by Rainier Wong

Created on: July 21, 2008   Last Updated: July 24, 2008

Name of Game: Hell's Kitchen.
Producer: Ludia.
Type: Game based on reality TV series of the same name produced by Granada Productions.
Ratings: 4/5.

If you are looking for a computer game that represents a reality TV series well, Hell's Kitchen is one such game you should not miss. This game proves that one can enjoy playing a famous reality TV program as a computer game. In this game, your purpose is to get your restaurant to continue at the end of the game, and to get the highest possible ranking, senior chef.

Game play: 4/5.
Playing this game is both exciting, and challenging. You have play the role of the waiter, and the cook. The first stage of the games was easy where I had to begin with the rank of dishwasher. However, this ranking did not really reflect what I had to do, and there was no washing of dishes involved. As the game progressed, it became more difficult, and challenging. To begin each stage, I clicked on the 'Enter Kitchen' button. Concentration, and planning were the keys to success in this game. At times, playing this game could be very pressurizing as I had to race against time while trying to make the customers happy by not having them to wait too long while I, at the same time, had to wait for the right time to put the cooked meal onto the plate for serving. While playing, I had to watch the animation carefully for clues on when to take orders, and when to bring the orders to the customers. For each stage, I must get at least 3 stars. In order to be the senior chef, I must obtain at least 106 stars.

Game Control : 5/5.
Game control was very easy as all I had to do was to click on the right spot on the scenery to activate an action or event.

Graphics: 4/5.
The graphics, and animation were of high quality with the image of Ramsay being well represented as a realistic painting. With the movements of his image while he talked, it looked very much like a real person talking. However, it would be nicer if a photographic image of the famous chef was used instead to make it more realistic. The layout of the restaurant looked very real. The animation in the restaurant was quite realistic with actions like reading menus, taking orders, and eating being well represented. The animation in the kitchen, however, could have been a bit better if the producer of the game include a chef or a cook in it. When time was running out for me to be at a particular spot in the restaurant, flames would come out from it.

Creativity, and innovation: 5/5.
The one innovation I found in this game was the inclusion of real recipes that could be printed out by clicking on the printer's icon. There was also a little advertisement on one of the recipe's screen encouraging the player to get Ramsay's recipe book from a bookstore. More recipes are available for players with the unlock code. Another innovation was the availability of this game in other languages like German, French, Italian, and Spanish.

Sound: 4/5.
The sound was very good. with a background music that creates a sense of urgency. I could hear a realistic voice from the character that represented Ramsay that produced phrases like "let's go", "You donkey!", and "The doors are opening, right now!". The sound effects was also quite realistic. I was allowed to choose the types of sound I would like to listen to while playing via the options choice from the main menu.

In conclusion, I found this game to be rather enjoyable but challenging which lead me to I give it an overall rating of four out of five.

Learn more about this author, Rainier Wong.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.