Overcooked: All You Can Eat Review (PS5)

Ever since Overcooked burst onto the scene in 2016, there have been several games that have aimed to occupy the frantic co-op market space. You have titles like Out of Space, Gang Beasts and Team 17’s own Moving Out that have fought for supremacy. However, many would argue that no other franchise holds a candle to the chaotic culinary cacophony that is Overcooked. Well, if you feel this way, then Overcooked: All You Can Eat is just what you need.

This one offers an all-in-one package which includes all the content from Overcooked 2  and all the DLC content as well. So if you haven’t played this one before, you’ll have a cavalcade of content to work through. Then for returning players, you’ll have the same brand of madness you’ve grown accustomed to but with tweaks, additions and improvements to offer a cooking frenzy ready for the step up to next-gen.

Fire Up The Grill

For returning players, the first thing you might be wondering is why should I reinvest in this title, I own both older titles already? Well, although the content within this game offers stories, challenges and events we have all seen before, we have never seen them in quite as much detail. The game boasts much improved visuals and can run at a constant and smooth 60FPS without any issue. This may not be a reason to grab the game on its own. However, for long time Overcooked fans, this is a real treat and does wonders to show off the wacky animations and vibrant colour combos that this game has to offer.

Plus, the sound quality and haptic feedback play their role in making this experience more dynamic and engaging. We will admit that as far as utilising the new Dualsense feature goes, this is pretty bare bones. When compared to games that have been made to show off the controllers features such as Astro’s Playroom or The Pathless. It’s fair to say that this one doesn’t go all-in on using the hardware to the fullest. However, what it does do, it does well and it adds to the overall experience.

If You Can’t Stand The Heat…

This game series has always been reliant on having a partner to help you through the stages. For Overcooked, co-op is key to your overall enjoyment. So we were wondering if the developers would bridge the gap and try to appeal to single-player oriented gamers. Especially seeing as the launch lineup is so bare at the moment. However, it seems that this game doesn’t try to appeal to a wider audience, even when presented with this opportunity.

Granted, you can play by yourself and frantically control all the chefs on screen by switching between them. However, one is limited by the extreme levels of co-ordination this requires. It feels like trying to play every instrument in an orchestra simultaneously and in the end, without help it just ends up feeling disjointed.

This would have been fine if the online features were up to snuff. However, due to both the limited amount of people who own a PS5, plus the even lesser number of people who chose to invest in this title. It seems that successful online matchmaking is hard to come by. It’s not impossible and when you get paired up, it can lead to some of the best multiplayer gameplay on the console at the moment. It just shouldn’t be so much of a hassle to achieve.

Ordering Off The Menu

It would be easy to write this one off as a quick and simple port. However, other aspects have been added to the title to make it a worthwhile investment. For one, this game is set to receive cross-platform support. So if you were dying to play this one with your Nintendo oriented friends, this is undoubtedly your best chance to make that a reality. Plus, thanks to the new hardware, players can even live chat regardless of the console they are playing on. Meaning that if you want to go on a Gordon Ramsey-Esque tirade of abuse, you can do so with ease.

Then in addition to these changes, the game also takes a step forward in terms of accessibility. We have seen this move from games such as The Last of Us Part 2, AC Valhalla and many others, so it’s hardly surprising but great to see nonetheless.

The Verdict

Overall, this bundle including all of the best Overcooked content is perfect for family-friendly fun on a next-gen console. There are hours upon hours of challenges, campaigns and additional content to keep players busy. Plus, if this series is brand new to you, you are in for a treat in that regard. However, if you are coming to this title expecting a revolutionary next-gen experience, then you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. The Dualsense features are lacklustre and the cross-platform play and online features aren’t fully accessible or functional yet. So you’ll probably need a local co-op buddy to make this most of this one right now.

However, if you just want chaotic fun and lots of it at a 4K resolution and a smooth 60 FPS, then this is just the ticket. We wouldn’t recommend buying this one unless you haven’t played any Overcooked titles before and truly love party games. Though, if this sounds like you, this is a great way to kick off your PS5 library.

So that’s our review of Overcooked: All You Can Eat on the PS5. What do you make of this review? Will you be picking this one up? Are you still waiting to get your hands on a console? Let us know in the comments section below. Plus, if you liked this content then why not check out our other reviews such as Nine Witches: Family Disruption. Or alternatively, you might prefer our review of Planet Coaster.