Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe Review

In the event you haven’t heard of Battle Chef Brigade, let me fill you in. It is a side-scrolling action game mixed with a puzzle game, a dash of story, glazed with of delightful visuals and sprinkled with some entertaining and charming characters. This is the Deluxe version that is being released for the first time on Playstation 4. Surely this is going to be the ultimate dessert and a great opportunity to see how many food references I make before I get so hungry I have to stop writing!

Onto the main course then; you play as Mia in the story mode, an instantly charismatic and winning character who will cleanse your palate of the usual clichéd bland and sometimes gritty suspects. Of course, this game is far from the norm, which is one the reasons it is so damn enjoyable. As Mia you decide to embark on a journey to become a proper Battle Chef, because you dream of more than just helping your family run the restaurant.

This is where you set off on your journey and start the game proper, meeting the colourful cast of characters on your travels who you will either befriend or form rivalries with. You quickly befriend an orc called Thrash who is more than happy to help you practice for the upcoming battles. He is also one of the most supportive characters in recent memory and his friendship with Mia is genuinely refreshing.

This is a game that is stuffed with positivity and good feelings, one which is a wonderful alternative to the meaty and sometimes stodgy games that are commonplace on the farmers markets that are the digital stores. The story is a wonderfully refreshing and uplifting main meal that will satisfy you, but not leave you feeling sluggish and lethargic.

The game play is split into two main phases courses: preparation and cooking. Everyone knows that to cook a good meal you need good ingredients, and in this world those ingredients come from an array different monsters that you have to take down. You battle them using a mix of basic attacks and magic, as well as dodging to make sure you don’t become the meal of the day. This is generally a lot of fun, but don’t expect Devil May Cry Cook levels of complexity.

Of course then you need to actually put your meals together. Here you drop in the various ingredients and match the different elements in order to create a deep and complex flavour that will make the judges happy. The competition involves you and an opposing chef trying to make the best version of whatever is asked for. A little like a cooking show, you will be told which ingredients to use as well as what flavour to make the most prominent. You can pick up your dish from one pan and put it into another if you are trying to be more efficient, then you finish it up by serving up your dish and hopefully getting tipped with a victory as a result.

The deluxe edition comes with a couple of extra side dishes, as well as a new character for the non-story modes. Aa local multiplayer mode where you can have a great battle bake off with your friends. Whether you are eating alone or having a night with friends there is plenty to consume here. Thankfully it is all very healthy, so you don’t have to worry about your figure.

Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe brings this wonderful little dish to a new home and adds a little extra spice to an already brilliant experience. The whole experience looks wonderful, is completely and utterly joyful and is one that is worth the preparation time for a memorable dish you can even share with friends. Bon Appétit.

Score: 9/10

Version tested: PS4 – Also available for Switch & PC