Moving Out: Movers In Paradise Review

Movers in Paradise Overview

I found the original Moving Out to be one of the more polished and mechanically cohesive party games to follow in the footsteps of the Overcooked titles. Movers in Paradise mostly just expands on the base game’s existing framework.

You can find a video version of this review here: Moving Out: Movers in Paradise Review. – YouTube

As F.A.R.Ts (Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technicians), You and some friends need to work together to move tons of awkward and heavy furniture while combating the hilarious physics system. The faster you do it, the better your score. Many missions have optional side objectives that once completed, can unlock special arcade levels you can play.

The core gameplay isn’t as simple as just moving furniture. You also have to contend with a variety of outlandish hazards, puzzles, and interesting environments while you do it. Movers in Paradise is playable with 1 to 4 players in local co-op, sadly online play is not supported.

Gideon’s Bias	Movers in Paradise Information
Review Copy Used: Yes	Publisher: Team 17
Hours Played: 4 hours	Type: DLC
Reviewed on: PC	Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Fan of Genre: Yes	Genre: Co-op Party Game
Mode Played: N/A	Price: $7.49

Gameplay

Most of my praises and complaints about Moving Out are equally present in Movers in Paradise. It’s quite short. The single-player mode isn’t worth playing at all and the notably creative arcade levels lack replay value. But, the game is still a boatload of fun with friends and has polished controls, great mechanics, and solid-level design.

That said, Movers in Paradise also improves on the original in a couple of ways. The initial levels in the DLC start off far more interesting than the early stages of the base game. The levels are creative and the expansion is an overall greater challenge, at least if you want the best times for the gold medals or all the arcade tokens.

Movers in Paradise rides on its tropical theme. You will encounter geysers that push both you and the furniture around. Thieving crabs that will run off with the objects you need to deliver, Lemurs throwing stuff at your head, and living plants that like to get grabby with the goods.

The stages in Movers in Paradise are much more puzzle-like than most of the originals, requiring a bit of head-scratching in addition to teamwork and skilled physics manipulation. This is both fun and hilariously frustrating as you will not only need to scream at your friends to FREAKING PIVOT while carrying a couch, but also run face-first into doors that they let slam shut, or drown when they accidentally fill a temple with water. Party games need that kind of friendly push and pull interaction, and Movers in Paradise delivers on it.

One stage might have you navigating a maze with breakable walls and a bunch of angry goats trying to headbutt you, squarely in your package. Jump aside at the right moment and they can break the walls for you instead, making the process move smoother.

Other stages have you pulling around rafts before filling a chamber with water, carrying ladders over pits, or using fans to knock objects down to where you can reach them. Each one has its own approach and can function differently depending on how many players are present.

Every stage is interesting, fun, and varied enough that you’re always looking forward to the next one without the formula feeling stale. Nearly all of them have some kind of unique quirk you need to figure out and manage. Most initial runs will go comically wrong, allowing you and your team to follow up with a game plan on the second attempt.

The arcade levels are just as creative as the original and are a ton of fun, but the lack of various medals or side objectives make them a one-and-done affair. The sheer creativity in their design can make them memorable anyway.

As Movers in Paradise is a DLC pack. It really lives or dies based on its level design, since it’s simply expanding upon the core game’s foundation. In that regard, the game does an excellent job.

Verdict on Movers in Paradise

Movers in Paradise is a solid addition to the base game. It retains much of its highest qualities and lowest flaws without straying too far in other directions. So if you didn’t find the base game moving, the expansion isn’t going to carry you.

On the flip side, if you already like to move it, move it, Movers in Paradise might be worth picking up. Its levels are well designed and fun without stepping on the toes of the original. It’s just simply more of a good thing.

It retains the same charm, fun physics, and team coordination that made the base game great. It’s on the short side with just a couple of hours of content, a problem that often plagues many party games. The DLC is on the cheap side though, so it may just be worth moving in on.