woes of a furball | Go Go Hamster Chef!
2inb4 bad rating because late by 0.00001 second
SOCIALS
_________
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/andynomical
Discord: https://discord.gg/YE6gKSnhZy
REVIEW
___________________________
Ever wondered what Animal Crossing would be like with some horror sprinkled in? Look no further as "Go! Go! Hamster Chef!" presents adorable fuzzy animals, a diverse palette of culinary delights and a sinking feeling that grows as something daunting looms in the distance.
The story follows the titular character as Hamster Chef explores the exploits of cooking and growing entrepreneurial spirit as a chef, preparing meals for his friends throughout the village. Over time, orders become more diverse and the necessary preparation of ingredients and recipes expand. Throughout the pursuit of this business however, things take a dark turn as it becomes known that a malevolent force lurks beyond the village walls, and that not all is as it seems.
Gameplay makes use of basic mechanics that alongside it, upholds a slice-of-life charm similar to other "RPG" titles like Animal Crossing. A top-down perspective where the player cultivates orders in Hamster Chef's home by preparing meals, collecting ingredients throughout the village and beyond, and traversing the village to interact with fellow villagers. Very simple but has laidback vibes that make it enjoyable and certainly not boring. Once the horror kicks in, it's a matter of stealth from the entity that wishes to do Hamster Chef harm. Not overly challenging but creates a fair amount of tension all the same.
Retro aesthetic visuals is always a plus for me as while this game may establish itself on an outdated appearance, that in itself makes for an art style that is pleasant to look at and easy on the eyes.
I don't touch upon this aspect as often but the music does a phenomenal job of setting the mood in this game. "Social simulation" based games get carried greatly by many elements such as appropriate background music and this title, spoof as it may be, fills that category quite well.
As mentioned at the end, it does seem to become incredibly on the nose with creepypasta-inspired logic. Everything immediately goes into disarray, Hamster Chef is forced to abandon the village and we get the usual "up-in-your-face" jumpscare serving as an abrupt ending to an otherwise well paced game, leaving us with a cliffhanger. It's a shame that things existed for the sake of existing and not much was fleshed out beyond face value as there is a fair amount of peculiar lore behind a world of innocence. It does seem to be a big request that much like I hope for, that there is a continuation of sorts with this game moving forward and the developers are aware of this so it's definitely something to look out for.
A sentiment I point out a fair bit is that I'm glad I don't hold myself back sticking to 1 genre or 1 game. My taste for variety allows me to broaden my horizons with the unlimited potential of what lies in wait on the internet for me to dabble with. To come across games like GGHC and other amazing titles moving forward is a rewarding experience that will never get old. It will always be a blessing to me that such content is made free of charge for our entertainment.