Overcooked 2 is the sequel to one of the best couch co-op games in recent memory. The game follows a familiar loop of chopping food, cooking food, serving finished dishes to the invaders of the onion kingdom. Overcooked 2 retains the pick-up-and-play mantra by not dramatically altering things. However, there are more interesting variables now. Wildly inventive kitchens, varied recipes, and online functionality make this a ridiculously entertaining party game and a challenging extension of the original.
One of Overcooked 2’s biggest overhauls is the throw button. It’s truly a game changer. Raw food cut or uncut can be thrown directly into burners, cutting boards, or into the hands of teammates. This removes some of the tedious back-and-forth of the first game. Throwing adds a welcomed layer of strategy that quickly becomes an invaluable technique to shave off time and complete more orders. Throwing also makes solo play much better.
The wide range of kitchen settings includes hot air balloons, space, whitewater rafting, a wizard school, and more. The designs are downright silly, with constant shifting platforms, wandering counter tops, random fires, button-operated conveyor belts, and portions of the map that disappear before your eyes. The new additions really test your movement skills in a way that makes some of the levels feel like a platforming game.
Overcooked 2 features an expanded menu, including a few items that are new to the sequel. In certain levels, there’s an additional step between chopping and cooking. Mixing a number of recipes, such as pancakes and steamed veggies, must first be combined with other ingredients in a mixer. Then you have to place mixed ingredients into either a pan, oven, or the new wooden steamer. The additional equipment and extra steps only heighten the endless discombobulating charm.
Overcooked 2’s 40-plus stages can be completed with up to four chefs. The zany kitchen designs make cohesive teamwork even more essential, but the balance between strategy and pandemonium still feels best with two chefs. After feeding the new zombie bread threat appropriately named– on bread versus mode offers up a fresh competitive challenge that benefits greatly from the dynamic kitchen designs.
While Overcooked 2 still feels right at home as a couch co-op experience, all modes can be played online with friends, and matchmaking is available for arcade and versus modes. A word of warning: the Switch version does not have voice chat. Instead, you have to use a rudimentary mode system to tell other chefs what you’re doing. This puts you at a big disadvantage in a game that requires good communication to succeed.
Overcooked 2 serves up a great balance of hilarious chaos and strategy and makes meaningful improvements over its predecessor. The kitchens are littered with exciting hazards, the recipes are highly varied, and the ability to throw ingredients fundamentally changes the arcade cooking formula. It’s still best to play on the couch with friends, but solo play has been made much more enjoyable, and online support adds versatility.