A restaurant sim with a tasty twist!

Food Fantasy, notwithstanding the misleading title, is not merely about food. In fact, this is a heavily combat-laden game with elements of hero collection gacha (which I don’t particularly care about), and tower defense. What’s more, its anime art style is pleasant to the eyes, or at least to my eyes.

I must admit that I found the story/lore elements a bit messy and convoluted. All that talk about “Food Souls” and “Fallen Angels” engaging in a fierce battle for the fate of mankind and the planet (Tierra) is, to say the least, a bit overkill. If you want to kill “Bulimia” (which is the name of an actual Fallen Angel), I’m not sure you need such chaotic and world-shaping events taking place for that purpose, though I might be wrong (as always).

With that said, it doesn’t stop being amusing. Seeing portraits of manga-style heroes with food names is downright hilarious (albeit probably unintentionally so).  

I was likewise a bit entertained by how the game introduces you to restaurant management. Instead of the typical “family business” that has passed from generation to generation, you meet a guy who flat-out tells you that he needs someone to run a restaurant and that you seem fit for the job. He would be like “Hey! would you run this for me? Just give me your ID and it’s a done deal… break a leg, m’kay?” (I’m paraphrasing, of course, but it’s what you’re told, give or take.)

Managing the restaurant is not just a side activity but is every bit as main a feature as collecting Food Souls and skirmishing, These activities are supposed to be intertwined, as the restaurant is ultimately your main drive. You primarily collect and use Food Souls to stock up on ingredients because you’re told that it’s way cheaper to do this rather than relying on merchants. 

Some customer you meet at the beginning conveniently gifts you with a crystal, which is used to sign a contract with these souls. But, how does that even work? Are you able to mine these magic crystals someplace? Where do they come from? What makes them so special? Why is Tiramisu a woman? Why is the planet (Tierra) a fish? So many questions, so few answers!

I know I’m getting nitpicky here, for these questions could be asked about any other mobile game out there (except for the Tiramisu and Tierra ones, maybe), but someone’s gotta start asking them!

On another note, It’s interesting to note how, during battles, you can see a hand waving around as the spells are cast. It almost looks as if that’s you cooking a recipe at that very moment (which is a curious theory, to say the least). 

Speaking of battles, you can send up to five different Food Souls to fight at a time. You can also try different combinations and unlock “Link Abilities”, which are available after matching two Food Souls together (e.g., Milk and Coffee). These abilities can be passive or active, meaning that they could either boost your health/defenses or launch powerful attacks. As you defeat more Fallen Angels, you collect ingredients and supplies for your restaurant, allowing you to cook new recipes.

There is one particular Food Soul that won’t do any battling and that is Rice. Rice is introduced at the beginning as an “empty shell” and she won’t even help you set up tables. Notwithstanding, she will act as a companion who would play a major role in the main story. 

This main story is still developed over time, with new content being released progressively. Elex (the developers) went out of their way to focus on world-building more than anything else, but there are a lot of localization issues that I think hinder the storytelling significantly. One thing’s for sure, though: The lore is incredibly detailed and complex enough to put any other anime out there to shame.

Verdict

Food Fantasy is a nice concoction of various mechanics - wrapped in fantasy lore - that sometimes works, but sometimes doesn’t. If they only removed the deplorable gacha I would enjoy this title a lot more. Nevertheless, I find the experience, as a whole, to be a net positive and definitely palatable. Don’t trust me though. You can judge for yourself. The proof is in the pudding!

Oh, and don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments section!