A pinch of The Sims, a dash of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, a spoonful of Harvest Moon and, yes, a generous handful of Cooking Mama all go into the Epic Chef pot to make it a balanced, punchy, culinary journey of a game. It's worth noting, however, that while you might expect Epic Chef to lean most heavily on the latter ingredient, it actually has more in common with cosy farming JRPGs than it does with the casual mini-games of Cooking Mama. You start as Zest, a cook who dreams of becoming an all-star chef. You invest every last penny you own in a run down, possibly haunted old farmhouse that earns you the instant ridicule of the locals. From there, you'll need to grow crops, craft machinery and battle rival chefs to become the greatest chef in town. It's very much a story-driven adventure, and along the way Zest will need to build relationships with townsfolk; sow, plough and harvest his land; put together delicious recipes; gather resources and craft the tools he needs to improve his restaurant and, most importantly, do battle with other culinary maestros in cooking battles that are essentially Epic Chef's take on combat. Epic Chef is, in short, a western take on the cosy JRPG that will warm your heart alongside your frying pan.
