Magical Delicacy stirs up the Metroidvania-lite and cooking sim genres with a niche approach focused on cozy exploration, resource gathering, and hands-on cooking management. The end result is tasty, sometimes bordering on magical.
Independent developer Skaule and publisher Whitethorn Games deliver a supremely cozy adventure that impresses through its pixel art style, town exploration, hands-on crafting mechanics, soundtrack, and accessibility. Nonetheless, sluggish platformer mechanics, a slow and confusing story progression, and cumbersome cooking and delivery UI are some of the aspects that slightly detract from my enjoyment.
With that said, I cannot fault Magical Delicacy as its combination of Metroidvania and cooking mechanics make it stand out in a sea of cozy game offerings. I recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing low-stakes adventure or those who want an atmospheric cooking title that does not hold your hand. There’s lots to love (and cook!) here.
A Town With An Ocean View
The story follows Flora the Witch as she arrives in Grat, a coastal town reminiscent of Ghibli’s masterpiece Kiki’s Delivery Service. Just like Kiki, Flora is a young witch ready to take on the world through a coming-of-age story that involves proving one’s magical culinary and delivery skills. Flora is given the opportunity to open a shop in Grat and set up her own business. From here the story revolves around cooking and delivering orders to a wide cast of characters.
The story is engaging for the most part and offers variety in terms of the setting, although it is the characters that really bring the charm to Grat. Flora will make friends, rivalries, and encounter a sizable cast of humans and creatures that makes Grat feel lived-in. This includes being the roommate of the wise-cracking Hina, being helped to settle in by the town clerk and resident frog Hyge, meeting the Princess of Grat, and much more.
The worldbuilding is also a highlight as Flora explores the town and region, uncovering more about the history of the Kingdom and its residents. Exploration is demanded from the player in order to fulfil orders and gain access to crafting resources like ingredients. As part of this exploration, you will have to interact with the characters and given the opportunity to find out about their story.
Yet, the large cast of characters and the delivery of orders often slows down the pace and the story progression. Often, I would be wondering where to go next and who to talk to. That’s because Magical Delicacy does not hold your hand. For some players, that can be a frustrating experience and slow the pace considerably. However, others may find this focus on exploration and scavenging a refreshing departure from objective-based progression. Your mileage may vary…
Cooking Up A Storm
The gameplay serves a very precise niche in the cozy game market. It combines Metroidvania platforming with cooking mechanics. The platforming elements are, for the most part, utilized well to provide a variety of exploration. The platforming is also quite relaxing except for a few timed jumps. There are no high stakes, and when you “die” or fall, Flora gets instantly respawned. In this case, there is no worry that your delivery will meet an untimely end somewhere in a ditch. There is even a sleeping save mechanic that has no penalty if you decide to be a perpetual night owl! (In fact, I recommend you explore Grat at night for some fun surprises!)
The platforming and actual jumping, however, are sluggish. When Flora jumps or double jumps, it feels floaty and not as responsive as I’d like. The sense of speed and timed jumps does not exist here. In this case, the platforming often feels non-eventful. I would’ve preferred to see some small penalties to platforming such as fall damage or lost ingredients as Flora “dies.” This lack of platforming punishment is also evident since Magical Delicacy does not feature any type of combat to up the ante.
The cooking mechanics are more hands-on than may meet the eye. This is a great thing since ingredients are put to good use and provide for cooking variety. For example, players may need to source specific ingredients to make bread. Once baked, that bread will be then used to further create other food and so on. NPCs will have preferences and requests for orders to meet certain qualities and ingredients, like the use of sweet or savory ingredients. Flora can also deliver orders herself or open her shop and sell orders from the comfort of her home. Magical Delicacy features several customizable floors where Flora can place kitchen equipment like ovens and more. There is also a back garden where Flora can grow and water some crops to then use as ingredients. These shop management additions really round-up the cooking experience.
However, the cooking and delivery UI can often be cumbersome. This is especially evident when Flora uses multiple ingredients and these need to be picked by scrolling through several lists. There is also no way of knowing how many recipes you have cooked and what you currently have in your inventory, only how many orders you have delivered. In this sense, you will have to open your inventory more than you’d probably like.
Accessibility is a highlight in Magical Delicacy. The game features accessible and approachable settings like making jumping easier, removing button reaction minigames, nighttime brightness sliders, reading fonts, and more. These are generally well implemented, although I hope to see Skaule include a setting for guiding players through the story progression.
It Looks As Good As It Tastes
Magical Delicacy looks beautiful, bringing out the cozy pixelated locations of the coastal town. The pixel art style is the winner here and imparts Magical Delicacy with a sense of European influences. This attention to detail just makes you want to explore around and see more of Grat. The characters are well drawn with a real knack for detail, which capably characterizes the residents you meet. The soundtrack prioritizes minimalism, but does so skilfully to maintain the cozy vibes of Magical Delicacy without overwhelming the listener.
Magical Delicacy also runs well and without a hitch on the Xbox Series X|S. I never experienced the game crashing or encountered any game breaking bugs. The level of localization is also great. Magical Delicacy is an overall polished treat.
Summary
Magical Delicacy carves itself a niche place in the cozy game market. It stands out from the crowd by its mix of Metroidvania platforming and cooking mechanics. The title is a delightful offering of cozy exploration, resource gathering, and hands-on cooking. Magical Delicacy impresses through its pixel art style, town exploration, hands-on crafting mechanics, soundtrack, and accessibility. Nonetheless, the sluggish platformer mechanics, a slow and often confusing story progression, and cumbersome cooking and delivery UI slightly affect this enjoyment.
Magical Delicacy is a great effort from Skaule and team, one that is waiting for you to dig into and appreciate its flavors. This one should be on your menu, especially if you’re into cozy comfort treats.
Magical Delicacy is out now on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass, and available for purchase for $24.99. It also releases August 15 on Nintendo Switch.
The Review
Great
