Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!
- April 10, 2019
- chubigans
- 11h median play time
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! offers up a wok full of cooking fun. Once you get the controls down you'll be remembering lamb sauce with the best of them.
In Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!, players run their own restaurant, cooking and serving a variety of dishes to customers with diverse tastes. With over 180 foods to prepare, different challenges and gameplay modes, including a story-driven campaign, the game offers a challenging and engaging culinary experience. Upgrade your restaurant and equipment, and manage staff to create the ultimate dining experience and rise to the top of the culinary world.
Reviews
- CSD2 offers a vast array of food options and themed restaurants, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- The addition of holding stations and side dishes adds depth and strategy to the cooking mechanics.
- The game features beautiful graphics and a catchy soundtrack, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
- The sense of progression is lacking compared to the first game, with less emphasis on upgrading food and equipment.
- The user interface can be cumbersome and unintuitive, making it frustrating to navigate menus and customize the restaurant.
- Many recipes feel similar in preparation, leading to a sense of repetition and diminishing excitement over time.
- gameplay390 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2" retains the fast-paced, chaotic essence of its predecessor while introducing new mechanics like holding stations and side dishes, which add depth and strategy to the cooking experience. While some players appreciate the increased complexity and variety of food options, others feel that the changes disrupt the flow and charm of the original game. Overall, the gameplay is described as addictive and challenging, with a steep learning curve that rewards mastery and quick thinking.
“The gameplay is fast-paced and pretty fun, and the holding station mechanic adds a nice new layer to the game.”
“The new gameplay mechanics make the game much faster, and new customization options enable you to add your personal touch to your place.”
“Csd 2 builds upon its successor’s successes and with improved graphics, UI, and gameplay, it is sure to beat you into submission the moment you try and expand upon your culinary skills.”
“To be honest, in terms of gameplay, I would say this one was a little bit lacking compared to the first one for some reason, even though the mechanics behind the games were pretty much the same.”
“Putting keys right next to the Windows button is actually brain-dead in such gameplay.”
“However, certain features feel like too much of a drag on gameplay and add a level of unneeded annoyances or difficulty.”
- graphics167 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their significant improvement over the previous installment, with many users highlighting the vibrant and detailed artwork, particularly of the food, which is described as mouth-watering and visually appealing. While some players noted minor issues with character design and occasional graphical glitches, the overall aesthetic and immersive quality of the visuals contribute positively to the gameplay experience. The combination of beautiful graphics, smooth animations, and a charming art style enhances the game's appeal, making it a standout in the cooking simulation genre.
“Wonderful graphics and sounds that leave you fully immersed; I truly recommend this game.”
“The graphics are so much nicer than the first game, and the food actually looks drool-inducing.”
“The artwork for the food is amazing, and with so much more to choose from.”
“Graphics are pretty basic overall with most of it being 2D drawings just sliding around.”
“The game itself doesn't look good - the text is super grainy and no matter how much I play with graphics settings, I can't seem to fix it.”
“This game just upgraded graphics and quantity but downgraded the gameplay.”
- music142 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its creativity and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, seamlessly transitioning from calm melodies during quieter moments to frantic tunes during rush hours. Many players appreciate the catchy and engaging soundtrack, which complements the game's vibrant art style and dynamic gameplay, making it a standout feature. Overall, the music is described as fun, immersive, and a significant improvement over previous installments, contributing to the game's enjoyable atmosphere.
“The music in particular pairs spectacularly well with every situation in the game; rush hour has its tracks to pump you up, while late evening music will wind you down before closing.”
“The art is amazing and the music is phenomenal and really adds to the experience.”
“The soundtrack is great and fits both the more frantic and chill levels, the variety of foods from all around the world is astounding, and the game is just... a whole lotta fun.”
“The songs are decent but pretty limited with one for each part of the day (morning, lunch, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening, night) and rush hours.”
“However, I quickly got tired of the menu song, but thankfully you can turn that off.”
“I'm running out of music during the rush hour for some reason, so it just becomes completely quiet except for food noises.”
- story101 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant reduction in narrative depth compared to its predecessor. While some appreciate the humorous in-game emails and the quirky backstories of various restaurants, others feel that the lack of a structured campaign and meaningful progression detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling, leading to a less engaging narrative experience for those who enjoyed the story-driven elements of the first game.
“The heart and soul of CSD is still very much here in Teragon Tower, and I truly appreciate the plot continuity.”
“Every restaurant has a hilarious backstory.”
“There are fun emails with great flavor text, and every recipe that you buy has its own fictional backstory that never fails to amuse.”
“Unfortunately, I played this game for the story.”
“I loved CSD and was hesitant about 2 because of the negative reviews I was reading, saying that there was much less of a 'story,' with little progression for your own restaurant, no upgrades to foods, no catering events, and little reason to get interested in all those new meals.”
“There is basically no campaign to speak of, in the sense that there's no story or purpose to any of it whatsoever.”
- humor50 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and wit, particularly through the hilarious food descriptions and entertaining emails that provide amusing world-building. Players enjoy the light-hearted tone, with many finding themselves laughing at both gameplay mishaps and the quirky narratives behind the restaurants. While some feel the humor may not be as strong as in previous installments, the overall comedic elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a fun and engaging experience.
“CSD2 is a very fun, very funny game.”
“The emails you receive in-game after finishing levels vary from downright hilarious to fairly thought-provoking, and the restaurant descriptions as well as the information about the different dishes can be hysterically funny.”
“The food looks amazing, and there is still humor - the descriptions of the restaurants' histories are hilarious.”
- grinding23 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be both tedious and demanding, with players often needing to repeat levels and orders extensively to achieve proficiency and unlock content. While some players appreciate the increased complexity and variety in food preparation compared to previous installments, many find the repetitive nature of tasks and the need for extensive grinding to be a significant drawback, leading to a less enjoyable experience, especially during high-pressure moments. Overall, the game is seen as inherently grindy, though some improvements have been made to reduce the tedium compared to earlier versions.
“So, I can only recommend this if you like a high-stress typing game and lots of grinding.”
“Overall it was an enjoyable game but near the end it was more tedious to try and play the same level over and over just to get the last few achievements.”
“It's very demanding at some points; where you only have a few seconds to fill many complex orders and to fill them perfectly; to get to that level of proficiency just requires you to know the menus and sub-menus like the back of your hand; you will only get to that level by grinding out that same order perhaps 100 times.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its vast array of unlockable content, challenging gameplay, and various modes, which encourage players to return for more. While many users find the experience addicting and filled with progression opportunities, some note that it can become repetitive over time, particularly when aiming for gold medals. Despite this, the complexity of orders and the variety of restaurants contribute to a generally positive perception of replay value.
“Hugely addicting with almost infinite replayability just because it's so hard.”
“There's tons of replayability, earning medals, unlocking furniture for your own restaurant, choosing different modes and menus... not to mention unlocking new cuisines and other restaurants to work in feels great!”
“This game has a very high replay value, so you will find yourself returning to its restaurants time and time again, which makes its purchase a terrific value.”
“CSD mode allows you to play infinitely however you want, and there are many different restaurants to cater for, so definitely good length and replayability. However, you may find it repetitive after a point, especially if you're trying to get gold medals on many shifts.”
“Big omissions after the first game cut pretty deeply into replay value, particularly given the nearly nonexistent progression system.”
“I will give it another go if the progression system is altered or a career mode is added, but at the moment this has nowhere near the lasting value or replayability of the first game.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its stellar performance and polished graphics, especially considering it was developed using GameMaker Studio 2. However, some users report issues with controller support, noting that it is poorly optimized for gamepad use, requiring constant trigger engagement. The game successfully balances challenge and accessibility, adapting difficulty based on player performance while offering a variety of engaging gameplay mechanics.
“It's incredible that this was made with GameMaker Studio 2, an engine best optimized for pixel art styles, as the aesthetics and performance of this game on PC are both stellar and push the engine to its limits.”
“CSD2 builds off the remarkable work of the first game to add more food, more customization, more cooking options, optimized controls, detailed graphics, and a cleaner interface to craft a sequel worthy of a '2'.”
“Depending on performance each day, you unlock new items and sometimes even new menu items.”
“Whilst CSD1 was a pleasure on both keyboard and controller, CSD2 is very poorly optimized for controllers, due to requiring the triggers to be held down at all times.”
“And playing with a gamepad and complaining it's unoptimized?”
“If not, you can take on the campaign-style 'chef for hire' levels, earning medals based on your performance while earning peanuts in the form of tips from your stingy customers who clearly don't appreciate the amount of love and lard that goes into their burgers.”
- stability11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marred by various glitches and bugs that significantly impact gameplay, particularly during frantic moments. Users report issues with ingredient registration and menu navigation, leading to frustration, while some minor graphical glitches and lower framerates have also been noted. Despite these problems, a few players have experienced minimal issues, suggesting that stability may vary among users.
“The holding stations feel like an unnecessary extra layer of complexity when the game is really frantic enough without it, and I did have several very weird glitches that made 100%ing basically impossible - most notable being any burrito with fire sauce required me to use the mouse instead of the keyboard or the sauce just didn’t register.”
“The designer is so poorly done and has so many glitches, it detracts from the game.”
“Create your own restaurant is still buggy though.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its palpable ambiance, delicious visuals, and outstanding soundtrack that shifts from soothing to frantic. However, some players feel that frequent interruptions, such as daily robberies, disrupt the otherwise pleasant atmosphere, and a few note a decline in charm compared to its predecessor. Overall, the atmosphere is a significant highlight, contributing to an addictive gameplay experience.
“Its atmosphere is palpable, its food is delicious-looking, and its music is absolutely outstanding.”
“There's a very pleasant atmosphere all around, with an amazing soundtrack that effectively ranges from slow, soothing tones when it's not busy, to fast, frantic music when it gets busy.”
“An excellent typing game with a crazy atmosphere.”
“The game has lost the charm and atmosphere of its predecessor.”
“But he became too frequent; my restaurant is being robbed every day, which doesn't seem believable, but is also annoying and breaks the calm restaurant atmosphere.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game's progression and mechanics. While mastering cooking steps provides a sense of accomplishment, the focus on unlocking new guest restaurants can lead to feelings of sadness and disconnection from their own restaurant. Additionally, repetitive actions, like chopping vegetables, evoke a sense of connection but also highlight a lack of meaningful progress.
“Learning to master the steps in making some of the food in the game made me feel accomplished.”
“Because the main progression (apart from the designer items) is unlocking new guest restaurants, I find myself only playing the new guest restaurants and rarely touching my own restaurant, which makes me sad.”
“Chopping each vegetable in a soup recipe by hitting down three times made me feel connected to the action; same with hitting down to flush the toilet.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the monetization strategy, noting that their in-game inbox is cluttered with irrelevant ads that detract from the experience. They also criticize the misleading presentation of in-game items, which do not match the appealing visuals shown in advertisements.
“Now my inbox feels like my real one, just filled up with useless ads and stuff I just quickly delete.”
“It would be nice if there were more emails that seemed relevant to the game you're playing than just random fake ads.”
“And on the advertising side of the game, where there is a giant beautiful menu, we are not warned 'Hey guys, this tons of food looks beautiful, but in-game it's all the same!'”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development received mixed reviews, with a score of 6/10 for character design, as players found the artwork for characters, chefs, and customers to be rushed and dull. However, this lack of visual appeal did not significantly detract from the overall game experience.
“Character design: 6/10 - I simply don't like the character, chef, or customer artwork. It seems rushed and dull, but it doesn't take away from the game experience.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with them.”
“I was disappointed with how the characters evolve throughout the game; their arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
Critic Reviews
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! Review
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! offers up a wok full of cooking fun. Once you get the controls down you'll be remembering lamb sauce with the best of them.
90%Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! Review
Cook Serve Delicious! 2!! is a bigger and better Cook, Serve, Delicious! but one that is lacking in direction and feels a bit unfinished.
75%