Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!

Genre: Arcade / Simulation

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

(Note: Included in Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2/3 Bundle!! along with Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!, and also included in Cook, Serve, Delicious, Trilogy!, along with Cook, Serve, Delicious! and Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!.)

Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!, released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2020 continues the series tradition of combining Arcade-style gameplay with some light Simulation elements in a game about managing an eatery and serving customers. However, for the third installment in this series, things have taken a bit of an odd turn. Set in the year 2042, America is now being torn apart by war, with parts of the country now an irradiated wasteland. Your own restaurant from the prior game didn’t survive the carnage, but thankfully a nice pair of robot ladies has offered to let you use their truck as a food truck as you tour the country.

Despite the post-apocalyptic story, the presentation is as bright and cheerful as ever, with cartoony 2D visuals along with some nicely-detailed 2D food as the star of the show. This is backed by the series’ usual upbeat music, and joined by decent voice acting for the two robot gals as they guide you through the game’s tutorial and comment on your performance in the game’s levels.

The gameplay this time around has been streamlined in many ways. Since you’re in a food truck, there’s less in the way of customization this time around, and your robotic helpers can instantly serve all ready food to your waiting customers with a single flick of the analog stick, which really helps you to multitask with the large number of customers you’ll be dealing with in each game. What’s more, the food prep has been given regular times in each level, as you’ll be doing only this between the multiple stops of your food truck.

While I think these changes are a mixed bag, I really appreciate the new optional “Chill Mode” added to the game. Players who don’t want to deal with the high-speed panic that’s often present in this series can choose this mode, which changes the gameplay so customers have infinite patience, and the only timing you need to worry about is ensuring that food doesn’t get overcooked. This gameplay mode comes at the cost of being unable to get the highest grade on any level it’s used on, but this is sure to be a welcome trade-off for players who prefer something a bit more… well, chill.

Because of all the changes this entry in the series adds, it’s hard to say whether players will prefer this game or Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!, but I think both games have some great gameplay to offer, with each having their own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re looking for a solid Arcade-style food service game, you’ll do well with either. But if you’re looking for something simpler and optionally less stressful, Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! is probably the better bet for you, post-apocalyptic theme and all.

tl;dr – Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! is an Arcade-style game with some Simulation elements that has players managing a food truck and serving orders to customers. In many ways, this is the most streamlined game yet in the series, and while this comes with positive and negative qualities, one unambiguously positive addition is the new “Chill Mode” which lets players take on the game’s challenges at a more relaxed pace. Overall, it’s hard to say whether 2 or 3 is the better game, but I can definitely see this being the better pick for more casual players.

Grade: B

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