Review:
Restaurant Empire 2

I really wanted to love Restaurant Empire 2. After all, it's a simulation / sandbox game, which is one of my all time favorite game genres. (You're looking at someone who has played every iteration of The Sims, Sim City, Roller Coaster Tycoon, etc.) But as much as I wanted to love Restaurant Empire 2, I just didn't. Was it an enjoyable way to spend a few hours? Yes. But will it replace The Sims 3 as my "go-to" simulation game right now? Not a chance.

Before I get into the details of the review, let's talk about the difference between Restaurant Empire 2 and the original. Not only has the game gotten a graphical overhaul, but there are also 700 new items, a new city (Munich, Germany), the ability to change staff uniforms, and some other upgrades here and there. That being said, many of the familiar elements and characters have remained (such as Armand and Michel LeBoeuf).

I started off my experience by working through the opening tutorial and campaign. I was getting my very own French restaurant! The tutorial did a great job of explaining the basics, and I didn't feel overwhelmed. However, as I started to play, I felt like maybe I hadn't gotten enough instruction, or perhaps I had missed a step or two. For example, from the very beginning my customers started complaining about the rudeness of my staff.

I figured I had made a wrong choice in who I hired (although I had picked the ones with mid-grade experience), and promptly fired and hired new ones. I went through every single employee available. The same rudeness complaints kept coming it. I had so many, that it was hurting my chances of beating the objectives for the level. I got so frustrated that I went to the official forums looking for answers. I learned staff could be trained, but not until a higher level. But I couldn't manage to pass the level because of the rude staff!

Having gotten frustrated with the campaign, I decided to venture into sandbox mode. That was what I really wanted to play anyway. I get a lot of enjoyment out of simulation games when I can be really creative. My first step to was select what my chef avatar would look like. After passing nearly 30 male chefs, I started to wonder if a female chef was even an option! I eventually found them, but there were only a dozen or so to choose from. Then I discovered I couldn't customize the avatar at all. Considering my love for The Sims, the idea that I couldn't customize my avatar was a serious disappointment. I really wanted to at least be able to change hair color and uniform colors, even if I couldn't change the face or the uniform details.