Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together

“Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together” takes a new approach in terms of visuals, mechanics and management. And, while its customized recipe system is a leap in comparison to the original, everything else is pretty much a step back — from physics to interactions. It should’ve stayed longer in the oven.

However, the current execution is severely lacking. The decision to dial back the dynamic physics in favor of rigid, punishing, and often buggy cooking mechanics makes the game feel more like a tedious chore simulator than a fun sandbox. Combined with severe performance drops and broken UI elements, it is clear that Big Cheese Studio needed a few more months to polish this release. If you have a dedicated friend to play with, you will still likely wring some chaotic fun out of the co-op. But for solo players, it is best to wait for a few major hotfixes before stepping up to the stove.

Overall, I believe Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together has the bones to be able to be a good game. However, in its current state, I would say it has released more in early access rather than a full game release. The principles of what is being suggested sound like a game which will develop into being the forefront of the cooking simulation genre. However, it is quite a far way from being that at this moment. It must be said that Big Cheese Studios are hot on fixing issues, with there being 3 updates within a matter of days. I am curious to see how the game develops with these fixes; however, in its current state, I will have to award Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together with the Thumb Culture Silver Award.

​Overall, Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is a masterfully crafted cooking simulation game. I must stress this is a very in-depth simulation, not a casual cooking game. You will have to expertly season all your food correctly, prepare all your ingredients, have a station ready to go, and order correctly for the day before you even think about managing the business side of the restaurant. There are hours of fun in the game if this is what you are into.

Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is certainly an improvement over its predecessor. There are new dishes, significant improvements such as dish preparation and most importantly, you can play it together with a friend. That is ultimately what the title refers to, Better Together. But for Better Together you must have a game where you do not encounter obstacles such as annoying bugs such as not having a good grip on your knife or rearranging a kitchen once your preparation time has started. If this all gets fixed, you can add a point.

Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is Cooking Simulator 1’s seemingly more put together younger sibling—less chaotic, more structured, but still entertaining to a point. However, it suffers from its plethora of bugs that range from mildly annoying to actually game-breaking and soft-locking, as well as a clunky UI, that dampen the experience. Nonetheless, it’s still a decent game—maybe just wait for a couple more patches.

Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together has intricate cooking and recipe creation mechanics, and its campaign mode will likely appeal to those who want a nice, involved restaurant simulation from the perspective of the chef. However, it differs drastically from the first game and is full of bugs, odd design choices, and an overall unfinished feel that might keep returning fans away and make it harder for new fans to immerse themselves.