Moving Out 2 Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

Team 17 Studio has officially signed, sealed, and delivered a brand-new physics-based extension for the hazardously joyful world of Moving Out. Right in the nick of time, too, what with our duties over in the idyllic town of Packmore finally running their course and leaving us with little more than a few vacant properties and an abundance of shattered windows. Needless to say that Moving Out 2, although conceptually one and the same as the first, was the icing on the cake, and quite frankly, the sequel that nobody really needed, but proudly embraced and offered to review, nonetheless.

The good news is, I’ve spent just enough time as an able-bodied F.A.R.T (that’s Furniture Arrangement and Relocation Technician, just to put you in the picture) to be able to provide a bit of insight into the world of Moving Out 2 and all its quips. And honestly, while I was able to shamefully demolish just as many windows and fish tanks as I was able to safely transport them to the comfort of a box truck, I still managed to overcome its unruly shenanigans and spiteful maneuvers. For the most part, anyway.

So, how was the Moving Out experience, if not the slightest bit bashful, and what did it bring to the table other than a fresh pair of box cutters and a slew of new levels to boot? Well, here’s how I found my gradual ascension from the rank of all-round home wrecker to full-blown F.A.R.T, and all the curveballs and obstacles sewn between the paving stones that came with the climb.

Did Somebody Just F.A.R.T?

Before we dive into the revised mechanics and general changes and what have you, it makes sense to take a short lunge elsewhere — if only to provide context and fill in the missing blanks. What is Moving Out 2, and how does it work? Well, to put you in the picture, Moving Out 2 is a 1-4 player physics-based party game, and of course, the direct sequel to 2020’s—you guessed it—Moving Out.

The idea behind Moving Out is simple: move between vacant properties and transport various household items and creature comforts to a moving truck in an allotted time. As a F.A.R.T, your duties idle within the moving process itself, which involves securing and moving objects in a timely fashion, and using your pivoting abilities to load up the cargo without breaking a number of parts along the way. Sounds pretty simple on paper, for sure. That said, if you’re the type of person who has to crack a few dozen eggs to make so much as a single omelette, then chances are you’ll find the Moving Out experience a little, shall we say, disastrous.

Moving Out 2 isn’t all that different from the first, in the fact that the bulk of its gameplay revolves around moving furnished goods for points and perks. Once again, you take on the role of a F.A.R.T—an operative who acts under the command of Smooth Moves, a city-wide outfit that provides citizens with various moving services. As far as all that goes, there’s no real connection to the first in the franchise, which means, when all’s said and done, you needn’t worry about trucking through the 2020 chapter to be able to make heads or tails of the second.

Smooth Moves Goes Global

What’s new in Moving Out 2 is the world itself; it’s no longer restricted to just the town of Packmore. In fact, the sequel has opened up quite a bit since its last outing, and has actually managed to latch on to several new locations and dimensions, all of which feature an equal amount of wacky characters, breakable items, and vibrant landscapes to traverse and, well, destroy.

Once more, players are given access to a bite-sized van, as well as the keys to several properties around the town. Progression is simple and easy to digest — complete objectives, earn stars, and gain levels; the more levels you get under your belt, the bigger the properties you can go ahead and excavate. Also, for every level you complete, a new set of bonus objectives appear, which serves as a kind reminder that there’s still more to unlock should you choose to replay the mission either alone or with up to three other friends.

Gameplay in Moving Out 2 isn’t all that different from the first; you move items as quickly as possible, either in a subtle and elegant manner, or a reckless and aggressive one. Strangely enough, it doesn’t make a great difference which of the two styles you adopt, as the entire game asks only that you do it efficiently. Bottom line is, if you just so happen to smash a few windows and puncture someone’s inflatable — but also happen to box up and transport a microwave, then you’re as good as gold.

Four Hands Are Better Than Two

To be blunt, Moving Out 2 just isn’t the same without a few friends around to join you on your adventures. If anything, it’s actually a little depressing, playing it on your own — more so during levels that often require multiple hands to get certain things out of the way. It’s a double-edged sword, really, as playing alone can give you a much greater sense of achievement, but at the cost of losing out on most, if not all of the fun. Because let’s face it — Moving Out 2 was built in the hopes that multiple people would experience it as a collective. Running through the motions on your own, on the other hand — not nearly as much.

What lets Moving Out 2 down is its inability to entertain the lone mover for drawn-out periods of time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t accommodate players who’d much rather experience the story through to its bitter end, as it more or less grows rather cumbersome after just a few short stints in and around Packmore. Its bonus objectives are just about enough to warrant a couple of replays — but that’s about it, and it pains me to admit it, but sadly, Moving Out 2 just isn’t a good single-player game.

Fortunately, there’s always the co-op mode — the bread and butter experience that makes Moving Out 2 the joy that it is. It goes without saying that, being a party game at its core, the best of times only ever occur in the hands of two, three, and often four — but never just the one. Swings and roundabouts, really.

Embrace the Chaos

Turn the hourglass over when there’s three additional F.A.R.Ts in the room with you and you’ll witness the beating heart of Moving Out 2. Naturally, the chaos that ensues shines brightest when experienced with the hustle and bustle of a team-based effort to knuckle in on objectives in a timely manner. For the most part, it’s wacky, and it’s ludicrously entertaining to boot — especially when you’re watching the most inexperienced players attempting to pivot down the stairs while juggling a queen-sized bed and the pet goldfish in a last-ditch effort to make way for the truck.

Like the first game, Moving Out 2 is also laden with obstacles and other curveballs to clamber over; a crab that snaps at you when you’re attempting to make a dart for the exit, for example. There are also rotating doors, bottomless pools, and immeasurable heights, to name just a few. So again, I’ll stick to my guns and say it’s evidently chaotic — and doubly so when confronted with the full power of the Smooth Moves roster, for sure.

Verdict

As far as four-player couch co-op games go, Moving Out 2 is a real treat, and definitely a product that’s worthy of your time — if only a few hours of it. It’s also a huge step forward for the franchise, as a whole, as it not only wrangles in various new biomes and objectives, but also new skins, unlockables, and general incentives to keep you moving forward. But as far as a single-player experience goes, there just isn’t enough of a hook to keep you going, and that’s what lets it down ever so slightly.

Kudos to Team 17, though, as Moving Out 2 is bursting with vibrant and exciting destructible playgrounds, and not to mention fleshed out with a whole ocean of witty characters and wholesome dialogue. It’s a fantastic multiplayer game through and through, but that’s really all it is — a multiplayer game, and one that, quite frankly, doesn’t hit the same high notes when whittled down to a solo experience.

To conclude, Moving Out 2 is a quirky little number that ticks all the right boxes — no pun intended. It’s highly addictive when played in short bursts and with the company of friends, and definitely something that’ll keep idle hands occupied for longer than the average couch co-op title. Having said all that, this isn’t a single-player game, even though it offers all the same content as the four-player mode. So, while you’re bound to have some fun running missions as a solo F.A.R.T, the real joy clearly stems from the camaraderie between friends and other like-minded movers.