Magical Delicacy brings a culinary twist to the tried and tested Metroidvania formula
In the past decade, we’ve seen some interesting takes on Metroidvanias. Dead Cells successfully moved the formula to a roguelike, while Yoku’s Island Adventure masterfully threw pinball into the mix. Magical Delicacy is the latest to switch things by making it all about cooking.
It follows Flora, a young woman with dreams of becoming a witch. After moving to a town called Grat, she opens a shop that sells numerous magical delicacies. Along the way, she meets Cassia and Tauno, a witch and magus, respectively. The two belong to opposing covens, and each promises to teach Flora the ways of magic. A little conflict is obviously going to arise there, then.
So, based on that premise, you might be wondering where the Metroidvania aspect comes in. Well, at the start, Flora is only versed in the basics of magic, meaning she can’t fully explore Grat. Yep, you can see where this is going. Throughout Magical Delicacy, you can upgrade your skills and acquire new ones, allowing you to explore previously inaccessible areas. Once there, you can also unlock handy shortcuts.
Create witchy cuisine Magical Delicacy
The purpose of exploration is presumably three-fold. Firstly, a big aspect of the game we’ll discuss in a moment is cooking. So, you’ll need to gather ingredients for various recipes. The second is that Grat’s citizens want their dishes delivered, so you’ll do that personally. It’s all part of the service, evidently. And finally, by exploring the town, you’ll run into the residents, chat with them, and learn what tickles their tastebuds.
As you’ve likely guessed by now, Magical Delicacy isn’t your typical Metroidvania. From what I can tell, it’s entirely non-violent, with your abilities assisting your platforming through caves, bell towers, and old ramparts easier. It’s a more wholesome approach, then, and one that’s entirely welcome, in my opinion.
Outside of exploring the town, you will spend your time cooking the titular magical delicacies. Developer Skaule promises an extensive cooking system that allows you to be creative with your ingredients. Being a witch, the grub Flora rustles up includes potions alongside meals, tea, and, most importantly, pastries. In real life, I’m a terrible cook, the type of person who could burn water. So, I always enjoy games that let me pretend to be the culinary master I’ll never become.
A wholesome and cozy Metroidvania
That doesn’t mean everything comes naturally, though. Scattered across the town, some traders sell recipes while others are found by exploring every nook and cranny. I don’t know about you, but I always leave my secret recipes in long-abandoned caves.
As your cooking repertoire expands, so does your kitchen. You can get new tools as well as rooms to increase production efficiency. It’s a little corporate, sure, but it’s crucial to success. Likewise, while your culinary delights are cooking, you can do other tasks like growing plants, selling items, or sorting your remaining ingredients.
Incorporating Metroidvania tropes with a more laid-back story is a fun idea. Rather than traipsing back and forth to find better weapons, you’re trying to improve your magic and cooking skills, which is just lovely. It’s all presented with beautiful pixel art, something I’m an easy mark for.
Magical Delicacy will get served up on July 16th for PC and Xbox. Switch fans, meanwhile, will have to wait until August 15th before they can tuck in.
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Originally posted by intoindiegames.com
