Almost a year ago we told you about our experience with Moving Out, title developed by DEVM Games e SMG Studio with Team17 Digital LTD as Publisher. This crazy title impressed us positively thanks to the excellent cooperative component, the many quotes on 80s pop culture and the simple but effective graphic style. For those who have never heard of Moving Out, we basically talk about overcooked but with furniture instead of food. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the two titles have in any case the publisher, or the already mentioned Team17. The similarities between the two titles are many, from the artistic style to the isometric view, and then move on to the extravagant characters and the irreverent plot. With the DLC Movers in Paradise the guys from SMG Studio e Devm Games they give us the opportunity to return to work for the craziest moving company in the world, keeping the gameplay of the base title unchanged but adding some small innovations that could tempt us to brush up on the work.
Pivot!
The basic structure of the title, therefore, does not change: you and your friends will be employees of the Smooth Moves Furniture Removalists, the most irresponsible moving company in the world. Your job will be to load your customers 'personal belongings onto your truck, regardless of damage to your property and your and your colleagues' safety. Basically, all that matters is being able to transport all the objects and furniture from the house to the truck in the shortest possible time. The first substantial difference with the basic title is that the protagonists will be asked to carry out a series of removals in a very different setting, namely the tropical islands of Packmore Island.
This DLC adds nicely 23 new levels as well as a buried treasure to be brought to light. After all, it wouldn't be a true tropical island without a treasure to find and unearth. Packmore Island therefore proves to be an excellent change of setting, marrying perfectly with the mood of the title and providing the backdrop for the madness that will ensue. Movers in Paradise, in fact, is even more hilarious than the base title, thanks to some small additions that make the various levels both more fun and at the same time more complicated to overcome in the shortest possible time. Among the new mechanics we have mobile platforms, stairs that create new paths e thieving crabs which will not only move the packages, but will try to snatch the ones you are transporting to the truck from your hands. Plus, as if that weren't enough, they "kindly" unload your van for you. This latest new addition not only makes the experience even more challenging than the base game, but also incredibly exhilarating.
Mobile platforms are easy to use in theory, but when many people try to use them while holding the furniture, it will take a lot of agility and dexterity. You will need patience, great communication skills with your co-op mates and a good dose of luck. Stairs like basic moving platforms should be easy to use, but if they are misplaced they could fall into the abyss dragging both you and the object you are carrying. DLCs usually add little content to the original title and the difficulty bar is hardly ever raised. Luckily, Movers In Paradise has a full list of achievements and will push the most experienced players to the limit, and an excellent job has been done as far as new content is concerned.
The moving island
Basically, however, the title retains the playful structure of the original: in the various missions we will have to bring a certain number of objects back to the moving truck within a time limit. Based on the time taken, we will be able to obtain a bronze, silver, gold or platinum medal. Obviously, the shorter our time, the higher the value of the medal obtained. Also, to make the various missions replayable, we will have three extra goals for each map, like breaking all the windows in the house (or not breaking any) or avoiding all the obstacles present. Fulfilling one of these secondary objectives will give us tokens in exchange.
Little has changed in terms of the graphics. The bright cartoon style and bright colors work perfectly with the new tropical setting. The new character models blend very well with the setting and speaking of the technical sector, there were no problems with performance even when the action was frenetic (we played the DLC in its version PlayStation 4). The Movers In Paradise soundtrack moves away from the game show music experienced in Moving Out. Now, in fact, the various compositions will be Caribbean-themed, obviously with that parodic aftertaste that makes the Moving Out universe peculiar.
Ultimately, Moving Out: Movers in Paradise turned out to be an add-on worth buying and playing, and since you can buy it at a fraction of the cost it's definitely worth the investment. Of course, it is not without flaws, such as the previously praised level of difficulty, which if on the one hand raises the stakes, on the other it could make younger players give up. Furthermore, if the original title abounded with references to video games and films from the 80s, in this DLC that characteristic has been definitely lost. Despite this, Movers in Paradise has proven to be an incredible downloadable content, which is unlikely to disappoint those who buy it. While the changes from the base game are not innumerable, the addition of some mechanical specifications makes this DLC worth playing. Movers in Paradise, and consequently Moving Out, does its job very well, that is to have fun without too many frills.
