Reviews:
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No doubt inspired a bit by the likes of the Overcooked series, Manic Mechanics changes some elements up to reasonably stand on its own
Local co-op gaming has really evolved nicely in the last console generation, and I have no doubt that the Switch’s general vibe and the indie scene have helped that out greatly. The gold standard for co-op with just a little bit of stress added to the mix has been (and very likely may remain) Overcooked, mixing action tasks with coordination with a bit of chaos to make things interesting. Manic Mechanics will immediately feel pretty familiar to you if you’re a fan of that series, as you’ll be working with however many friends you have to perform tasks that will repair specific parts to get vehicles out of your shop as quickly as possible. The challenge is rolled out at a very reasonable pace, adding complexity by changing the shop layout, doubling up use of some stations, and forcing you to keep an eye on what each incoming vehicle needs. Throw in periodic golden parts that don’t need repairs and will add a nice bonus to your score and everyone will need to keep their eyes and ears open to coordinate and communicate in order to maximize success. While there’s a certain overall lack of polish to the game’s look and feel compared to the likes of peak Overcooked or Moving Out, this smart variation on the formula could be a serious competitor given another iteration.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.0]