No thanks, I’m full.
When I learned I would be handling the review of this title, I couldn’t help but think back mere weeks ago when I played through Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus and say, “another one, so soon?”
Still, at the end of the day I remember thinking that Shinovi Versus was a fun little beat-em up that had more going for it than just the aforementioned “giant floppy anime tits.”
Unfortunately, it didn’t take me long after loading up Bon Apetite to find that this was exactly what it seemed- a cheap and shallow attempt at another genre with little to no effort thrown in.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
MSRP: $14.99 (to unlock all the song DLC will cost another $14.99)
Platforms: Vita Exclusive.
Voice Acting: JPN Only
Multiplayer: Leaderboards for scores.
Demo Availability: N/A
Played: 3~ hours.
Let me just start as I did previously by stating that this isn’t a game for children, and if you don’t like fan service-heavy content, stay far away from this one.
The premise behind Bon Appétit is a combination of a cooking and rhythm game. The more flawlessly the player hits the buttons in sequence as they scroll through the screen, the bigger and more delicious the dish becomes.
The dish that the contestants make is directly tied to the girl you’re squaring off against, as is the song that plays in the background.
The idea of characters being directly associated with particular songs isn’t the worst idea I’ve ever heard, but that also meant there were only ten songs available on purchase, with the majority of the songs(13 more) being locked behind a pay wall of $14.99, which is the same as the price of the actual game.
Twenty three songs is a pitiful selection as is, and to see over half of that locked behind a pay wall was discouraging to say the least.
As far as the actual game play goes, it’s the standard “hit the right button when it comes through here” gimmick, but it has two lines you have to follow.
There’s an overdrive of some sort that can be activated for bonus multipliers, and the girl with the lower score gets a part of their clothes ripped off between rounds because, you know, it’s a Senran Kagura game.
The mechanics are so painfully standard, without anything new or interesting to add to the mix, that I started getting bored immediately.
Worse yet, the songs themselves were uninteresting, and never made me want to replay a particular song to hear it again. While it could be a matter of personal taste, given the fact that I played through all the songs available (DLC not included) and didn’t find a single song that I liked, I couldn’t help but feel that it was a very disappointing playlist.
The game play mechanics are painfully dull.
There are story, arcade and free modes, but the only difference between them are a few bits of inconsequential dialogue, and after playing about three hours of this title, I felt I had seen everything I need in order to properly judge this game.
The only remotely positive thing I have to say about this title is that those that purchased clothing/accessories DLC for Shinobi Versus will be able to use them here, which is a nice touch.
Back in my Shinovi Versus review, I stated that there was more to that title than just the fan service but in Bon Appetit, that’s really all there is to it. It’s a rhythm game with boring mechanics and a laughable list of tracks that aren’t even enjoyable to listen to.
Whether you are a diehard fan of the rhythm games genre or the Senran Kagura series, there’s really no good justification for anyone to pick this up.
Fun Tidbit: If you’re looking for a rhythm game to play on your Vita, check out the excellent DJ Max Technika instead.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
