In many ways, playing Overcooked 2 is like returning to a favourite restaurant after a long absence and ordering what you always used to have. The comfort of familiar, nourishing food is hugely enjoyable, of course, but it's the sense of coming back to something that's truly special. When playing Overcooked 2 there's a lot more shouting and swearing, but the principle is the same - this sequel is strikingly similar to the first game, but a few well-chosen additions and refinements breathe new life into one of the best couch co-op experiences going.
For its part, Overcooked 2 assumes its players are already familiar with the first game and isn't shy about ramping up the difficulty early on. This means a steeper learning curve for anybody new to the series, but on the whole it's a good thing - before you've so much as finished the first game world, you're already tackling more intricate recipes and employing far more advanced strategies than the equivalent stages in the first Overcooked.
New recipes include sushi, pasta and steamed dumplings, while returning favourites such as burgers and pizza feature additional ingredients to make things a little more fiddly. Right from the get-go, then, Overcooked 2 demands more from its players. Add some truly ambitious level layouts to the mix and it comes as no surprise that the 'food burning/fire imminent' alarm is one you'll be hearing a lot more in Overcooked 2. Moving parts and sudden divides are nothing new to seasoned players, of course, but these obstacles are now more numerous - and nefarious - than ever.