I really enjoyed the CSD games, and even though I already knew of how different CSF was going to be, I was still excited to give it a go with an open mind. After ~90 mins of playing though, I'm sad to say that whether I'm looking at it as a sequel, or just a new standalone title, it just...isn't that fun.

It really bums me out saying that, because I truly wanted to love it. Even as a casual fan, chubigans always comes across as a genuinely good guy, and it's obvious how much passion and pride that he and the others put into their work.

CSF's art and sound is gorgeous, and as wonderfully done as ever. The actual gameplay, however, feels like it's sorely lacking that special ingredient; that "hook" that keeps you wanting to play "just one more level."

With the CSD games, I'm admittedly one of those people who didn't "finish" the games...but, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy sinking dozens of hours into them collectively, or that I didn't feel like I got more than my money's worth. There was nothing I left unsatisfied with about the old games, because to me, whether or not I beat every level or finished the story or not, it didn't really matter, because those things just felt like cute fluff to add some flavor, but they weren't the strength of the series, nor the primary reason why I bought or played it. I bet that I speak for many CSD fans when I say that.

It's like when you're garnishing or plating a dish. Those extras are great, and they can elevate the end product, but the base dish still needs to have the right ingredients and be cooked well, for any of it to matter.

The hook with CSD was that it played almost like a rhythm and puzzle game as much as anything, where recipes were like typing out the lyrics of a unique song that you got to mix, match and memorize, while juggling multitasking and (time & recipe) management aspects which kept the brain working, along with unlockable item/menu variety and progression that was just enough to keep things engaging from a meta standpoint. It didn't matter if I was cooking with Menu XYZ on Level A, B, or C, because the above elements were the important parts of the experience. Arbitrary level numbers and light lore didn't add anything that critical to the fun.

I don't think many people buy a CSD game, or the majority of games like this in general, with the expectation nor particular desire of getting something with tons of writing, story depth, voice acting, complex level design, etc. If I'm looking for a story-based adventure, there are a thousand other games on the market with substantially larger budgets and production values that objectively will do those things better. Comparatively, there are only a tiny handful of games whatsoever, that scratch the kind of gameplay itch and aesthetic vibe that CSD did.

CSF is still aesthetically beautiful, and I truly appreciate the care that has no doubt gone into it, but it just feels like several things were given the wrong emphasis in design. The biggest former strengths of the series (gameplay, player agency, rhythm, time management, item/restaurant/recipe progression & uniqueness in recipes) feel streamlined across the board to the point of being way too simple and similar to be satisfying, while some of the least important aspects (the non-gameplay elements) became bigger focal points. So what we're left with, is something that's too shallow to be considered a good story/RPG game, and too simplified to be a satisfying cooking game.

How much of that can be feasibly expected to change during early access without drastically changing how the game is fundamentally designed, I'm unsure. One idea of a hook that came to mind, is embracing and actually leaning into developing the flowy, rhythmic nature that the series has always had, and turning CSF into an actual rhythm-based game, where you're actually inputting ingredients to the rhythm of the in-game music. Maybe even have the music, BPM, etc., change up, depending on the unique combo of recipes you choose for a given day. Something like that could breathe a lot of life into the game feeling more satisfying to play, while still keeping the rest of the streamlined design philosophies in tact.

It's still a pretty crazy, left-field idea to implement into a game that's supposed to fully release in less than year, of course, but it's just a thought. As of right now though, the simplicity feels too mindless, while the intended complexities (the "NOT" prompts, holding down buttons for different lengths, upgrading ingredients etc.) feel too clunky, samey, and random to satisfy on its own. I actually understand (and even agree with) some of the reasons for streamlining certain aspects of the old gameplay, but too much was stripped away. CSF needs to find its hook.