Heave Ho 2 Hands-On Preview
Heave Ho 2 swings onto the scene with more chaotic co-op action, this time expanding its limits from the couch to full online multiplayer. You can still gather your friends locally, but now up to four players can jump in online, opening the door for even more unpredictable, physics-based madness.
At its core, Heave Ho 2 keeps things simple. You control the arms with the analogue stick, while the triggers handle each hand’s grip. Once you pull the trigger, the fist will then become an anchor point for you allowing you to swing from it, or hold onto any interactable item that the levels may include. The hardest challenge is remembering which fist is your anchor and which is the one that is safe to open to grab the next platform, item or ally. From there, the game throws you into increasingly creative levels and leaves you to figure things out yourself.
I had the chance to go hands-on with the opening levels, playing as a trio. Our teamwork was questionable at best initially, the big issue we were having at first was the wrong person releasing what they were holding onto, and them dropping the team to their death, or releasing the anchor hand holding us all in place and dragging everyone down together. However we quickly got a grip on what we needed to do, and by the end, we were one cohesive unit, slinging one another across the levels to reach platforms more easily, and grabbing required objectives and throwing them to each other to quickly fulfil the level requirements.
Communication becomes essential as levels evolve from straightforward “reach the goal” scenarios into more intricate, puzzle-like situations. Some require teamwork to grab keys and unlock exits, while others get far more inventive. One level in particular stood out: we were in a kitchen, assembling a hamburger piece by piece, grabbing ingredients, stacking them in the correct order, and finally ringing a bell to serve our masterpiece.
Heave Ho 2 feels like a great party game. It’s easy to pick up, instantly engaging, and just as entertaining to watch as it is to play.
Heave Ho 2 is set to launch later this year on PC and Switch consoles.
