When comparing A Way Out vs Overcooked 2, the Slant community recommends A Way Out for most people. In the question“What are the best local co-op PC games?” A Way Out is ranked 26th while Overcooked 2 is ranked 50th. The most important reason people chose A Way Out is:
This game has some fun on the side which doesn't contribute to the story but is fun anyways, its optional to do. The story about these two characters is very well planned and is kick in the balls over and over kind of game because when one shocker comes another hits even harder.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Has side fun if you want to + good story
This game has some fun on the side which doesn't contribute to the story but is fun anyways, its optional to do. The story about these two characters is very well planned and is kick in the balls over and over kind of game because when one shocker comes another hits even harder.
Pro Extremely immersive by focusing solely on the two main characters
Jumping into the roles of Vincent and Leo with a friend, and forming a bond with these characters is an easy and painless experience. The game goes out of it's way to make sure almost everything is focused on Vincent and Leo, the dynamics of their relationship, and how their story plays out. The growth and development of the duo is always center stage. There's no unnecessary side plots or needless filler characters. The entire adventure takes place as one seamless journey with no detours. Since you and your friend have full control over each and every decision made by the duo, and will be working together at all times, it can truly feel like stepping into a role.
Pro The team based action gameplay is just plain fun
Everything in the game is structured to be one big cooperative experience that will have you and friend relying on one another to get things done. Since the game relies on mostly simple mechanics, there's very little frustration involved, and that leaves a whole lot of room for fun. Sitting next to each other on the couch as you plan and coordinate each and every move between the two playable characters can be a really enjoyable gaming session.
In one section, you'll be climbing up an elevator shaft together by coordinating quicktime button presses. In another, one player will be driving while the other is shooting from the back of the vehicle. Some sections will involve one player watching for guards while the other carries out objectives like unscrewing wall panels or sneaking around. You can boost each other up ledges and even row a boat together down a raging river.
In all of this, there is a huge emphasis on simple teamwork and simply "talking it out" as opposed to bloated or tricky mechanics. Most of the actions in the game involve only a few quick button presses, but the level of teamwork and communication involved in playing out each and every scenario is where this co-op experience truly shines.
Pro Encourages making decisions together as a couch co-op team
Many parts of the game will require you to make a story decision as a team, which results in some really engaging co-op choices. The two main characters, Vincent and Leo, will oftentimes have very different ideas about how to accomplish certain tasks.
For instance, when sneaking past a police blockade, Vincent wants to plow through the patrol with brute force, while Leo prefers to sneak under the bridge. Since Vincent and Leo have to stick together for gameplay reasons, it will most likely spark a lively discussion with your friend as how to best proceed.
These kind of choices are prevalent throughout the whole game, which results in some seriously fun chats with your friend as you weigh the pros of cons of each decision.
Pro Every purchase comes with a free friend pass
After buying the game, you can send your friend a free game pass so they can play with you online without having to purchase the game themself.
Pro Simple to pick up and learn
Whether you played the first Overcooked or not, Overcooked 2 is easy to figure out right from the get-go. The recipes for each dish are familiar even if you're not much of a chef, so you can remember which raw ingredients you need as you make your way around the kitchen and work with your co-op partner(s). Once you play a few rounds, you should have a good handle on things, helping you focus on getting everything done as quickly as possible from there on out.
Pro Hilariously fun couch and online co-op for up to four players
Playing Overcooked 2 with friends is the best. There's so much going on at once in the kitchen, with barriers moving in your way, hazards popping up like cars in the middle of the road separating the two halves of your area, and ingredients, dishes, and half-prepared dishes to move from one place to another. Working together and communicating with your friends through couch co-op or online play is a constant stream of laughter and excited shouting as you mess up, learn, and hopefully get things done. If you don't have anyone to play with, then you can hop online for matchmaking instead.
Pro Fast and frantic cooking action
Overcooked 2 is really fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. You play as a chef in a crazy kitchen with a ton of things going on all at once, with you mixing, preparing, and cooking in between the chaos of moving platforms and environmental obstacles. There's a time limit constantly ticking down at the bottom of the screen; finishing your tasks on time or ahead of schedule earns you a better score in the end. Tossing ingredients to your teammates across the kitchen, or across the moving platforms or obstacles like bodies of water, is a fresh new addition in this game that wasn't in the first Overcooked, making things even faster this time around. It's such a manic yet well-done mix of many different genres and ideas that all come together in the best ways.
Cons
Con Some boring QTEs
While the game does have a wide variety of different quicktime events with varying mechanics, a few are nothing more than mashing a single button as fast as you can. During activities such as arm wrestling, there's nothing too exciting about smashing the same button over and over.
Con A particular portion of the game can be disappointing
There's a section in the latter part of the game that devolves into a drawn-out action shooter devoid of story or much plot development. It doesn't have the fun cooperative gameplay puzzles that the rest of the game has, so it can feel like a weak point in otherwise enjoyable adventure.
Con Split screen dialogue overlaps
If your friend is having a dialogue in his section of the split screen while you're having a conversation in yours, the dialogue will overlap resulting in a confusing vocal mess.
Con Can be incredibly frustrating
Trying to work at such a fast pace with so many obstacles and general mayhem going on at once can wear on you after a while. There's a lot to keep track of at once, and it's easy for things to spiral out of control as your mistakes pile up. If your group isn't doing well and you're running out of time, you might find yourself losing your patience with your team and yelling at them. This might not be the game for you if you don't have a team that's willing to be patient and cooperative with each other, even when you're not doing so well during a particular round.
Con Single-player isn't as fun as co-op
If you only want to play alone, then Overcooked 2 might not be the best game to pick. All the fast-paced fun from co-op mostly comes from communicating with your team and trying to pull off your task together before the time runs out. You control two characters at once while playing alone, but this still lacks the team-based chaos that makes the game so addicting. You could instead go online for matchmaking, though you might get paired with people who don't want to talk or work as an actual team.
Con The controls are a bit sluggish
There's something about the controls that feels heavy and deliberate, and not necessarily in a good way. The feeling goes against the fast-paced nature of the gameplay that demands you in one place and then the next. If you played the first Overcooked, you may notice the difference right away. This change shouldn't be too much of a hassle, though it's still noticeable.