The Ramadan month of puasa (fasting) is soon coming to an end, and it’s probably one of the most memorable ones yet thanks to COVID-19. With mere days of fasting left, it’s imperative to avoid anything that would make abstaining meals harder to pull off, such as food porn photos on Instagram or even your favourite cooking shows.
But, don’t forget another sneaky culprit that could “accidentally” slip in gorgeous glimpses of digital food to remind you of your empty stomach: video games. Thus, we’ve helped you narrow down what games with visual delicacies to stay away from so you can keep your fasting routine intact for just a little longer.
What other game has promised players cake by completing the main storyline? So far, it’s only been Valve’s very original Portal, the game that gave birth to “the cake is a lie” meme. The iconic cake design - which resembles a Black Forest cake - was inspired by a cake sold at the Regent Bakery and Café, just outside Valve’s headquarters. Thanks to the 2007 game, that same cherry chocolate cake went on to become one of their best sellers.
The diners you serve in Overcooked may reward you for speed instead of quality, but there’s no denying that the dishes you and your friend(s) serve look and sound delicious in this wacky culinary world. As hectic and crazy as it can get in the cooking area (no thanks to icy floors, monstrous rats and other mind-boggling obstacles), there’s no denying the satisfaction that comes from frying fish fillets, grilling burgers and sending them out on time. Come to think of it, Overcooked might embody the "merry" atmosphere that goes on in the kitchen as meals and snacks are prepared.
We’d like to think that much of the decade-long development of Final Fantasy XV was poured into making the game’s food look oh so good. Faithful to its concept of “fantasy based on reality”, the FFXV team included eating as a core aspect of the 2016 game, giving your Backstreet Boys certain buffs that vary between food - one of the boys even gets an extra boost if it’s their favourite food. Although you can eat at restaurants or diners, Ignis’ campsite cooking is where the real gourmet is, with food porn so sinful and true-to-life that you swear you could taste it. Let’s not forget that roti canai and teh tarik and other hints of Malaysian culture exist in the game.
The ground-breaking visual galore and insane details of Red Dead Redemption 2 remain unparalleled to today’s games. So, it made sense that some of Rockstar’s meticulousness extends into the Western game’s mouth-watering food showcase. Consuming sustenance is also important in keeping your health, stamina and Dead-Eye cores filled to regenerate, and neglecting to eat can negatively affect your stats. But, with the mouth-watering slosh of Mr. Pearson’s stew or the greasy handy meat grilled by Arthur at his camp, there’s little reason to not eat in this gorgeous Wild West game.
The newest game on this list didn’t include food as its gameplay, but Media Molecule did say that the only limit in Dreams is our imagination. So, you can bet your cute butt that there are Dreamers who created food-related games or art in the creation system. Some of our highlights include an ultra-realistic English breakfast, a first-person left-hand cooking simulator, and some weird Dream involving baby Yoda with food. Only time will tell what other insane food-related concoctions that Dreamers will whip up in the years to come.
Regardless of whether you end up playing these games while fasting, what’s most important are the lessons learnt and time spent with family during this festive season. Selamat berbuka, Selamat Hari Raya in advance from eGG Network!
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