Meshi Quest: Five-Star Kitchen - Review

me4lingual submitted a new blog post

Meshi Quest: Five-Star Kitchen - Review



Meshi Quest: Five-Star Kitchen is a food preparation puzzle game published by Square Enix, and the most recent version was released to the public on September 18, 2017. It is also the game I am currently using to keep me calm and centered during my breaks at work. I was searching the GooglePlay store for a free game that could keep my attention, and this game instantly popped up in my suggested apps to play. So, I figured I would give it a shot. And since it is a Square Enix game, I figured I could write a review on it as well. Two birds, eh? Anyway, to learn more about this free-to-play app, continue reading. It may just make you hungry enough to play it yourself.





Now, to be completely honest, I didn't have high hopes for this game. I have played a couple food preparation games before (my favorite being Taco Master on the PlayStation Vita), and they don't really have a lot to keep me playing it for an extended period of time. But I am quite surprised with how well Meshi Quest sets itself apart from other similar games. For one thing, while you start off with just a simple sushi restaurant; through hard work, you are able to advance into other types of eating establishments. Like a burger joint, and a cupcake shop.

When you first install Meshi Quest, you are asked for your username (mine is me3lingual, if you want to add me as a friend and play together) and the region of the world you live in (mine is the United States). This seemed okay with me, because it was probably some registration thing Square Enix required to see where the game was being played. But then it also asked for your zodiac sign (Capricorn), favorite animal (I chose lion), and what you like to eat (based on their list, my favorite is ramen). Now, this was a little weird, especially the zodiac sign. No other apps I have played need to know my birthday. But it said that the information won't be used for anything outside of the app, so I went ahead and answered those sections as well. Once you complete the first stage, it tells you that those questions are simply just categories by which they rank players. So, not only is there a global leaderboard, but they also group it by region, zodiac sign, and favorite animal and food.

Naturally, the first few stages of Meshi Quest are designed to get you acquainted with how the game works. In the sushi restaurant, you place a plate on the table, then you tap the rice cooker to prepare the rice, and when it gets done, you put into your hands. Then, you place the salmon on top of the rice, and put it on the plate. Add some teriyaki sauce on the side, and then hand it to the customer. Simple, right? Right! But then more customers come in and want food as well! And some even want other items. You serve tea, which is always ready automatically for pouring (thank goodness!), collect the money, and send the customers on their way with a full belly and a positive attitude toward you (hopefully). It can get a bit hectic sometimes, but that is expected when working in the food preparation services field.

Not only are you able to be ranked amongst other players, but you can link Meshi Quest to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. You are also able to link it with your Line account (whatever that is, I don't know). But along with linking accounts, you can share pictures to show high scores and other results with your friends and people around the world. Not only that, but you can even upload video straight from the app to your social media accounts. That is something I have never seen before with an app like Meshi Quest. At least, not without breaking into the developer's portion of the device and reworking the settings. Below is a video I uploaded to my YouTube account to show some of the gameplay.

Meshi Quest: Five-Star Kitchen also features seasonal events, that reward you with extra money and gems to help make your restaurants fancier. And the better the restaurant and food looks, the more you can charge for the food!​

Now, Meshi Quest: Five-Star Kitchen does have some flaws. One major example is that it can randomly freeze and shut down the app. This has happened once so far since I started playing it. What has happened more often is that it takes FOREVER to see the top rankings in the leaderboard. I would get tired of waiting, and try to cancel the search. But when I hit the cancel button, nothing happens, because the command to see the Top 10 overpowers the app and basically freezes it but not actually freezing it. But all in all, it is quite fun to play, and it accomplishes its goal, and that is to keep me entertained. I am excited to play Meshi Quest more, and see what I can unlock as I continue playing it.

To play Meshi Quest: Five-Star Kitchen for yourself, it is free-to-play, and can be found on both the GooglePlay and iTunes stores. There are some items you can buy to help finance your career in the restaurant business, but I haven't needed them while I have been playing. The websites also say that there are ads throughout the game, but I haven't come across any of them...yet. Maybe they show up in later stages. But if you know of any, let me know in the comments section down below, or in the thread on the Square Elite forums!