Manic Mechanics, developed and published by 4J Studios, provides a fun game that is reminiscent of those couch co-op games 4 people can play around a TV. While the game has multiplayer, it does capture that feeling of the couch-based gameplay that people used to experience. This is a strength of the game and fairly reminiscent to another game series called Overcooked, in terms of feel and design. However, the game, itself, gives is fun in its own right and is a definite pick up based upon the multiplayer were playing with friends is a truly enjoyable moment. Moreover, this is compounded with the gameplay showcasing teamwork with some interesting mechanics stemming from the various missions. 4J Studios has made a fun game that is perfect to play with friends and offers some great gameplay mechanics that make the experience feel wholesome.
Manic Mechanics is similar to other couch multiplayer games that are popular amongst friends and family. With Manic Mechanics, the multiplayer feels fantastic to play with and can often leave for some hilarious moments in missions due to the fact that the player characters have hit detection enabled so people can block other people. While it can be infuriating for the players it can often be funny so the possibilities are left up to the people playing the game. This makes for some hectic situations that are ultimately comedic due to special circumstances that can occur in missions. As to how this game embodies the couch-based gameplay and multiplayer is that the missions are all centered towards playing with others to make the missions run more efficiently. This is coupled with the high score that can be achieved on each mission based upon completion of cars and excess materials on the floor that are fully restored. Moreover, this focus on multiplayer is a nice touch and is a fine addition to the couch-based multiplayer genre.
Gameplay is similar to Overcooked with some elements taken from the some of the mini-games that have occurred over the course of the Mario Party series. This makes Manic Mechanics something akin to a remix of the couch co-op multiplayer genre that tries to get the best parts of what makes the genre fun over the course of years with the basis being vehicle repair. An example of this focus in repairing vehicles can be seen in the screenshot below as the game starts.
Going into detail as to how the game is played can be described as arcade like with an emphasis on teamwork in multiplayer. There are four stations for the early game that specialize in unique interactions with three based on repairing items. These items that are repairable are engines, tires, and doors with each station offering a unique way on repairing said items. Moreover, the game is highly recommended to be played on controller as mouse and keyboard is highly inefficient and can make some of the interactions feel sluggish and awkward to use. Overall, mouse and keyboard are highly inefficient due to the developers focus on players using a controller. While this may detract some people who lack a controller it is more than necessary for them to buy one as the joy gained from playing with others, surpasses the economic implications.
4J Studios has made an excellent couch co-op game that really makes for an enjoyable experience. This stems from the fact that the developers focused on multiplayer and encapsulating the couch co-op experience from how the game is played. Furthermore, with this game being focused on the multiplayer, it is better to get some friends to buy the game and a controller for an amazing experience. By doing this, single player can be taken as a lonely experience, hampering the quality of the game overall. Manic Mechanics, in my opinion, is a 7/10 game perfect for playing with others in a group of four on the couch, online, or at a party.
Manic Mechanics launches today on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store and PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Kyle Manila
I would describe myself when interacting with games as a strategist with a pension for stealth and loud explosions.
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