There's an Addictive New Role-Playing Game for Travel and Food Enthusiasts (Like Me!)
Move over, Pokemon Go!
I came across Chef Wars when I opened my App Store and saw it as the Featured Game of the Day. With the promise of being "a food and cooking RPG (role-playing game)" with "over 900 recipes to discover" and "over 500 different towns to explore", I could not resist sacrificing my three-year old niece's Playfirst app (much to her chagrin) just to make more room in my phone for a 116.9 mB app.
THE STORY
The game automatically starts with the playable character Sylvie, an aspiring chef who alleges that her father's death was brought upon by the comically-named, comically-illustrated Baron von Pork. Not much is known about Sylvie's father except that he was once the Baron's closest confidante until one or the other decided to walk off with the world's most perfect recipe-- believed to be so powerful it could change the world as we know it. Sylvie then proposes that she could put a stop to the dastardly Baron's plans by undermining his minions and winning the Cheffy Awards-- but in order to do so, she has to climb the chef rankings, compete in lots of cook-offs, gain lots of fame, and be the best chef in the world!
The game's plot progresses as Michel St. Michel, Sylvie's former family friend who is a renowned chef, reveals facts about Sylvie's father's mysterious death little by little as Sylvie races throughout Europe to beat him in cooking competitions.
TRAVEL
I was born ready!
One of the features about the game that brought me real pleasure is that Chef Wars could pass as an interactive food and travel guide!
Sylvie has the freedom to travel around the world as she pleases (when she's not busy trying to keep the Baron and his minions in check) in her cute orange van which automatically turns into a white steamboat as it hits water (players can also reach certain destinations with the "Fast Travel" option, where Sylvie can hop on a plane for a price). In each small town/ town/ city that she visits, there is an option to visit the local taverns where locals dish information that are useful both in-game and in real life!
A local from Greece shares useful information about the local cuisine!
A local from a small town in Sweden shares wonderful travel advice!
Oh, wow! Gamla Stan really does look like something out of a storybook!
Image from this link.
A brief insight about life in Germany's big cities.
A baker in Germany reveals bread culture in her country.
A convenience store attendant shares her love for Schlossplatz in Stuttgart.
No visa restrictions nor territorial laws govern this girl and her crew! And the laws of mechanical engineering don't apply to her car/steamboat either, 'cause they never seem to run out of fuel. (I'm really jealous!)
If only fares in real life were as drop-down low as these!
Show me the road to Tokyo!
Scroll mode.
Shanghai, China.
While most of the juicy travel and food advice are from the local taverns, there are also hints about the must-go places/must-visit attractions featured in the town or city you're visiting written in the Quest, Missions, and Boss Fight Descriptions.
A list of available quests and boss showdowns in Stuttgart, Germany.
Sylvie chases Michel to Wilhelma in Stuttgart, where he's in for a garden-themed cook-off!
The real-life Wilhelma Zoo.
Image from Zur Weinsteige website.
A pig museum! *squeals in delight*
Oh, well, whaddayaknow? It does stand in real life.
Image from Time Travel Turtle.
Museums don't usually host cook-offs but...oh, well.
FOOD AND DRINK
A bit of advice to try-- both in-game and for real, perfect for the upcoming holidays.
Chef Wars' huge draw is about the way your characters emerge from being novice cooks to the top by honing their skills and gathering recipes from the locals' word of mouth. So in a way, Chef Wars is not just a game and a travel guide but also a big, fun cookbook! The in-game food will probably make your mouth water, as it always does with me.
An advice worthy of an entire column in Reader's Digest.
Lastly, snippets of insight about food and their recipes may also be found during the actual competition itself when the announcer describes the competing fare.
My Sachertorte actually lost this round.
COOKING
Nobody can beat Astrid's Caldereta Asturiana.
Most of the game revolves around cooking competitions especially the Boss Battles between Sylvie's team and Michel St. Michel. To participate, chefs need to have previously "memorized" dishes that they can present in the cook-off. To "memorize" a dish, a chef needs to go back to his/her base and invent a dish from ingredients that your team possesses. To win a cook-off, the dish you present needs to hit any one, two, or all three tags required by the set of judges and should be high in value from upgrading the dishes' ingredients.
Although sometimes, failing is part of the game.
This judge's name is Gorda Ramse. I wonder who she was named after?
Astrid's Cocido Madrilleno, a meat dish of Spanish origin, puts Evil Eve in her place and reduces the Baronemeter by a bar.
This is what happens when the dish you presented did not hit any of the three tags given by the judges-- even if it has a high level.
Hit all three tags with a high-level dish and you'll make them all cry!
If you keep on using and upgrading a single, high-level dish in most fights, you might just win the Cheffy Award for "Dish of the Year" and earn hundreds of fame and thousands of gold! Fame is what you need to climb up the ranks, win the "Chef of the Year" award, and catch Baron von Pork's attention to engage him in battle.
INGREDIENTS
I seem to have shrimp paste and oxtail. Now all I need are peanuts and string beans and I can finally invent Kare-kare.
Gathering ingredients to upgrade your prized dishes or invent new ones is one of the most interactive parts of the game. I love how the game features lots of different ingredients!
The most common way to score free ingredients is by winning quests and cook-offs.
That's exactly what I needed!
Sometimes, while you're driving down the road or navigating in the seas, you might come across peddlers on-the-go who will sell you stuff that range from common (like eggs, bread crumbs, and flour) to rare (like basil leaves and ham). Heed my advice and take advantage of these budget-friendly options.
Highway robbery!
One thrilling way to obtain ingredients is to visit towns. Especially if you're visiting a town/city for the first time, the townsfolk will give you free samples of their best product.
"Oma Maguro", a kind of tuna, is what Aomori, Japan is famous for.
A less common way of obtaining extra ingredients for free is when you give the correct answer when townsfolks ask for your opinion as a master chef regarding what to do with extra food.
The right answer is "Salad Dressing", as the cafe owners wanted something more ubiquitous than miso soup.
For ingredients that are so hard to acquire that you're willing to bust your budget, the Black Market is the answer. Every day, the Black Markets change the theme of the items that they sell so it's worth it to save some cash for a time of need.
Surprise! I finally found where I could buy myself that pesky ginseng root!
Chef Wars "Black Market" schedule:
*Meaty Mondays: Some markets sell Foie Gras for only 1,500 and Turkey for 750!
*Veggie Tuesdays: Bell Peppers and Cucumbers!
*Wet Wednesdays: Spirits, beer, and some condiments like ketchup and dashi!
*
*Fruity Fridays: Now you can buy that Lemon you were looking for for only 300!
*Spicy Saturdays: Something for your desserts?
*Surprise Sundays: Gravy for only 1,200? I'll take three!
HOW WAS THE PHILIPPINES DEPICTED IN THE GAME?
Welcome to the Philippines!
When Asia first became available to me in-game, the first country that I searched for was my very own. After spending fifteen minutes on Sylvie's miraculous steamboat, getting lost in the towns and cities of Malaysia and Indonesia, I landed in Mindanao from the default Tokyo.
Random journalist near a mountainous area in Mindanao giving REALLY USEFUL true-to-life advice.
Major Filipino cities and a few provinces were included in the game, such as capital city Manila and the iconic Davao and Zamboanga. One of the small towns in my province, Calasiao, was also featured for their world-famous puto and bangus.
Locals from Davao mostly dish about fan-favorite President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
The Philippine Eagle.
Image from Davao City's website.
(Related post: Davao City travel guide: 15 Thing to do in Davao City for First-time Tourists (Like Me!))
What makes the locals from the City of Golden Friendship, Cagayan de Oro, proud?
Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral in CDO.
Image from this link.
Super-typhoon Yolanda left a permanent scar in the hearts of the residents of Tacloban where it made the city its center, killing more than 6,000 people.
Leyte's Subiran Regatta, an exciting race of one-man native sailboats with outriggers locally called "subiran" along scenic historic Leyte Gulf. Image from this link.
Never leave the Philippines without ever setting foot in the Last Frontier of the World, Palawan! 'Nuff said.
El Nido, Palawan. Photo from The Lonely Planet.
Visitors to Batangas should also try their lomi aside from the very hearty bulalong baka.
Taal Volcano. Image from The Philippine Primer.
Mmmm, I love the Batangueños' beef bulalo!
Hunger-inducing photo from Kusina Master Recipes.
Bella's Pasalubong has the best puto at kutsinta in Calasiao. Plus, my mom loves their peanut brittle, alot!
The puto stores in Calasiao, Pangasinan.
Image from this Mapio page.
Citizens of Naga in the Bicol Region promote their spicy food and diverse terrain.
The San Francisco Church in Naga City, Camarines Sur.
Image from this link.
This is actually very, VERY SOUND advice! Calle Crisologo is perfect during sunrise and while riding a kalesa! And take advantage of their authentic Ilokano food and go on a food trip. Just don't eat in the restaurant in Calle Crisologo named Lampong's Restaurant, where, when we visited in 2015 in a month when tourists were overflowing, a waiter told us in a loud and irritated voice to "Get out of the way! Tsk! There's no space for me to pass. [to his fellow waiter] Tell these people that I can't pass and to get out!" while we were inquiring about a table. Anyway, the place was incredibly cramped (it was probably just as big as our house's bathroom) that it could just fit only five small tables and one long table.
Beware.
Beautiful, enchanting Calle Crisologo in Vigan.
Photo from The Philippine Primer.
I realize that it might not be realistic nor cost-efficient for the game developers over at Mindcake to feature all 7,107 islands and 81 provinces of the Philippines, but I was not disappointed at the country's depiction.
And while cuisines all over the world (except for those from areas within the game that have not yet been developed like the Americas and the Middle East) are represented in the game, I couldn't help but gush about how yummy the most popular dishes from the Philippines have been depicted.
My typical Matutina's fare.
Oh, yum!
Something that can be found in the streets in the Philippines.
Filipino food for whether the day is ordinary or special.
USEFUL LINKS AND REFERENCES
1. Chef Wars Recipe List (Link 1 / Direct Link)
*Compiled by a super-fan named Regy.
*Partially complete, as the game keeps on updating.
2. Chef Wars Judges and Preferences (Link 1 / Direct Link)
*Compiled by a super-fan named Regy.
3. Chef Wars "Black Market" Locations
*X: 79 Y: 98 (Near Great Britain)
*X: 183 Y: 34 (North of Poland)
*X: 230 Y: 113 (Spain)
*X: 227 Y: 115 (East of Poland)
*X: 233 Y: 161 (Greece)
*X: 558 Y: 160 (Asia, in a desert)
*X: 675 Y: 190 (Asia, in a meadow)
4. Official Chef Wars Facebook page (Link)
OVER-ALL THOUGHTS
ARTWORK/VISUALS: 10/10
SOUND: 8/10
STORYLINE: 8/10
GAMEPLAY: 9/10
I'm not ashamed to admit that this game is the reason for most of my sleepless nights for the past two months. As someone who appreciates playing mobile and video games as much as eating and traveling, playing Chef Wars means more than just a delightful way to pass time for me. In-game, I don't just learn about a country's travel trends and pick up lots of travel tips, but I also have the opportunity to learn about the local food along the way, too! Not a lot of games can claim to hit more birds with just one stone.
This game is highly-recommended for avid travelers and food-lovers whose insatiable passions are limitless.
Well done, Mindcake! Since I'm on the boat already, I wish the whole team the best of luck on this game. (And more maps and updates wouldn't hurt, too!)
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