Battle Chef Brigade

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 46
  3. Negative: 5 out of 46

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  1. Kingphazer
    Jan 21, 2018
    6
    I finished playing BCB (Battle Chef Brigade) yesterday and gave myself time to reflect on the game itself. I bought this when the day the game was released, but with finals and adult responsibilities I put off playing the majority of the game until recently. That being said, the game is not long by any means and if you don't completely suck at bejeweled-like puzzles, the game should takeI finished playing BCB (Battle Chef Brigade) yesterday and gave myself time to reflect on the game itself. I bought this when the day the game was released, but with finals and adult responsibilities I put off playing the majority of the game until recently. That being said, the game is not long by any means and if you don't completely suck at bejeweled-like puzzles, the game should take you no longer than 10 hours to finish the story.

    Without spoiling too much of the story, 100 years ago monsters had wiped out most of the animal population which led to a chef and a soldier creating a culinary school designed to train "chef-soldiers," to fight monsters and cook them. You play as Mina Han, a young cook who's dream is to be free from her nest and showcase her cooking, through join the brigade. She makes a few friends on the way while weaving through twists and turns at almost every corner.

    BCB in its basic form is a puzzle game tied together with a side scrolling brawler, with some elements of RPGs included. During hunting portion of the game, players are required to go kill these monsters for monster parts, in which the parts will be made into some delectable creations. Each monster part has a combination of 1-4 orbs ranging from 3 different colours. During the cooking portion of the game, the player "stirs" the dish and combines orbs of the same colour. You are given cooking utensils and accessories to assist you in your conquest to be there best chef at the brigade, as well as items that help you out while hunting.

    BCB does a lot of things right. It's a lighthearted, fun adventure and the art and scenery fit hand in hand with the overall theme of the game. The dishes in which you create look awesome and I found myself trying new ingredients to see just how many dishes I could create. While there's not a lot of actual animation, the game looks tremendous and the attention to detail is incredible. The voice acting was unexpected, but I thought it was well done and add a bit of depth to the characters. Unfortunately, that's everything positive for the game.

    The game is short on actual things to do. Yes the cooking and hunting is fun when combined, but when you're not battling to be the best chef, part time jobs are offered for you to make money, and split the core game into hunting, stirring, and puzzle solving on their own. Without the competitiveness of a timer and trying to score higher than your opponent, these mini versions of the game fall flat.

    The story starts off good, but becomes a tangled mess through the end. I won't spoil anything, but I will say you don't change characters suddenly when you're like 70% through the game already, and then change again. It breaks the flow and narrative already established. And kind of a nitpicky thing for me, there were times when I was playing the game undocked and I couldn't hear the voice acting over the music. I know this is something small and not really game breaking, but if you add voice acting, it's sloppy if you can't actually hear what the actors are saying.

    This is a clear indie game, and I had high hopes coming into this. I love cooking and was hoping this would scratch an itch for me, but I was overall disappointed. If Trinket studios were to revisit the world of Victusia, I think they can do better. Mix the sound better, make a story that flows and if you want to take the game to the next level, let me make my own character. I thought Mina's story was fine, I just wished I got to customize her appearance a bit, you know, give me a little bit more freedom.    … Expand
  2. Grunty
    Sep 1, 2018
    7
    A weird mix of mechanisms (a light platform for collecting, a light match three for cooking, a light rpg for the story) which works together nicely with nice graphics. Not the best game ever, but fairly good enough.
  3. pmasterfunk
    Aug 5, 2020
    6
    I tried really hard to like Battle Chef Brigade. It's by no means bad, but after finishing it, I feel like it has some big issues that will prevent me from going back.

    The cooking part is pretty fun, but I can't say (after finishing the game mind you) that I have any idea what I'm doing. The mechanics are fun, but I find some of the time limits a bit too strict for me to be able to    I tried really hard to like Battle Chef Brigade. It's by no means bad, but after finishing it, I feel like it has some big issues that will prevent me from going back.

    The cooking part is pretty fun, but I can't say (after finishing the game mind you) that I have any idea what I'm doing. The mechanics are fun, but I find some of the time limits a bit too strict for me to be able to actually plan out more than one meal, and instead I just throw stuff in based on color rather than what might actually work out together as a meal.

    The action is pretty weak. Controls are floaty, hit boxes seem kinda wonky, and there is basically 0 difficulty involved in the action sequences. The idea of fighting interesting monsters to cook their innards is cool, but there aren't that many types of enemies, and there are basically only 3 areas with 3-5 different enemies to beat. After a few chapters, you'll basically have seen every ingredient in the game.

    The graphics are nice, but the hand animated anime-styled sprites are probably animated 'on twos' for a lot of actions, which looks pretty jarring with the game running at 60 fps. Some battle animations look really good, Mina's dash/parry looks great, and her somersault kick attack also looks good. But the walking animations all look kinda floaty, some attacks seem/feel really slow, and it annoyed me.

    The story is pretty bland, and the first 3 (of 6) chapters have nothing going on, then there's a bit of plot in chapter 4. Finally, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next... then chapter 5 is filler.

    The big bad is unremarkable, we only see him for the first time in the game in the second to last scene in the game. The good guys are also unremarkable, although nice and pleasant, their personalities are so weak and interchangeable that I wouldn't be able to tell who is talking without looking at the names on top of the text bubbles. There's basically no personal growth going on for anyone, good or bad. The voice acting is pretty good at least. The fake accents may annoy some.

    All said and done, I'd like to see a vastly improved sequel. With good action, a solid story, and interesting characters, it would be right up my alley. I suppose you could say that about any average game, but I do like the concept. I'm just disappointed with the execution.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best Switch Game of 2017
86
#86 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
70
#70 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Edge Magazine
    Jan 9, 2018
    70
    It's insubstantial but sweet, then: Trinket Studio's game may not linger long on the palate, but while it lasts, this delicate confection leaves a pleasant taste indeed. [Issue#315, p.118]
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jan 7, 2018
    90
    What they've served up here is filling, delicious and sure to please every gaming gourmand. [Issue #31 – January/February 2018, p. 26M]
  3. Cubed3
    Jan 2, 2018
    80
    Battle Chef Brigade is very entertaining and no Nintendo Switch owner should be without. The production quality is a bit on the cheap side when the story is being presented, and some of the background art can be a bit on the amateurish side, but there really is nothing else like this. Mina is a very likeable character and proves to not only be an awesome cook, but a decent fighter, too. This is an unlikely recipe that turned out to be a real hit. Whether it is in the kitchen or the battlefield, nobody can beat Mina.
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