Moving isn’t exactly what we’d call a fun experience. There’s the struggle of trying to get a couch up or down the stairs (cue the “Pivot!” imitations), the friends bugging you to help with extra labor even though you’re trying to enjoy a day off, or being told to handle something with utmost care, like a lamp that’s suddenly treated with the same efficiency as a newborn.
But, oddly enough, Moving Out makes for a surprisingly fun game experience. That’s because it’s brought to us from the same minds that gave us the enjoyable Death Squared a couple of years ago, SMG Studio. It’s definitely something that’s more of an acquired taste for groups, but with the right friends together, it’s utterly hilarious.
Time to get moving
The game walks you through the basic steps of moving, including grabbing objects and even throwing them if they’re small enough. The general goal then comes into view — move stuff from one location to another within an allotted time frame. There are some interesting challenges that keep this interesting, however. These include objects, elevators, and some furniture that requires two people to move. Trying to struggle with a couch by yourself is not nearly as fun as it sounds.
As you proceed through each stage, you have the ability to earn three medals. Bronze is the general goal, but you really want to work on getting the Gold. If you run into difficulty, however, you can turn on Assist Mode, which provides a number of options to make your experience easier. For solo players, this might be a necessity.
Bring your friends for this trip
On your own, Moving Out isn’t as quintessential as it should be. It’s a fun game, but the objectives become all too similar, and the game can drag on a bit. However, getting some friends together makes it a different experience completely.
It’s a lot more fun when you have to work alongside others to get the gold medal for each stage, particularly in challenge-filled ones, like a plane that requires you to move within a limited amount of space. It can be ridiculous at first, but then you and your buddies begin to feel the vibe. It’s amazingly fun with a group, and you can even fight against one another if you want to spice up the move a little bit. Just be aware of the timer, guys — you do want to get hired again, yes?
The only real downside to this is that there’s no online co-op. It’s local only. This may be a bit of a bummer for those of you lacking in real-time friends. However, it’s ideal if you’ve got folks in the same house with you, be it friends or family. You can work together to complete objectives or just throw furniture like animals. Totally your call.
Replay value and solid presentation
Moving Out has replay value galore with its medals and unlockable avatars, mixing up the available characters within the game. The side objectives are a blast as well, provided you don’t screw up too much with your experience. Hopefully, that’s not too much of a problem, as SMG Studio has packed the game with excellent gameplay. You’ll have no trouble snagging onto items and going from point A to point B…unless you make trouble, of course.
The presentation is simple yet charming. SMG has packed the game with articulately designed levels, as well as humorous character design (we’re not sure who’d have a toaster for a head, but oh well) and animations. The music is smooth as well, adding to the overall moving experience.
Get moving, with the proper team
This game isn’t really going to be too much fun for those stuck on their own. However, with the right group of players, Moving Out is a terrific party game, akin to Overcooked!, which also comes from the folks at Team 17. It’s well worth your dollars if you want to, ahem, get things moving.
RATING: 8/10
A fun experience that’s ideal for those interested in couch co-op.
