Overcooked 2 is out today on nearly every current generation platform, which means it's time to get back in the kitchen with your friends and start whipping up new recipes for the masses. With online co-op and a handful of other new features in tow, this sequel stays true to what the original game was while making a handful of quality of life improvements.
As you make your way back into the Onion Kingdom, you'll once again be greeted by over 40 new levels, each which will challenge you to get a three-star rating to prove your mastery. If you're going to be jumping into Overcooked 2 soon and are looking to once again get a three-star rating on all of the levels, here are four suggestions I have to help you maximize your score.
1. Make Sure to Play in Co-op
So look, this tip won't actually help you master Overcooked 2's levels but I have to throw it in here just because of how vital I think co-op is to this game. Any returning Overcooked player will already know this, but playing solo isn't all that fun. While in all honesty it might be easier to get three stars on every level by playing by yourself, I can promise you there isn't that much glory in it.
To truly enjoy Overcooked 2 as it was meant to be played, make sure to grab a close friend and sit down either on your couch or play across the Internet. You'll have a much better time playing through the game together, and earning those three-star rewards will feel even more satisfying.
2. Communication is Key
One great thing about many co-op games, in my opinion, is that they allow you to play with your friends while simultaneously catching up on real-life involvements. Overcooked 2 is not one of those games where you'll be able to have small-talk, especially in the later, more challenging levels.
Communication in Overcooked 2 is one of the keys to achieving success, and more often than not, the game will demand your undivided attention for the span of each level. If you want to play a more casual co-op game that will allow for normal conversation while playing a game in the background, play anything other than Overcooked 2. To achieve those high scores, you'll need to make sure you're talking about what meal to make next, rather than asking about how the wife and kids are.
3. Divide and Conquer
The easiest way to get the highest scores possible in Overcooked 2 is to assign tasks to each person you're playing with early in a level. For example, one person should take chopping duty, while another is assigned plating and assembling foods, and so on.
If each person has a specific task to focus on, it'll keep things more orderly and will keep you and your friends from getting in one another's way. The worst Overcooked sessions happen when every player is trying to do the exact same things, so opt to divvy up tasks amongst yourselves, and that three-star rating should be yours in no time.
4. Restart the Level If You Make a Mistake Early
This tip is more focused on the later levels of Overcooked 2's story rather than the early ones. Even if you make a few mistakes in some of the first few levels of Overcooked 2, you'll likely be able to quickly recover and still achieve a three-star score. Once you get into the late-game though, things can begin to get more tricky and the simplest of mistakes can cost you.
If you get about a minute or two into a level and feel like you're not on the right track to get three stars, feel free to restart the level. Part of why I suggest this is because one of Overcooked 2's biggest oversights is that it doesn't allow you to simply retry a level after completing it. Instead, you must back out to the main overworld before jumping back in for another try. This only adds another 20-30 seconds before being able to play again, but it's still pretty annoying. Because of this, if you know you aren't going to achieve three-star glory before time runs out, just opt to restart while you're still in a level instead.
Overcooked 2 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. For more on Overcooked 2, be sure to read our official review of the game, and if you want to pick up the game, you can either purchase it digitally or get it physically through Amazon.