There is no shortage of people who truly believe in the current capabilities and future possibilities of virtual reality as a platform. However, you can consider me to have been in the camp that, though intrigued by its potential, believes that VR just isn’t ready for action yet, and still has a considerable way to go. While I enjoyed the PlayStation VR setup that I received as a gift, the novelty quickly wore off, as it was just too buggy and motion sickness-inducing. I figured that experience on the PSVR was just where the platform was in general, having never tried an Oculus or other brand of VR headset.
However, after receiving an offer to demo Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale on the Oculus Quest from Resolution Games - a studio that develops virtual reality and augmented reality immersive experiences almost exclusively - I jumped at the chance to give the platform of VR another chance. And, boy, am I glad I did. Playing online with Resolution Games’ CEO, Tommy Palm, Resolution Games producer, Gustav Stenmark, and another member of the press, Cook-Out blew me away both as a VR title and co-op party game. With a cup of charm, a dash of whimsy, and best served when in the company of others, Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale offers up everything that I could ask for in an immersive VR experience.
Order Up!
In Cook-Out, you take on the role of a sandwich chef in a fairytale type of setting, serving up sandwiches to the local residents which include mice, rabbits, and even werewolves. As you progress through the story, the humble sandwich shop will catch the eye of the kingdom’s royal occupants, which will require you to prepare only the finest sandwiches for those customers.
Your workstation features everything you need to be a sandwich chef, including ingredients, a knife, a chopping board, a grill, a water basin for washing dishes, and plates on a spinning conveyor belt on which you’ll be building each sandwich. There are five plates available at a time, meaning that five customers could potentially arrive and place orders at the same time. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Cook-Out does a fantastic job of easing players into the sandwich-making process, introducing new mechanics over time that elevate the difficulty of the game, along with special bonus items to help out in times of need. At first, you just need to get sandwiches made. Then, you’ll be required to make perfect sandwiches (with all of the ingredients centered). Eventually, you’ll have to do all of the above, be quick to get orders out while cleaning the dishes, grilling ingredients, and serving what seems to be a near-endless line of customers. Chaos definitely becomes the major element in the later levels, but the game does well to at least prepare you to take on everything at once.
Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen (Is A Good Thing)
Although Cook-Out allows for single-player gameplay, multiplayer mode is where the game truly shines. Cook-Out does an incredible job of replicating the chaotic nature of working on a line (which I am overly familiar with having had countless food industry and line cook experiences).
Not every ingredient is available at your station, meaning you’ll need to rely on your teammates to fulfill orders. That said, working in tandem with so much going on at once isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do.
Sheer and utter chaos will likely ensue during your gameplay, just as it did during the press demonstration. On multiple occasions, I found myself burning ingredients (which creates a lingering cloud of smoke that temporarily makes it difficult to see the order boards), building sandwiches in the wrong order, dropping my knife, and generally freaking out in the more overwhelming moments.
Thankfully, Gustav was there to help guide the team as the “lead chef,” keeping a watchful eye on everything going on and directing us what to do.
“I need cheese on plate number one.”
“Toasted Bagel on three.”
“Dirty dishes coming in.”
I fully admit to saying, “Yes, chef,” more than once during those moments. I appreciated the direction, since it allowed me to keep my head down and maintain my focus on making quality sandwiches, rather than managing all of the moving pieces at once. Gustav mentioned that this sort of strategy is pretty common with players in Cook-Out, with a lot of groups switching up the “head chef” position to help keep games fresh and fun.
Virtually Delicious
Although the world of Cook-Out is that of an animated kingdom that looks like something straight out of the pages of a children’s book, that didn’t make the experience any less immersive and realistic. Pretty much everything in the kitchen can be interacted with. Throwing a baguette at a customer will catch them off guard and knock them back a bit. Spraying ketchup all over the place will make your workspace incredibly red and messy. There’s even a little beet-like creature that appears in the kitchen that you can throw things at.
Another admission - at one point during the gameplay session, I was tossing my cleaver to make it stick in the wall. I attempted to throw it up at the ceiling, and accidentally punched my actual ceiling in real life! Don’t tell me you can’t be fully immersed and lose yourself within an animated world of make believe.
Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale brings the stress and chaos of being a cook into the comfort of your own home, and that is absolutely a wonderful thing. Playing online with friends is the best way to experience the game, which offers plenty of fun mechanics and challenging levels to play over and over again (including an endless mode). In fact, at only $20, Cook-Out provides a surprisingly large amount of content. Resolution Games’ has cooked up something special with its latest immersive VR title, which is fun and inviting for any wannabe chef.
An Oculus Quest copy of Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale was provided to TheGamer for this review. Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale is available now for Oculus Quest and Rift.
Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale