THAT’S A TASTY MEAT-A-BALLA!!

I had no idea what to expect from this game when it came in for review. A game based solely on cooking is still a fairly novel idea these days, so I had no idea how to approach Cook Or Be Cooked.  I had hopes for easy motion controls and perhaps some nice recipes to come away from the game with (I do enjoy cooking very much). Seeing how it’s a pretty straightforward premise let’s skip all the usual brikitta-brak that you read leading up to the main course and get right down to the nitty-gritty.

BAM!!!

The best part of COBC’d is the easily approachable control setup. The chopping of vegetables, grating cheese, oiling a pan etc. feels completely natural and helps create the illusion of being in a real kitchen.  It might take five minutes max to get used to – and then it’s all gravy. The true to life system in place makes appropriate timing a critical factor. Start your side dishes too early and they will be cold by the time the main course is done and vice versa. As you make your way through the preparation and cooking of your meal, the Food Network’s own Mory Thomas and Susie Fogelson give you very helpful feedback and tips that can prove to be invaluable. Although the recipes are basic in nature, you will find yourself picking up a few helpful tips to use in your own home. Multiplayer is fun and allows you to either work with up to four friends in ‘Hot Potato’ mode to make a dish while ‘Cook Off’ has you going head to head with a friend to see who can make the best dish in the fastest time.

But it’s not all crepes and steaks unfortunately. The mini-games are lame (thanks, I don’t see how rhythm is needed to put a pan together) and the scoring can be a bit…asinine I think the word is. Did she really just judge me on button presses for a friggin’ microwave?! The one big problem is length. Those 30+ recipes translate into twelve dishes – that’s all. Maybe it’s just me but counting eggs, bacon and hash-browns all as separate recipes is bullshit and should be treated as such.

All said, FN:COBC is an interesting game that will be appreciated by only a select few. Everyone else will find it oddly amusing and put it down forever after the three short hours it takes to complete. But although this game lacks mass appeal, it does what it does admirably. I will say that it’s good to see games like this coming out for those of us who tire of the usual fanfare – even if they’re not the most riveting releases. If you have an extra $30 and a culinary inclination, you might want to consider a purchase. Just don’t expect much replay value.

[A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review purposes]