Ready, Steady, Ship! Review

Ever wondered what it's like to work for Amazon? Well in Ready, Steady, Ship! you can experience this in a somewhat fun, colourful game version. You are a worker who has to ship boxes down a conveyor and into the van within a time limit, kinda like in Moving Out 2, but you're not exactly working there by choice.

In Ready, Steady, Ship!, players find themselves in a quirky factory setting with a unique spin — you have to keep production lines running smoothly. The game is advertised as a two-player couch co-op, except the co-op levels and the solo levels are two different things. In this sort of game, the levels are usually drop-in and drop-out, rather than being distinct sets of stages. The levels are timed, which can be frustrating when you miss a gold finish by a couple of seconds.

The game is more fun with two players, who have to coordinate efforts to manage supply chains, fix conveyors, and maintain operational efficiency. That translates to picking up boxes, moving heavy mechanical parts, and putting together packing materials, but doesn't the first version sound impressive?

Playing Ready, Steady, Ship! was more frustrating than enjoyable. The music is catchy at first, but it quickly turns into an annoying loop that grates on the nerves, but at least you can turn it down in the settings. A particularly irritating bug causes the character to freeze while the conveyor belts continue to move, interrupting the flow and significantly detracting from the experience. The game has potential, but these issues made it difficult to fully enjoy.

Ready, Steady, Ship! struggles to make a noteworthy impression in the crowded co-op gaming landscape. It tried to be like Moving Out, but fell short due to some frustrating issues. The bright graphics and occasional moments of fun are overshadowed by repetitive levels and unrefined co-op mechanics. At times it definitely felt more stressful than enjoyable with the harsh time limits. Approach this game with caution, as the seemingly fun premise quickly turns into a test of patience, especially when dealing with the unpredictable conveyor belts.