Get Packed: Fully Loaded review

At the time of writing this review I have just moved house. The last few weeks have been a hellscape of boxes, carpet cleaning and painting, and now the light is finally visible at the end of the tunnel. I can say with some confidence that playing a game about packing would fall pretty low on my priority list right now, yet here I am. It turns out that a ridiculous co-op game about flinging furniture into a van without a care in the world is actually quite cathartic in my current situation, so thanks Get Packed: Fully Loaded. 

As a removal expert, it’s your job to pack up furniture and load it onto a moving van as fast as possible. Each of your hands grabs the nearest piece of furniture with a separate button, and by getting items onto the van without smashing them into too many walls will score you some cash. Once you’ve packed as much as you can onto the truck, you can send it off to lock in your score and will need to wait for it to return to earn more.

This gameplay loop isn’t as dry as it sounds, with plenty of chaos to be found in each level. Sinks and toilets are torn directly from the walls, huge wardrobes can be swung around with one hand, and windows and door frames will be decimated by a whirlwind of furnishings in the name of profit.

The first stages of Get Packed are standard homes that need your help, but as you progress you’ll be tasked with packing up huge supermarkets, trendy offices and even haunted houses. There are a lot of unique twists on the gameplay loop in each of these stages. Some stages have trampolines or slides you can chuck items onto, one factory stage features forklifts that charge through and destroy anything in their path, and the haunted house even has ghosts to bust.

Although the gameplay is pretty simple, there are few extra mechanics that make it more interesting. As you are moving furniture an item in the bottom right will appear with a timer bar, and if you load it onto the van before it runs out you get some bonus bucks. You also have the ability to flat pack items so you can fit more into the moving van. By holding a piece with both hands and waiting a few items you’ll turn a huge sofa or fridge freezer into a tiny box, which is often worth it but takes a bit of precious time to do.

Like so many games in this genre, Get Packed: Fully Loaded is made infinitely better with friends. There are options for local and online play available, and the closer to 4 players you can get to the better. The chaos really is amped up as you add people, but if you can work together to throw and catch furniture from higher floors you’ll be able to rack up some impressive scores.

To stand out from the crowd, you’ll want to customise your removal person. By beating levels or getting high star ratings you’ll unlock a variety of new characters and outfits to choose from to really show that style. I think I would’ve had much more fun moving house if I’d done it in a pirate costume.

Although a fun way to spend an afternoon, Get Packed: Fully Loaded ends up being a little too simple to stand out in a very crowded co-op genre. Frantically loading up a van is definitely enjoyable, but there isn’t much more to the game than that once you get past the stage gimmicks. Controlling your limbs can be a bit of a challenge too, and repeatedly grabbing the wrong chest of drawers can get a little frustrating.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours with a buddy or two, Get Packed: Fully Loaded will definitely provide some laughs. It’s simple enough to understand from the jump, but has just enough chaotic twists and turns to keep things interesting. It may not replace your favourite party games, but if you want to swing a fridge at your friends then you should probably give it a go.