Developer: The Knights of Unity
Publisher: All In! Games
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Tools Up!: Ultimate Edition – Review
No, you’re not suddenly back in 2019: Tools Up! is back, in Ultimate Edition form. This rerelease of developer The Knights of Unity’s party game has just arrived on all the same platforms that it originally debuted on. There are a handful of new bells and whistles here and there -well, just one bell, but it’s a big one- but for all intents and purposes, this is still the same game. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: our initial impressions of Tools Up! were positive, and the Garden Party DLC only improved on the base game. Is Tools Up! still as sturdily constructed as it was in 2019 or should The Knights of Unity have called a handyman to fix some things up before rereleasing the game?
As the Ultimate Edition in the title indicates, you’re getting the complete Tools Up! package here, including all three episodes of the game’s Garden Party DLC. As linked above, we’ve covered the original release of the game in depth before, as well as the first episode of the DLC, so we won’t repeat ourselves too much here. For the uninitiated, Tools Up! is a fast-paced co-op arcade game in the style of Overcooked!, where you and your friends are tasked with fixing up houses before time runs out, and the DLC gets you out of the house as new mechanics are introduced. Budding renovators can tackle the game solo as well, although, in all honesty, this is the kind of game that is exponentially more fun as you play together. In fact, the game feels unbalanced when playing alone, and even the developers recommend finding at least one buddy to team up with. We noted previously that it’s a shame that Tools Up! doesn’t support online play, and unfortunately, this Ultimate Edition doesn’t fix that.
Likewise, another thing we noted was the absence of a story, and this wasn’t retroactively added either. Given Tools Up!’s nature of a party game first and foremost, this didn’t bother us at all though. The cutesy cartoon visuals and cheerful soundtrack aren’t going to blow anyone away, especially five years on, but they do hold up. We even got the impression that the game’s visuals received a smidgen of extra polish, which is always appreciated. The same can’t necessarily be said about the controls. While these are easy enough to understand, which is essential for a party game, we did find that our on-screen handyman counterparts weren’t always responsive in the way we would like. Tools Up! isn’t necessarily a difficult title, especially not if you’re an Overcooked! aficionado, but it’s easy to slip up and accidentally select the wrong command with the single-button controls.
The biggest selling point for the Ultimate Edition is the addition of an all-new versus mode. Here, you’ll compete with other players in a home makeover contest. This mode supports up to four players, in every configuration you can think of: whether it’s 1v1, 2v2, 2v1, 1v1v1v1, or even 1v2v1. It’s a fun addition that sees you try to complete a set of tasks before the opposing team does rather than racing against the clock. We wouldn’t call this variant an essential addition to Tools Up!’s already sizable content package, which comprises a whopping 75 levels when factoring in the DLC, but it does add an unpredictability factor that the normal version is sorely missing. Given that the Ultimate Edition is being offered at the same price point as Tools Up!’s Renovation Spree Bundle, we’re a bit surprised that this mode isn’t being added as a free update to thank players who supported the previous releases of the game. For now though, the versus mode remains exclusive to the Ultimate Edition.
Now, if you’re already the proud owner of the base game, you may be wondering whether or not it’s worth double-dipping just to pick up this new mode. The answer is… probably not; unless you don’t own the Garden Party DLC or if you can pick up the Ultimate Edition at a very hefty discount. The latter option definitely isn’t outside the realm of possibility, as you were able to preorder the Ultimate Edition with a whopping 80% discount, for €6.99 instead of the €34.99 RRP. Historically, Tools Up! and the Garden Party DLC have been titles that have seen plenty of discounts. If you already own the game but want to play the new mode, then picking it up with a similar discount might be worth considering, but even if you’re completely new to Tools Up!, we’d recommend waiting until it’s being offered cheap again before taking the plunge. This is a five-year-old game after all, and even the addition of a new mode doesn’t change that. We should also note that there is no possibility to transfer your old save games to the Ultimate Edition -so even if you’re returning from base Tools Up!, then you’re going to have to restart from scratch.
Conclusion
While Tools Up!: Ultimate Edition definitely has its highlights, there are a couple of hoops that the game needs to jump through before it is worthy of a recommendation. This is a game that you really want to play with the right people, first and foremost. Ideally, you also don’t own the base game yet, nor the Garden Party DLC. And finally, you’re best off picking this one up at a discount, although historically speaking that shouldn’t be an issue. If you can respond positively to all those factors, then you should gear up for Tools Up!: Ultimate Edition.
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