Developer: Lemonpepper Games
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Genre: RPG, Simulation, Strategy
Publisher: Lemonpepper Games
Set against the colourful background of the fictional Hawaiian island of Maikai, Kitchen Sync: Aloha! is a charming story-driven cooking RPG. This independent game was developed and published by Lemonpepper Games. Providing a cosy and exciting experience for players!Â
As you begin the game, you are introduced to the siblings Kai and Kala, who return to Maikai (their Hawaiian island home) to resurrect their family’s beloved restaurant. You can choose between these two players but can customize their pronouns and names to your liking. You work alongside your eccentric uncle, who helps you turn your tiny starter restaurant into a fully fledged top dining experience for islanders. The game consists of players delving into learning about characters’ past, forming relationships, cooking, and managing the restaurant while indulging in the stunning visuals.
The controls for the game are quite handy, and nothing is extremely overcomplicated. The game starts off with an excellent tutorial that guides you step by step on how to carry out various mechanics. I especially like that there are cues that are present on the screen whilst cooking so you can remain calm and organized without having to worry about completing dishes. Nothing in the game is left untold, making sure that players understand everything to the best of their ability.Â
The visuals for Kitchen Sync: Aloha! are stunning and lovely, which embodies Hawaiian culture. You can see the amount of detail added into the foreground and background with palm trees, sand, and the character’s clothing, which embraces the game’s aesthetic. Additionally, I love the blend between the character portraits through the visual-novel style of the game and its DS Pokemon aesthetics that come from the actual cooking simulation. The game itself is bright and colourful, and the scenery for various scenarios is stunning. In regards to the character design portraits, I think they are done so well as they add a better experience to the game when reading through the dialogue between characters. This includes expressive body language, expressions and style. The game has a gorgeous anime style with compliments to pixelated art features that bring the game to life. Besides the character design, my favourite part about the visuals was the detail of how each dish looked. I found that just looking at each dish being cooked and presenting them to the customers made me feel hungry with how realistic and delicious they looked. Each dish you cook up is so beautiful. The ambience of the game is put together to fit a tropical setting where you are surrounded by calming instrumentals that allow for a calming experience. I wish there was a bit more to the soundtrack, as you were mainly listening to the same tune throughout most of the game, as it could liven up certain scenarios even more.Â
The main premise of the game is that you set up pop-up restaurants in various locations whilst getting to meet unique characters and cook delicious Hawaiian cuisine. What is quite nice is that you get to start off each ‘run’ by selecting your menu, chefs and kitchen layout, which can further be upgraded.Â
In terms of the cooking, the game features a ‘sync’ aspect where you need to work ‘in sync’ or effectively with the team of chefs you have chosen to earn a bonus. It is always important not to randomly pick your chefs but to pick those that work in harmony. Additionally, each chef has their own skill set, making it more efficient when running your restaurant. A mechanic I thoroughly enjoyed was that the game will pause the time when making decisions to create a stress-free kitchen management system.Â
It’s best to keep focus on your team so you can perform well in the kitchen, and the game offers several mini-games that can help strengthen the bond between your team. You can play mini-games such as fishing, hunting and other activities that will help you become closer with your team. The narrative and dialogues between the characters are intriguing, which keeps the story interesting. Plus, this leads to a romance option between the characters, which adds a dating sim genre to the game.Â
I felt that the mix of genres and gameplay styles in the game was extremely effective and enjoyable. Nothing in the game felt out of place, and each of the kitchens that you could choose and unlock was so much fun to play. I love how the game also offers three different difficulties so you can put yourself up to a challenge.Â
Kitchen Sync: Aloha! is a compelling and wholesome game that skillfully blends a number of genres. It provides players with a satisfying experience by creating a compelling story through visual novels that give players a resemblance to role-playing games with a fun side of cooking and kitchen management. The game offers stunning anime-styled visuals with a calming soundtrack to give players a cosy, relaxing feel. So, be sure to check out Kitchen Sync: Aloha!
Overall: 8/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
