Portal (The Cake)
I know you aren’t supposed to start off with cake first, because it might spoil your appetite. Luckily for us, however, the cake is a lie….or is it? The ending of Portal is really… the icing on the cake. But seriously, seeing a cake like this brings back all the fond memories of playing through Portal and being baffled at the writing, fun puzzles, and off-the-wall physics. This specific cake emits a feeling of happiness, with its weird chocolate shavings and the colors of the red cherries against the white icing. The reward of cake throughout Portal is odd and seemingly out of place, but that’s what makes it so memorable. For anyone who hasn’t played Portal, sorry for the spoilers, but the cake is *not* a lie. I just want to shove it in my face.
Pikmin 3 (Fruit Smoothies)
In attempts to make this list healthier, especially against that delicious cake from Portal, we *must* give a shoutout to Pikmin 3. Contrary to Portal, the food in Pikmin is tied to a game mechanic and is your means of survival. Every day, you must collect as much food throughout the level as you can, before the sun sets and the evil creatures come out. There are a ton of options, too – everything from peaches, to strawberries, and kiwis. The most satisfying thing is that, depending on how much food you acquired that day, it will result in more smoothies that you can actually *see* being prepared. Even more intriguing is the way the colors of the fruit translate to the colors of the juice. It might sound trivial, but the attention to detail is stunning and makes me want to be healthy!
Monster Hunter World (Steak)
Really, we could talk about any of the food in Monster Hunter World, but the steak in particular looks extra tasty. The way the meat sizzles on the bone – you can almost smell it through your screen. What’s funny is that you can cook the steak to your liking. Are you a fan of well done steak? How about rare? You can partake in the steak cooking mini-game with the barbecue spit and everything! You can even eat it raw, which I don’t recommend. The steak in Monster Hunter World is useful because it adds to your stamina bar, and if you’re good at that mini-game, you’ll have no problem racking up the well done steaks to maximize your stamina. The sad part is that you have to carve the steaks from dead dinosaurs, but we don’t have to talk about that part…
Persona 5 (Ramen)
There’s something about eating ramen in a Japanese restaurant that is so appealing. And the fact that you get to do that while bonding with friends in Persona 5 is probably as close to an authentic Japanese experience some of us will get. As Yusuke said, “This harmony of flavor was truly memorable…! It is an incredible way to replenish nutrients.” That’s a great way to sum up how some of us feel about ramen. The way the gold noodles shine in the bowl and the image of the two chopsticks – the food is almost a character itself! What’s great is that not only does eating ramen with friends produce some memorable dialogue, but this is a way to level up your relationships with friends, which in turn, unlocks new abilities for your Persona. It’s super nerdy, I know, but being rewarded for eating ramen is like a dream come true.
Final Fantasy XV (Everything)
Yeah, this one is cheating a bit, but *all* of the food in Final Fantasy XV looks good. What’s fascinating is that the food looks so realistic because the team at Square Enix used real food to model these delicious dishes after. In other words, they actually made these dishes and recreated in-game versions of them so they would look as realistic as possible. Maybe I’m naive, but the idea of a game development studio cooking all these dishes just for the game is not something that even crossed my mind. As for the food itself, different food yields different buffs and it’s fun to experiment with which foods do what – and just look at those Shish Kebabs.
Breath of the Wild (Also Everything)
It’s hard to talk about video game food without mentioning The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Similar to many other games on this list, food is an important mechanic, with many nuances and lots to benefit from. While exploring the massive open world, lots of what you find can be cooked and eaten, and depending on how much and what combination of ingredients you use, it may result in different outcomes. I love preparing for an upcoming battle by stocking up on lots of food and mixing different ingredients to ensure victory. It may sound like a cop out to include all the food as our pick, but nearly everything makes me hungry – everything from the weird fruit dishes that can be prepared, to the steaks and even the weird herbs and mushrooms that can be combined. Topping that off is the fact that every food has a specific name. You can make Clam Chowder, Steamed Mushrooms, or even Meat Curry. Great, now I’m starving to death.
What are some of your favorite video game foods? Leave us a comment to let us know!
About the author
