Very Very Valet (Switch) Review
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Publisher/Developer: Toyful
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Price: $24.99 ($29.99 physical)
Very Very Valet is a multiplayer-focused game with a simple concept. As part of a valet service, you are sent to a local eatery or what-have-you to help people park cars. Customers drive up, you keep their car somewhere safe, and then they leave so you bring their car back. Some may be picking up an order and just need you to keep it nearby, whilst others are there to savor the experience and won’t be back for quite a while. You can’t just leave them on the curb, though, as more and more traffic and other chaotic obstacles prevent the front door area from being anything safe. It’s up to you and a few friends to take care of the cars and get everyone back on their way once they are done.
Certain games lend themselves well to party situations, and Very Very Valet is definitely one of them. Play feels as chaotic as a game of Overcooked, except where that game often sectioned off chefs in corners of the kitchen, VVV really leaves it up to the players. Should one person be responsible for getting cars across the street? Can you pick up your buddy while coming back to help with the next car? Or should you all just free-for-all and pray? Whilst that is the most chaotic and hilarious, figuring out a well-oiled team is definitely the best way to go.
VVV’s madcap parking scenarios lend to some bonkers moments. I have found myself guilty of driving a car straight off the rooftop parking lot to get it back to the owner before they get too impatient, or catapulting off a ramp to jump traffic, trains, or anything else that gets in the way. Four players trying to please everyone at once gets rather madcap, as there’s only really room for one car in the pickup zone at a time. Playing solo was a combination of boredom and overwhelming depending on how many people were waiting for their car, but a full four-player team really gets the hilarity in gear.
If I had any complaints about the game, it’d be the lack of driving control options. I know that some games out there force difficult controls on you (hello QWOP), but VVV distinctly advertises itself as “easy to drive” and it did confuse a few people I played with the first time. Obviously some cars aren’t going to turn on a dime, but for example, anybody remember Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road on the NES? It was top-down, but you were able to use left and right to drive your car, with gas and brake. Cars in VVV simply go the way you are pointing the analog stick, but still do rely on the basic forward/backward movement of cars. I’d have liked to see a few options in here. Heck, maybe even one for motion controls so I can dust off my Mario Kart wheel accessories!
No matter what, though, Very Very Valet is going up there in the Pantheon of Games I Get Out for Silly Fun at Parties, like Pac-Man Vs. and Overcooked. It may not be the best game for solo play, but it was never intended for that. There’s plenty of madcap fun for four players (and an audience), and that’s exactly what it needs to be.
Pros:
-Multiple levels and hazards keep things fresh
-Occasional breaks from routine, like knocking down bowling pins
-Madcap four-player frenzy
-Easy to pick up and learn
Cons:
-Wish there were a few more control options
-Maybe some sort of variation for solo play (I know this would be hard for this genre)
Special thanks to Toyful for providing a code for review!