**January 17th, 2025, new gameplay review**

I'm a long time fan of the CSD series and originally skipped this one because the gameplay looked bland. Chubigans (Cook Serve dev) has completely revamped the gameplay. I decided to pick it up with the newest update and I LOVE IT!

I usually play games in this series on keyboard, but opted for a controller this time around. The gameplay on a controller is challenging, but smooth. Strikes a great balance between repetition of actions and having to think about what you're doing. Older entries in the series required quick typing and responding to slight variations of similar inputs for a single recipe, requiring you to learn each recipe type individually. This time around, you get into patterns of cooking techniques that apply to multiple recipes. For example, the action for chopping is the same for all recipes, but when you need to chop and how many times chopping is required differs between recipes. The focus is on the depth of preparation of a single dish rather than slamming out multiple dishes all at once. It's a novel and enjoyable change up of the mechanics of the CSD series and feels like a breath of fresh air.

The art, animations, storyline, and dialogue are wonderful. I love the dynamic between Nori and Brie, as well as their interactions with other characters in the game world. The music isn't my cup of tea, but it does fit the vibe of the game overall.

TL/Dr: Have an open mind and give this revamp of CSF a shot! It's well worth it.

**January 17th, 2025, new gameplay review** I'm a long time fan of the CSD series and originally skipped this one because the gameplay looked bland. Chubigans (Cook Serve dev) has completely revamped the gameplay. I decided to pick it up with the newest update and I LOVE IT! I usually play games in this series on keyboard, but opted for a controller this time around. The gameplay on a controller is challenging, but smooth. Strikes a great balance between repetition of actions and having to think about what you're doing. Older entries in the series required quick typing and responding to slight variations of similar inputs for a single recipe, requiring you to learn each recipe type individually. This time around, you get into patterns of cooking techniques that apply to multiple recipes. For example, the action for chopping is the same for all recipes, but when you need to chop and how many times chopping is required differs between recipes. The focus is on the depth of preparation of a single dish rather than slamming out multiple dishes all at once. It's a novel and enjoyable change up of the mechanics of the CSD series and feels like a breath of fresh air. The art, animations, storyline, and dialogue are wonderful. I love the dynamic between Nori and Brie, as well as their interactions with other characters in the game world. The music isn't my cup of tea, but it does fit the vibe of the game overall. TL/Dr: Have an open mind and give this revamp of CSF a shot! It's well worth it.