Overcooked! 2: Carnival of Chaos Review (Astute)
Carnival of Chaos is the fourth paid DLC for Overcooked 2. As is the standard fair with these DLCs, it changes the cooking locale to something more exotic and introduces a few new mechanics and recipes that relate to that setting. Some of the new mechanics are mild additions at best. However, the new plating mechanics are quite enjoyable, and in some cases inspired in terms of how they shake of the traditional gameplay. This is possibly my favorite DLC, and definitely one of the best so far.
Carnival of Chaos takes place in a whimsical circus backdrop, with clowns, balloons, tents, streamers, and other circus paraphernalia. Many of the foods revolve around fried, boiled, or deep fried items such as burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, fries, and donuts. It's also the first time soft drinks and condiments are included.
With one exception, this DLC is mostly a return to form, focusing more on reinventing existing recipes rather than pushing brand new ones. This works quite well, and establishes a series of levels that feels more in line with the base game's difficulty and flow than the other DLCs. I'd almost say it's my favorite DLC, as it's fiercely tied with Hangry Horde in terms of appeal.
The major additions in this DLC are cannons, condiment and drink dispensers, and food trays.
Cannons are interactable objects that load and fire players across the level. Cannons may only hold one player at a time, they must be aimed using a joystick, and fired via a button by a second player. There isn't much to say about this mechanic. It's used sparingly and doesn't appear to add much to the overall gameplay. Save for two or so levels, they don't have any meaningful use beyond what could normally be accomplished using a portal or a drivable platform. It's not fairly impactful on the DLC's fun factor, and as such, this mechanic's appeal may vary depending on your tastes.
Condiments and drink dispensers are machines that output a specific condiment or drink onto a recipe. These additions are immediate, and can be added to a recipe at any point in the order-building process. Drinks and condiments come in different flavors/types, which must be cycled by a button found somewhere in the level. While I was wary of this mechanic at first, it works fairly well, adding an additional task to the pipeline without creating an annoying contrivance. I'm not saying I love it, but it is non-offensive compared to some of the previous gimmicks from the other DLCs.
Finally, the most enjoyable addition, food trays. Food trays are essentially plates that can be customized to fill orders. It's similar in concept to the Campfire Cook Off breakfast skillets, except that you can add items to the tray without having to cook them together. This means that meals can be filled in any particular order, allowing your team to create assembly lines that build upon a single order in sequence, rather than gathering ingredients all at once and finalizing them in a cooking station.
As such, one player might be in charge of drinks, while another produces burgers, and a third might handle condiments or sides. This is such a subtle change, but it adds a breadth of strategy and coordination to the existing plate system. Orders are now free form, and thus can be divided and conquered in any order, and much more fluidly than in the traditional levels. I almost prefer this system more over the plate model.
Carnival of Chaos is a DLC that provides a healthy remix of many of the traditional recipes and mechanics. Some additions, such as cannons, provide little in terms of gameplay. Condiments and drinks are extra requirements that are mildly interesting. Trays are a simple change that breathes new life into an existing formula, almost to the point that it overshadows the other mechanics. It's definitely one of my favorite Overcooked 2 DLCs, if not my favorite.
Steam Curator