Food Truck Simulator Review (Switch)

Do you know how they say that you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs? Well, you can, and it’s thanks to games like Food Truck Simulator that cooking, even with superfluous ingredients, can be relatively easy—a total cakewalk, even. Okay, so it isn’t exactly in receipt of Michelin quality cuisines, but it does make the art of flipping burgers and squirting lashings of mustard over cheap meats seem somewhat soothing and, in some instances, oddly satisfying, weirdly enough. And that, really, is what Food Truck Simulator encapsulates in its short journey: simple recipes that, quite frankly, anyone can cook. Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that—a side serving of cliche-riddled business management, and not to mention a collection of cleaning tasks and maintenance work, for example—but for the most part, the game is exactly that: a food truck simulator.

So, how does DRAGO Entertainment’s culinary-centric sim set itself apart from its competitors? Is it worth putting atop the same pedestal as, say, Food Truck Tycoon, or is it more of a failed attempt at recreating a more ambitious project of a more prestigious ilk? Eh, I’m in the middle with this one; it’s definitely one of the better business simulation games I’ve had the pleasure of playing — but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s without its flaws and all-around limitations. But, it appears that I’m jumping the gun on this one, so allow me to rewind it back to the beginning. Care to join us as we explore the world of fast food marketing? Then let’s hit the road!

Roll Up, Roll Up!

If you think Food Truck Simulator is a clever play on words, then you’re probably going to be in for a bit of a surprise with this one. As the title implies, the game revolves around the day-to-day operations of a traveling food truck—a fully customizable vessel with which you, the descendant of a successful road chef, must rebuild and fashion into a culinary empire that sports all of the bells and whistles of a booming business on wheels. Aside from the general maintenance of the truck—an ongoing effort that requires frequent upgrades, appliances, and recipes—there is also the physical act of serving customers and keeping general needs in tip-top order, an act that involves keeping track of ever-changing ingredients and maintaining the quality of each dish that you serve. So, quite the banquet of obstacles, all things considered.

As far as storylines travel, Food Truck Simulator is all rather basic—so much, that it practically takes a leaf out of the same book as, I don’t know, every rags-to-riches business simulation game ever invented. In a nutshell, it sees you taking to the reins of a failing food truck—a once-loved business venture that has since fallen on hard times and been left to a younger pair of hands to resurrect. As the next of kin, you must turn the shoddy roots of a generic scrap pile into a remote powerhouse that can not only provide cheap and delicious fast food for the masses, but also turn a few heads along the way, too. And if you think that sounds like a relatively simple task, well, think again. As it turns out, there are several curveballs to onboard, too—inpatient guests, stale ingredients, and half-baked dishes, for example.

Rags to Relish

For the first few hours of your journey, you’ll find yourself working with only the absolute basics—burgers, buns, bacon, and just about any other guilty pleasure that you might find at a bog-standard pop-up vendor, for instance. The goal of the game, while pretty self-explanatory in its own right, is to earn enough money to transform these tasteless recipes into mouthwatering dishes, and with them, obtain greater appliances to generate more efficient cooking methods, as well as a collection of better recipes and cosmetics for your truck. Again, it isn’t the most complex gig in the book, nor is it exactly punching above its weight to make easy tasks seem more difficult than they need to be; on the contrary, it provides a relatively simple and digestible gameplay loop that doesn’t linger on the tongue. And that’s great, in ways, as it doesn’t exactly require much effort to complete.

Having said all of the above, there are several issues with the journey itself, such as the impatient guests, which we touched base on earlier. Like a lot of cooking and restaurant management simulation games, there is a high risk that you will often fail to make ends meet should the order not meet the customer’s expectations or dietary requirements. For example, if you receive an order and simply fail to cook it in a timely manner, then you’ll ultimately lose out on a few extra bucks. Oh, and that’s not all; you also miss out on the chance to prestige—a milestone that, as a fledgling tycoon, you’re always aiming to reach and overcome for the sake of expanding. So, to some extent, you can fall short in Food Truck Simulator, though you’d have to be pretty negligent to lose out on all of the benefits, to be fair.

Revoke the License

Food Truck Simulator is a hybrid game, which means, while you can spend a significant portion of your time taking stock and serving customers, you can also get behind the wheel and drive your truck across various anchor points on the map, too. Now, I’m not saying that this is a racing game, because it’s far from it, but the fact is, it does provide some rather basic driving mechanics and material to keep things from getting a little repetitive and boring. And to be fair, the driving mechanics aren’t terrible by any stretch. Granted, I did encounter my fair share of issues when it came to actually maneuvering around the city blocks — but perhaps that was just me. Truth be told, I’ve often struggled to navigate virtual worlds from behind the wheel, and so, having to operate a food truck just sort of felt like adding insult to injury.

The good news is, driving isn’t as fleshed out as the actual cooking process — and that’s a relief, in ways, as I never intended on spending the majority of my time learning how to drive, but to prep fatty foods from behind the counter of my souped-up van. In that sense, I felt I had my thirst for freedom quenched, and it was often made all the more satisfactory due to the abundance of customizable options that allowed me to not only decorate the truck, but also discover fresh recipes and other appliances, too. Did I love the idea of cooking cheeseburgers every waking hour of every day? No. However, I certainly enjoyed it a lot more than the thought of losing my license to drive. Swings and roundabouts, you know how it is.

Verdict

When I look back at the dozen or so hours that I spent patrolling the streets in Food Truck Simulator, I still find myself thinking about the same question that I initially asked during the first quarter: is this worth the financial and emotional investment? And to be fair, I’m still somewhat torn between the two, as I’m partially convinced that the journey itself was a great way to slaughter a few hours without having to wire myself into any convoluted schemes or plot points. On that note, I couldn’t really complain; I knew what I was signing up for, and it just so happened that the game pretty much signed, sealed, and delivered just about everything that it set out to accomplish. It wasn’t something that I would’ve called a “perfect” experience, but it served its purpose, and I guess, when all’s said and done, that’s all that mattered.

There’s a surprising amount of depth to Food Truck Simulator, which is a real sight for sore eyes, given the sheer volume of business simulation games that often fail to rustle up enough material to keep you invested for the long haul. Thankfully, this isn’t one of those types of rehashed stories; in fact, it brings its own level of immersion and originality in its core gameplay elements and world design. And sure, while a lot of it does come across as somewhat textbook, the fact still remains: Food Truck Simulator is, for better or for worse, an incredibly fun and punchy game. Is it enough to line your stomach? Probably not, no, but I’d wager that it’s a strong appetizer, at least.