ChefU Reviews

TL;DR: Had a rocky start (as most games do), but the developer clearly listens to feedback and patches problems as they arise. Not yet perfect, but worth your time if you want a VR cooking experience. I purchased this for my wife, but wanted to make sure it worked before passing it to her. I just finished making several attempts at the tutorial (Grilled Cheese) and the first order (Roasted Vegetables). Here's my take so far: 1. The graphics are decent. This isn't a game that is supposed to 'wow' you with imagery. It's the mechanics and variety of content that matter most. 2. The recipes, ingredients, tools and environment are good. The cutting, grating, application of spices, and general 'single step' processes are good. Cutting, chopping, stove top actions and counter work mechanics are about as good as you can expect. 3. An early issue with items scattering that were placed in a vessel (i.e., plate, bowl, pan, etc.)that is in motion has been fixed. Items that are on or in a moving vessel now lock in place till the vessel is put down. There are still a couple of minor issues but nothing game breaking. 4. Moving through the environment has been updated to use 'porting' and 'sliding'. Porting is quicker but may interfere with held items. Sliding is smoother, but you drag items in your path with you. Neither is perfect so pick your poison. Note to developer: May help if player boundaries are turned off when the player is moving between two locations (either by porting or sliding), then turned on when the player standing still in a non-collision location. 5. Had an earlier issue with not being able to adjust 'height' once a mission starts, but you can if you use the options from the tablet on the cooking island. ... Is this a perfect game? No; but it's getting there. I initially gave a 'thumbs down' review but have switched to a favorable review because the game is currently playable AND enjoyable. I also believe the developer cares, listens, and puts in the effort to make this better with each patch. This game has incredible potential for growth. While already worth your time, this game can expand to include many additional areas related to the culinary arts. Future DLC could include regional foods and themes; think: Asian/Italian/French/etc. cuisine with restaurant accents that match the culture. There could be co-op/multiplayer with competitions; think: Master Chef, Iron Chef, etc.. Maybe even.. ..MODDING! Do you like VR and cooking? Then you'll like Chef U.

I was really, really excited to play this after watching someone else play it. But objects kept flying away like crazy, and some recipes would require ingredients that literally didn't exist in the kitchen. Also, some recipes I would follow EXACTLY but for some reason it didn't show the task as completed, and I couldn't move ahead. This would be a super cool game if those bugs were worked out, but I'm left really disappointed. I've been searching for a game like this for weeks. I hope to get a refund because geez. Those bugs made the game impossible to play/win.

Couldnt even play the game. I would hit new profile and then get stuck on a loading screen. Also, you can't even turn with the controllers

This game has the potential to be fun, but its very choppy. Seriously, everything seems to want to jump off every surface to the point that its no fun. Had to get a refund.

A really good game on the realism side except for the meatloaf glitch but its entertaining, we need more recipes and cuts of meat and more types of meat and some more breads and types for it, such as hotdog buns and hamburger buns, hope this review shows that this game needs an update or some care soon.

Allthough the game is no longer beeing worked on, the game is really fun. I had no issues with FPS personaly and its a fun game if you love cooking.

In its current state I cannot recomend. The title has alot of promise and I hope the devs can hammer out the problems, of which there are many. Physics wise its utter chaos. Nothing behaves how you would expect. Ive sent steaks flying across the room because i grabbed the plate under it. Food would sometimes piss off without me being anywhere near it. Sandwhiches are totally random in how they act. Cutting and slicing is really hit and miss. Etc. Performance is poorly optimized. I have a 1080 and struggle to stay above 30 fps. Crashes are always looming. Recipe selection feels both extensive and restricted at the same time. There are a modest amount of dishes but most ive never heard of or are bland. Grilled cheese for example. This is my opinion anyway. Its not the worst looking game but if you cant go all out on realism, go for style. The restuarant is cold and rather bland. As I said, its not the worst. Its not the best. With some polish and time this could be a gem though.

i gotta say the dev have one hell of an idea. i have played a little bit of the game i like it but i would love it better if the physics were better. every time i try to pick something up everything around me would end up flying a cross the room. i will change my review once this is fixed

I know that this review is long overdue, but it needs to be submitted. There are many games and programs that promise to push upon the boundaries that separate reality from virtual reality. When it comes to providing a virtual 'restaurant' 'playground', this is definitely not what you would expect. Lockem Reality came forth with a brilliant idea, but failed miserably to provide any aspect of what they claimed to provide. First off, a loft apartment with a couple of tables would not pass as a profitable restaurant anywhere. The kitchen itself is far too spacious to be effective as well. Of course, that empty space reflects on how empty this game is, but we'll address that in a minute. This set-up seems more like what you would expect of a celebrity chef entertaining party guests at his/her bachelor(ette) pad. Second, there is absolutely no content to the game. With only the most basic of vegetables and maybe four protein/cheese options, you really cannot even scratch the surface of what even the average household would utilize on a daily basis. I am certainly not saying that they need to include even the most obscure of paleo grains, or that one fruit that grows exclusively on a desert island somewhere in the Pan-Pacific, but would it hurt to have maybe oranges. Likewise, the 'dozens of tools' that are available is a greatly padded list, as they made sure to include two sets of six knives for you to work with (not to mention all of the measuring equipment). Although, it would not hurt to mention that they at least included a standing electric can opener, to go along with the manual one. If you came looking forward to the 'playground' aspect, then you will be surprised to see it is closer to a grade school sandbox than a Garry's Mod sandbox [Well, maybe that too]. Let me tell you a story, to help put this in perspective: Before I finally gave up on this game ever growing up, I tried to freestyle a meatloaf. I took the overtly vague ground beef package I spawned/ordered from the fridge, poured in a little "malk" [Again, not very specific, nor definitively representative to be worthily considered milk], and threw in some breadcrumbs to try and bind it [Possibly an egg too, but I don't remember]. It did not mix at all like I expected, and became a pink slurry. I tried pouring it into a loaf pan that Lockem did actually bother to provide, but thanks to the genius physics, it went right through even though the pan was sitting on the counter. Luckily, their 'no clean-up' philosophy covered themselves, so there is no telling where my meat batter went. It was after this fiasco, along with their sheer fire-and-forget accountability, that ChefU has been sitting untouched in my Library for the past five months. Next, I'll summarize the game by addressing the gameplay itself. If virtual reality puts you in the place of the protagonist, then our "bachelor(ette) celebrity chef" must have cataracts, as the overall graphics are blurred to oblivion. Then again, the chef could be an alcoholic, because the physics are more attributable to someone who is clearly incapable of steady and precise movement. Furthermore, if gravity doesn't really exist, then our hero(ine) would never fall down. However, I am sure the chef's receptionist (who stands behind a counter more akin to a beauty parlor/salon), would probably be a tad more snippy at their barely competent Protagonist. Overall, ChefU should be kept off the open game market, or at least be considered a free-to-play demo as they prepare the full version of whatever direction they were ever considering this to be. I bought this game in the first week expecting a lot more, and held onto it long after the refund period hoping for updates, but sadly Lockem took the money and ran. Don't be like me: If you buy it, then try it and refund. Don't hold on, because this broken money grab of a game will not be fixed.

[h1]Overall Verdict:[/h1] [b]This game wants to be the Half-Life 2 of cooking simulators but ends up feeling more like the Half-Life: Blue Shift of cooking simulators instead.[/b] This game has so much potential to be a must-buy for anyone with a VR headset, but in its current form I cannot recommend the game. [b]Issues:[/b] - Price tag is too high for what it currently offers :( - Huge framerate issues on GTX 1060 (Not the best card but I havent had an issue with any other [more graphics intensive] game I've played in VR) - Physics problems and inconsistent mechanics (loaf of bread will fly away when I try to cut it, containers transcend into the next dimension when trying to scoop ingredients, etc.) - I love jazz as much as anyone else who listens to NPR, but the soundtrack gets tedious and annoying after roughly 20 minutes of play - In what world does [url=https://imgur.com/1XsDuTt] This [/url] count as a 4 star grilled cheese? I know VR is still in its infancy but I want a game based on cooking appetizing food to at least attempt to simulate realistic dishes. - Another complaint regarding realism but WHY DO EGGS COME OUT OF THE SHELL ALREADY FRIED I wanted to make fried chicken but couldnt because you cant make a batter without beaten eggs which this game somehow DOESNT HAVE [b]Whats cool:[/b] - I've been dying for a robust restaurant management / chef simulation game and this game has all the groundwork laid for what could be a really immersive experience. - While the cutting, scooping, and mixing mechanics have issues, they are easily the most realistic and granular I've seen for any game of its kind - With all of its flaws, this game is miles ahead of any other game like it so far Clearly I'm being hard on this game, but what can I say, I have high expectations. If you're looking for a chef simulation game with an acceptable amount of realism and a lot of variety, you may enjoy this game. But at it's current price point combined with all of it's immersion-breaking flaws, its going to be a pass for me. Hopefully in a few months I can pick up this game to find it greatly improved