Overcooked! has been around for a couple of years now and is considered one of the most chaotic and fun co-op games out there. Mimicking the chaos of a professional kitchen and spicing it up with a spoonful of fantasy is a recipe made for success. With the launch of the new consoles, Team 17 launched the All You Can Eat version of the popular game, giving you the best possible version of the chaotic adventure.
Packed with content
The first thing you’ll notice besides the absurdly short loading times is the amount of content that comes packed in this version. Right from the start, you’re able to play through the campaign of Overcooked and Overcooked 2, including all DLC ever released. If you’re a fan of the franchise you immediately understand that this is a lot of content and will keep you entertained for the coming months. DLC in the Overcooked franchise goes a lot further than just some extra characters and outfits. You’ll get access to new locations and new challenges, all available to play right from the start. If you’re new to the franchise, however, you can just choose to play the games chronologically and thus start with the campaign of the first Overcooked game. But what exactly is Overcooked?
Well, the premise is rather straightforward. You, together with up to three friends, take control over a virtual chef. It’s your job to make some delicious dishes for your customers. It all starts pretty easy but the more you’ll advance, the more complex your recipes will become and the more demanding the customers will get. It’s all fun and game until you’re rushing to get three completely different dishes done in time. If you fail to deliver the dish on time, it will cost you valuable points. The better you cook, the more points you’ll get and those will eventually lead to stars. These stars are needed to unlock the next levels. It’s a simple concept but it simply works extremely well. Overcooked is one of those games that keeps giving you a fun challenge after a fun challenge.
In the first Overcooked it’s all a bit more straightforward compared to its sequel, which made it possible to throw your ingredients all over the place. Where the first one relies heavily on you remaining calm, it’s the sequel that introduces the true madness of the franchise. Throwing around your ingredients and communicating with your colleagues is essential if you want to go for the best score possible. It doesn’t really matter which mode you’ll play as all of them result in great moments. The campaign modes are there for those who want to go on a fun adventure together, including a rather thrilling story, while the arcade mode offers quicker sessions for your gaming nights with friends. Whatever you decide to play, you’ll have a lot of fun nevertheless.
Better than ever
Besides the incredible amount of playable content, Overcooked itself is better than ever before thanks to its performance boost on the new generation of consoles. I played it on my new PlayStation 5 and was pretty amazed by the gorgeous 4K graphics, running at a smooth 60 frames per second. The game was a lot smoother to play and this also benefited the actual gameplay. Since everything happens so smoothly, you’ll rarely misplace your ingredients and you’ll easily maintain your momentum while playing. When it comes to graphics and performance, this is without a doubt the best version of the game(s) on the market and is the perfect starting point for those new to the franchise. The new accessibility options ensure a pleasant and fun introduction to the crazy world of Overcooked.
Since the Overcooked games can be rather overwhelming for new players, the developers made sure everybody is able to instantly enjoy the chaos with the new assist mode. This mode will help you out during your adventure and will drastically aid you during the chaotic moments in the kitchen. The die-hard fans will stay away from this mode for sure but thanks to this mode, a lot of new gamers will finally see what it’s all about. A great addition to the franchise, in my opinion, making it even better than it ever was.
Conclusion:
Overcooked! All You Can Eat offers a lot of great value and is by far the best version of both games. It comes packed with an incredible amount of content and makes it even better thanks to its accessibility updates. If you’re new to the franchise, this is the perfect starting point while veteran players will love the improved performance and DLC packs. If you’re looking for the perfect co-op game during the Holiday Season, this is the one that should be on your list.
9.5/10
Tested on PlayStation 5
