Growing up playing strictly first-person shooters and the occasional RPG, I never expected to find cooking games so much fun. I remember when everyone in class was hooked on games like Papa’s Pizzeria, and while I enjoyed it, the genre wasn’t ever really something I would seek out. It wasn’t until games like Overcooked and Stardew Valley that I started playing more relaxing games to help unwind from all the stress of life.
When starting my journey with KuloNiku: Bowl Up! I knew that this game would be not only fun but also relaxing, and by the time I rolled credits, I was amazed by how much fun I really had. KuloNiku has a very overt anime-inspired look and feel, something the developers at Gambir Studio have recreated in a unique way as the game blends beautiful 2D artwork alongside some charming 3D visuals, which are a sight to behold.
Ordering Up A Story
The main plot of KuloNiku has the player returning home after inheriting their grandmother’s restaurant and trying their best to make it the number one place in town again. At first, the plot seems simple enough, but when I learned who my character was before all this and why they returned home, it took me for a loop. It was unexpected at first, and I assumed that it wouldn’t mesh well with the story being told, but the game went on, and the plot point wove into the story perfectly. By the end, I was really happy with the direction it went.
The main appeal of the game was the colorful cast of characters I befriended, each with such a fun personality. I had a blast learning more about them and forming closer bonds with each. Every time I hung out with or talked to a friend, our bond would increase. Over time, forming deeper bonds with specific characters unlocks unique perks. For example, befriending the shopkeeper, Ume, gives you a helpful restock option if you don’t like her current inventory. More often, though, maxing out these relationships unlocks new furniture variations or new dishes to craft.
The restaurant itself, Bakuso, also feels like a character in and of itself, as it holds a special place in many residents’ hearts. Some speak about how much their grandmother’s influence shaped them into who they are, and bringing it back, it makes the city feel alive. I really liked hearing these parts of the game, as it made me feel more like serving the people who came in and out every so often, like real characters, rather than simple NPCs. Bakuso is also fully customizable, with each unlock to the store not only giving the place a new feeling of warmth but also minor changes like more patience while waiting for a meal or a slight tip increase. Each unlock can also be changed to make each restaurant fully unique. You could have a regular clock, or it could be a nice wall scroll. A plant could be fully bamboo or a hedge in the shape of a bunny. It’s your choice!
The Main Broth
The main gameplay loop is simple: whenever a customer orders, it’s up to the player to serve them to the best of their abilities. Unlike other games, I wasn’t inundated with multiple orders at once, with the game taking them one at a time, which I found refreshing. At first, it’s easy with just a few ingredients and one or two dishes, but as the game goes on, you earn a few new stations to work with, from a grilling station and serving drinks, to name a few. By the endgame, I found myself struggling due to how complex some orders could be. There are four different types of flavor combinations, with each customer wanting something new. Maybe they’ll want a super-salty, not-spicy bowl, or something slightly sour and medium sweet. With each bowl holding a limited space, it becomes a balancing act of adding the right ingredients and keeping the flavor profile at the correct levels.
The other main gameplay section of KuloNiku is the meatball brawls, where restaurants all over the city fight to claim the rank of number one. When the game began, I started at the bottom of the rankings, but each time I served my customers a dish they enjoyed, my reputation went up, and when fully maxed out, I was able to start a rank-up brawl. Each brawl consists of three turns, where I faced a rival restaurant to see which one made a better dish. With up to three judges, it can be hard to decide which ingredients to add, as some can be liked by one but disliked by another. Balance it with a limited number of actions taken each round, and it becomes a true test of your skills. Later on, the ability to bring a partner unlocks, each one has a unique power to enhance the competition, with some giving you an extra action point on the first round or the last. The opposing side can also have abilities to hinder, as I encountered one that locked one ingredient from each table every turn, causing me to pivot from what I wanted to add to something hopefully similar.
Slightly Mild Difficulty
The main issue I have with KuloNiku is the lack of difficulty. While the main game does increase in difficulty as you unlock more ingredients and new stations, the same can’t be said for the meatball brawls; only once or twice did I find myself neck to neck with the opponent. I would have chalked it up to me getting better at the game, but there are points where the opponent would either add an ingredient that the host would dislike, lowering their score, or even add nothing at all. It made for a confusing experience as the story made it seem like I was going up against some truly difficult opponents, but it didn’t feel like that was the case.
Another part of the game that felt lacking in difficulty was unlocking new dishes. After obtaining the necessary ingredients and developing a strong enough bond with certain friends, more complex dishes can be made. The issue is that it was once again not difficult whatsoever. When crafting the dish, right-clicks need to be done, and when I accidentally mess up and have to restart, there is no penalty. Even when making food for customers, the timer was very forgiving. That also goes when unlocking more time; the only sense of urgency I felt was making sure I did the order correctly. I would have appreciated a little more high stakes here, as I feel it could have brought some fun challenge to each cooking segment.
A Near Perfect Bowl
I had so much fun with KuloNiku. The story throws you straight into a world filled with a colorful cast of characters, the gameplay is fun, and I really did love serving up the different dishes. My main disappointment lies in the lack of difficulty while serving customers, which did get a bit harder due to the number of new stations, but not enough to really challenge me. The meatball brawls especially felt lacking, as the opponents would be pushovers to the point that only the final one gave me a challenge. However, looking past the difficulty, KuloNiku offers fantastic gameplay worth checking out. At the end of the day, the dish served up was absolutely great.
Disclaimer: Raw Fury provided a PC (Steam) copy of KuloNiku: Bowl Up! for review purposes.
