by Matt Maerowitz

Created on: July 23, 2008   Last Updated: July 24, 2008

Have you ever heard of the TV show Hell's Kitchen with host chef Gordon Ramsay? If you have then you will probably appreciate the online game version by Ludia of Hell's Kitchen. If not, you may find the game rather uninteresting as there is little variety in the gameplay and the harsh comments that Ramsay makes during the game will probably not make a whole lot of sense.

In Hell's Kitchen, you as the player are forced to seat guests and feed them in the fastest possible time without sacrificing food quality. This game is extremely similar to Diner Dash except Hell's Kitchen has far less features. Unlike Diner Dash which has features such as bonus customer points and color matching strategic devices, Hell's Kitchen has no unique features that come to mind. The game lists some tasty recipes (with a photograph of the finished product) before each stage, which can be printed out so you can experiment with them at home. However, there is nothing unique about preparing such recipes when it comes to cooking them in the actual game. In fact, the in-game cooking does not even make sense. For example, even the desserts are made with meats and vegetables (including desserts like chocolate chip cookies). The reason for this can likely be attributed to the fact that the game has few and very basic raw materials to choose from when preparing meals. They consist of: Chicken, Steak, Fruits/Vegetables (they are grouped together), Grains, and Dairy. The lack of specific ingredients causes the game to use several generics to compose meals even if they would normally not apply in real life.

The graphics are pretty cool. Not only does the game consist of appealing three dimensional visual effects, but the game also includes an animated version of Gordon Ramsay. While Ramsay's comments are very humorous, he has very few voiceovers so he can get very repetitive after a while.

The music is very dramatic and reminiscent of the game show Deal or no Deal. The game really makes you feel like you are playing in the hot seat and all the pressure is on you. The music is appropriate for this fast-paced game where time is everything.

Overall, I do not find this game particularly entertaining which is why I give Hell's Kitchen a 3/5. The game was fun at first, but the game gets boring very quickly as not much changes from stage to stage.

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