Yum Yum Cookstar Preview

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Fast Facts

New Chef on the Block

Yum Yum Cookstar is the newest game from the developers of Cooking Mama: Cookstar, a game with a huge following. This game boasts over 70 recipes and hopes to bring a modernized chef to your screen, Is this a five-star meal, or does it leave a bad taste? Find out in this rapid preview. 

To begin my culinary journey in Yum Yum Cookstar, I was thrown straight into a tutorial recipe and introduction of the judges. There is a surprising amount of dishes to prepare, ranging from unicorn pancakes to eggplant pasta. Each recipe brings its own set of challenges and gameplay mechanics to ensure there is often something new to tackle. This variety is one of the game’s biggest strengths, as each dish not only requires different techniques but also comes with its own unique flair. 

This extends to the competition as well, where a quirky panel of judges adds charm with their amusing reactions to your creations. These humorous interactions may be light on narrative depth, but they bring personality into scoring each recipe. While I enjoyed the judges, It was unsatisfying to compete in a game show environment without other players. However, while these elements provide some fun, they don’t quite add up to a fulfilling or lasting experience.

Where There’s a Minigame, There’s a Way

This diverse approach continues into the gameplay, where you engage in a series of mini-games that simulate chopping, stirring, and baking various ingredients. The mechanics are simple, which makes the game accessible, but they quickly become repetitive. While the three difficulty settings ramp up the speed and complexity, the overall gameplay loop remains shallow. The strategies for success largely revolve around fast reflexes and timing, rather than deep decision-making. I found myself quickly getting into the rhythm of the game. After a few hours, I found myself going through the motions rather than being excited to discover new challenges.

As I progressed through the different modes, I enjoyed tackling each recipe and competing in themed challenges. However, the game’s repetitive structure became apparent after several sessions. The campaign pits you against three judges, but their feedback quickly starts to recycle, and the core mechanics don’t change much beyond adding a few extra steps to the recipes. That said, there’s a sense of satisfaction in perfecting a dish, and the game encourages replaying recipes to achieve higher scores and unlock new customization options for your chef. Once you aced a recipe you are given coins to customize your kitchen, which offers a rainbow of customization. 

One aspect that did start to wear on me was the pacing. Each mini-game is fun in isolation, but the downtime between cooking actions, with loading screens taking over 7 seconds, caused the game to drag at times. Watching the same animations and practising a technique before the actual game without the opportunity to skip becomes less engaging after extended play. I would have preferred if there were options to speed up or skip some of the animations, but even that is not a perfect solution. 

Feast For Your Eyes

On the audio front, I found the sound design to be hit or miss. The game is packed with quirky sound effects and upbeat music by Nile Rodgers that suits its playful vibe. However, the voice lines can get repetitive quickly, and there are moments when the background music drops out, leaving the game feeling oddly silent. The music was fun but less repetition in the judges’ commentary would have gone a long way in keeping the energy up.

On the other hand, the visual design is where the game truly shines. The colourful art style, exaggerated recipes, and vibrant kitchens are a feast for the neon-obsessed. The characters, from Chef Yum Yum to the eccentric judges, are visually distinct, making each cooking session fun. Even after hours of playing, I was still glad by the game’s exciting presentation and over-the-top food animations.

Cooking up the Competition

Overall, Yum Yum Cookstar is a lighthearted game that starts with a fun concept and mostly delivers on its promise of exciting cooking competitions. The initial excitement of creating colourful, imaginative dishes is fun, but it does begin to wear thin due to some repetitive gameplay and pacing issues. That said, the game’s vibrant visuals, quirky characters, and cheerful art style add a lot of charm, making it an enjoyable experience for short bursts.

The upbeat soundtrack and playful sound effects fit the game’s tone, though the repeated voice lines can become grating over time. While it may not have the depth to engage more serious gamers for the long haul, the accessible mechanics and family-friendly design make it perfect for casual gamers or younger players. There’s enough content here to keep you entertained for a while, especially if you enjoy light, feel-good games with low-stakes fun.

While Yum Yum Cookstar may not be the deepest cooking game on the market, it shines with its cute visuals, accessible mechanics, and lighthearted gameplay. It’s a fun, casual distraction for those looking for something colourful and charming, though it might not hold your attention for extended play sessions. If you’re willing to overlook its repetitive elements, there’s plenty of short-lived fun to be had here. At the current price of 8.99, with hours of content to play, I would recommend it to a casual gamer or those looking for a family-friendly game. 

You can purchase Yum Yum Cookstar on the PlayStation store here.