Aces, and Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu / Eevee, we declined the offer. Now, four months since that offer, we have had the opportunity to correct our mistake and had a great time doing so. Overcooked! 2 is a game that seeks to bring players together in order to create a thing of beauty. With challenges that ignite players minds, chefs must work together in order to feed ravenous customers with their cooking creations in a timely manner.
Overcooked! 2 provides players with a variety of game modes to enjoy, ranging from a quirky story mode driven forward by stars or casual game modes that allow players to either work together to create masterpieces or battle it out in ultimate cooking showdowns. The game’s main menu features chefs of different varieties working together in a food truck, creating a visual aesthetic that indicates what Overcooked! 2 is all about.
The game’s highlighting feature is its multiplayer capability. Overcooked! 2 allows up to 4 chefs to work together locally (couch) or through online hosting. Players have the option to play Overcooked! 2 either with a keyboard or a controller. If a player chooses the controller option, they have the ability to split the controller’s buttons in half in order to allow another player the opportunity to join the game. All of the game’s modes provide players with the option to either play locally, online publicly, or in a private cooking session.
Overcooked! 2’s Story Mode starts with the player’s chefs being summoned to the castle after the Onion King discovers the Necro-NomNom-Icon; after a failed recipe by the Onion King and Kevin, the kings dog, the Unbread are created. The king sends his loyal chefs around the world in order to learn and perfect new recipes in order to combat the Unbread. This theme carries throughout the campaign, provide wacky and humorous moments. Some levels can be rather tedious, and with bugs still lurking in different corners cooking the desired meal can become frustrating. The Story Mode requires you to earn stars in order to move on to the next level, similar to Mario 64. The player has the option to participate in bonus levels, assigned by Kevin, that provide an additional challenge on top of the standard game reward the players with stars if desires goals are reached.
Whether in Arcade Mode or Versus, the player can choose between 1 of 6 levels or leave it up to fate by selecting random. Each level provides unique experiences that keeps players on their toes and thinking of creative ways to complete each order before the customer becomes upset. With levels such as Sushi City and Gourmet Galaxy, the player never knows what to expect but can discern the type of foods they will be making during the level. Arcade mode allows players to play random levels from the story without having to go into Story Mode. Versus, puts chefs against one another in heated competition to see what pair can win the Food Wars. Each chef’s orders are not the same as their counterparts which can cause some disorientation.
In a recent update, Overcooked! 2 brought a shared progress system into the game that allowed non-host players the ability to retain the stars they had achieved in the host’s world. New Game + was also added to the game in order to provide an additional challenge to Story Mode, while encouraging players to branch out and work together in parties of three or more.
Overcooked! 2 provides players with more laughs than previously expected, especially during couch co-op sessions. Players have the ability to choose their chefs in order to distinguish themselves from their counterparts, ranging anywhere between a normal human, hawk, and a wheelchair raccoon providing an extra dash of creative flair. The soundtrack is lost in the burning melting pot due to chefs sprinting around the kitchen in order to complete orders in a wholesome manner. Overcooked! 2’s graphic may not be eye-popping but the gameplay surprises players, overcoming the initial presentation. Sadly, the online game modes provide players with little opportunity to play with others due to a lack of a community. If the community can become vibrant, the game could rival the former co-op thriller Castle Crashers.
When we first started Overcooked! 2, we expected a two to three-star game due to lack of advertisement and knowledge. Instead, we were treated to a full course meal with a few peculiar side dishes that left our pallets craving more. Hopefully, within the next few months, new chefs will enter the kitchen and ignite their burning within. Although Overcooked! 2 currently retails for $24.99 on Steam, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, we would recommend only purchasing the game when it falls below the $20.00 threshold.
