These videogame meals will make your mouth water

Take a culinary tour through FINAL FANTASY XV, Life is Strange, DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 and more
By Duncan Heaney

Feeling snacky? If you’ve been playing videogames we can’t really blame you.

Food plays a big role in many of our favourite games, from managing hunger meters in DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 to buffing your buddies in FINAL FANTASY XV. And that’s just for starters.

So let us be your maître d, and showcase just a few of the things we have on the menu…

Joyce’s Belgian waffle - Life is Strange

You face many choices in Life is Strange, but few as difficult and emotionally draining as this big one in episode 2: what do you want for breakfast - a bacon omelette or Belgian waffle?

Wow. Yeah, that’s a toughie. Erm…I guess I’d go with the omelette.

Wrong. The correct answer was waffle.

I thought Life is Strange doesn’t have wrong choices?

Well, it technically doesn’t but… what kind of crazy person would choose an omelette over a waffle?

I like eggs!

Ugh - I can’t even look at you right now.

Anyway, the choice comes before an important discussion where Max proves to her friend Chloe that she has the power to rewind time at will. It’s a fantastic scene that’s a perfect accompaniment for that buttery battered beauty.

If I could, I’d rewind time so I could eat the waffle again.

Right? And yet Max never does! It’s a real wasted opportunity.

Pork bun - Sleeping Dogs

No trip to Sleeping Dogs’ version of Hong Kong would be complete without trying one of the city’s famous pork buns.

Ooh, that sounds delicious!

Yep. A man who never eats a pork bun is never a whole man.

Um… excuse me?

It’s what the vendors say. Again. And again.

And again.

Okay, but what does it mean?

I think it means they want you to buy a pork bun.

In fairness, they do seem to be remarkably nutritious. A quick nibble on this meaty treat and your character Wei Shen gets a health regeneration buff that lets him even shake off knife wounds.

And that’s very useful when you’re trying to infiltrate the Triad.

I see. So you could argue that unless you eat a pork bun, you’ll never be at full health. And therefore, never a whole man.

Oooooh! Now it all makes sense!

…no it doesn’t.

Gysahl Greens - Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!

If you want a really healthy option, try a pile of Gysahl greens. These vegetables - a staple of the FINAL FANTASY series - are big, green and absolutely delicious.

I dunno, they don’t sound all that good…

They do if you’re a chocobo!

Our fine feathered friends love their greens - particularly the descriptively-named Chocobo from the wonderful Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!

Exploring dangerous temples is tough work and Chocobo gets hungrier and hungrier as he explores. If the hunger level gets too high, the poor little chap will pass out.

I feel like that at work sometimes.

…well ignoring your obvious cries for help, there is one thing that can keep Chocobo going - Gysahl Greens.

Not only do they sate his hunger, the contented little ‘wark’ he gives out when he chows down is will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

But presumably still hungry.

Well if you’re hungry, this next meal will definitely solve that problem…

The Stacked Ham Sandwich - FINAL FANTASY XV

FINAL FANTASY XV is an inspiring story about four friends who travel the world trying to eat every meal in existence.

I don’t think that’s exactly what it’s about…

It is the way I play it.

FINAL FANTASY XV is a food lover’s dream - wherever you go, you’ll be confronted with the most mouth-watering meals imaginable.

But few meals are quite so drool-inducing as this: The Stacked Ham Sandwich.

Oh wow. That is… ample.

Pretty big right?

Yeah. Shut up and give it to me already!

Ah. Well about that. First it has to be made at camp by super-chef Ignis.

That seems fine…

But before that, he has to learn the recipe.

So buy him a cookbook already!

Actually, to get the recipe you need to eat another sandwich: the Fat Chocobo Triple Decker.

That doesn’t seem so bad…

But first you have to go to Wiz’s Chocobo Post….

Inconvenient, but okay.

And then you have to get the owner to add it to the diner’s menu.

…I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this one.

He’ll only add it when you’ve completed a series of quests for him, mostly involving risking life and limb to save different types of chocobos.

And how long will that take!?

Well, depending on where you are in the story, you can probably get through them all in a few hours.

Seriously!?

Look at it this way - to eat a sandwich that size, you’ll need to work up an appetite, right?

(Sobs)

Okay, okay! We’ll look at something a bit quicker.

All the food - DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2

There’s a lot of food in DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2. Like, a lot.

Eating plays a big role in the game. It’s important to keep your hero and allies well fed - and fortunately, the game contains more delish dishes than you can count.

Wow. More than 10?

A lot more than 10, yes.

From simple snacks like a freshly cooked cabbage, to elaborate dishes with multiple ingredients, there’s sure to be something that will make you lick your lips.

Awesome. So it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Well more like an all-you-can-make buffet. You’re a Master Builder remember - if you want something nice, you’ll have to create it yourself.

Aw man… you mean I have to cook my own dinner?

Well yes, but it’s actually really fun!

Remember - DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 is all about creativity and experimentation, and playing around with the different meals is every bit as rewarding as building a house or slicing up a Slime.

As you explore, you’ll collect all sorts of ingredients, which you’ll be able to combine and cook up in all sorts of ways. You can even make your own farm to create a steady supply of eats to throw on the grill.

Actually that does sound pretty awesome.

Yep. It just goes to prove that when it comes to cooking, the more effort you put in, the more rewarding the result.

Well there’s some food for thought.


That was just a small canapes-worth of the culinary delights (and not so delights) in Square Enix games.

But we want to know what you think. Did we miss any examples? Do you have any alternate selections? Did you successfully get and eat the Stacked Ham Sandwich? Share your thoughts in the comments and on social media:

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