The Switch eShop is full of games that have come about through developers deciding to combine 2 styles that typically haven’t been seen together before. While the results have been hit-and-miss overall, there’s no doubt that this has produced some interesting results. In the case of Magical Delicacy the two styles in question are what I’d consider unlikely bedfellows in the form of cooking sim meets Metroidvania. While it does get points for simply being different, that isn’t to say everything works out as well as it could have in the end.

Starting with the positives there’s absolutely an inviting vibe to the town of Grat, where you find yourself surrounded by generally pleasant people who are happy to strike up a conversation with you and bring in some business. Your goal will be to go around, get some people to make orders, explore in search of the proper recipes and ingredients you’ll need to make them, and then prepare and deliver the best food you can manage. Early on this is a bit of a struggle as you work out the various rules around ingredients, how to satisfy certain aspects of requests, getting the right equipment, and just understanding the layout of the town and how to get the elements you’ll need for success. In general, the cooking prep aspect of the game is the most enjoyable, though I do wish it were a little more diverse, interesting, and evolved to make it more interactive as you do your work.

When it comes to downsides, the biggest issue I had, and it’s one that’s a bit baffling as a choice was made to go this route, was with the exploration aspect of play. For one, while it makes for plenty of platforming opportunities, the layout of the town is plain odd. I understand that this relates to the Metroidvania aspect of play, seeing areas you aren’t properly equipped to explore yet, pushing you here and there to make some jumps, but it’s strangely half-hearted as well. The platforming is just challenging and picky enough that I’m not sure the game is so well-suited to “cozy gamers” who generally enjoy more stress-free fare, but it also isn’t challenging enough for your typical hardcore gamer… so I suppose the idea was to split the difference, but then it just seems to disappoint in both directions. In particular, things like platforms that disappear and falls where you’ll simply “die” and respawn nearby I suppose add a little challenge, but seem out of place in the overall scheme of things.

The result is an experience that seems to be trying to push the expectations for what can be paired together, but then not necessarily integrating them effectively. Honestly, removing the platforming and having made the challenge to find ingredients from a top-down or isometric perspective would have made more sense and I don’t think anyone likely playing would have minded. It’s great that the game manages to set itself apart, and try something new, but different isn’t always an improvement.