Gameplay:
I know exactly what you're thinking . . . I mean, come on, a freaking game about a cooking show? Yea, this will go straight to the trash, right? To my surprise after playing it I thought, “Hmmm, maybe this one can stay in the collection.”
Basically you are a new chef trying to impress Chef Ramsey, just like in his TV show, 'Hell's Kitchen'. Starting out in career mode you are in charge of the dining room and the kitchen. People come in to eat at your zero star restaurant (so yea, this means only one table is filled because you suck) and you're in charge of making them happy and giving them hopefully a five star meal served on time. Meal preparations are simple so that you can get the hang of it and hopefully you don't screw up. Chef Ramsey is watching you the whole time. At first you start out with him being pissed off at you. You can tell this because the devils fork next to him is blazing with fire. I'm surprised they didn't make his eyes glow more and more red as he gets more pissed off. Chef Ramsey will either yell and swear at your sorry ass or if you can manage to make him happy, he'll offer some encouraging words. Just try to do your best or he'll shut down the kitchen and send you packing.
There are four different options on how to play the game. In career mode you are in charge of a dining room and kitchen. You progress from a dish washer all the way to an executive chef. Chef Ramsey rates your performance and grades you on a scale of zero to 5 stars. You get a whole week (seven days) in each position. Each day you are graded and accumulate points. To advance to the next position (there are five weeks and five different positions) you need earn a certain number of points. You can always replay days to get a better score.
In arcade mode you are basically trying to earn the highest score. You're only in the kitchen cooking and gaining points according to what Chef Ramsey has to say about how you're doing.
In multiplayer mode you can either have a coop or compete with another player. In coop mode you and a friend are trying to advance your restaurant. Just like in career mode you have to earn points based on how well Chef Ramsey thinks you're doing. If you suck then he'll shut down the kitchen, if you are awesome then he'll give you points and even advance your restaurant from say a luncheonette to an eatery.
If you're competing against another player its basically your kitchen against the other players. At the end who ever has the most points wins.
Controls:
To play the game you use the Wii remote and move the cursor around on the screen to cook food or take customer orders. I'm fine using the Wii remote, although with Chef Ramsey screaming at me for most of the time I usually get kind of tense and find my wrist hurting from trying to direct things just so in the game to be successful. My only complaint really, is that sometimes the freaking 'A' button doesn't mix the food when I need it to so then I get backed up in the kitchen. But, I'm sure that's just my mistake with the Wii remote.
Graphics:
I thought that Ubisoft did an excellent job at designing the Chef Ramsey avatar! The game is smooth looking and the design of it is fitting for the show 'Hell's Kitchen'. The graphics don't look like they were made in a hurry at all and so far I've seen no glitches.
Sound:
I'm pretty damn sure that Ubisoft got Gordon Ramsey to play the voice of Chef Ramsey in the game. There are proper kitchen and dining room sounds. The only thing that irritates me after a while is Chef Ramsey yelling the same thing over and over. I wish as I advanced in chef positions Ubisoft would have had him yell different things. Because of the yelling I don't recommend playing this game if you had a bad day or are just in a foul mood to begin with. You may find the Wii remote being thrown across the room or maybe breaking the Wii, either way, this game is intense and demands perfection from you.
Replay Value:
There isn't a whole lot of replay value with this game. In career mode once you have achieved executive chef there really isn't much after that. Though because there is arcade and multiplayer modes this game can still be enjoyable at a BBQ or some such social gathering.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
|
|
 |
| |
Rating:
Story: 4
Gameplay: 7
Controls: 7
Graphics: 8.0
Sound: 7
Replay value: 4
Overall: 6.0
Own, Rent, Avoid:
Rent: If you are a fan of Gordon Ramsey and enjoy being put to your limits I'd say definitely get this game. But, if you aren't a fan of Gordon Ramsey then you might want to pass on it.
Last Thoughts:
This game is cool to own especially if you are a fan of Gordon Ramsey. Outside of that I'd say if you don't like the guy or don't watch his shows, don't buy the game.
|
|
 |
|
 |
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
Written By
Deborah Jones
1/15/2009
