Video games and food have been an interesting combination for many decades. Having a good snack nearby while playing a fun or interesting game is something that anybody can appreciate. But as video game graphics have gotten better over time with better technology, some games have been putting on a good display of culinary craftsmanship. Certain games have food that looks so realistic and tasty in it, I sometimes want to reach into the screen and pull out a piece of it to eat.
But which games have some of the best food around? And more importantly, which are the best dishes that someone would want to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? This food may not be real and made up of thousands of polygons, but I can't say that it doesn't look good. I wouldn't be able to deny how much I would like to sample some of the dishes that get served. Here are the 4 most delicious-looking food in games that I'd bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
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Tarte Aux
A little lesson from little chef
Kingdom Hearts 3 has its own share of dishes that look great, but require some work to put together. Sora, Donald, and Goofy are tasked with finding ingredients in all the worlds they visit after stopping by Le Grand Bistrot in Twilight Town. Doing so allows a little chef, also known as Remy from the Disney animated film Ratatouille, to make dishes that boost their stats in combat. It's a side quest for the group that has Donald constantly annoying Sora about places to find ingredients, but it's worth the minor inconvenience because of what it can produce.
One of the best dishes that Remy can make is something called Tarte Aux. It's a fruit dessert that looks like a cake, but with a combination of different ingredients to make something very sweet and tasty. When Sora and crew find all the right ingredients for Remy, he gives it to them as a gift in Twilight Town, which has a fantastic presentation. There are plenty of other great foods that Remy can make with Sora's help, but this one literally "takes the cake" for being the best-looking one.
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OpenCritic Reviews - Top Critic Avg: 84/100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- January 25, 2019
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure
The entire Palico canteen menu
Hunter dishes galore for eating
Fans of the Monster Hunter series know the joys of good culinary skills. And not solely because players can pull out a meat spite and cook up some well-done meat while on an expedition. Hunting monsters can be hunger-inducing work, which requires industrial strength levels of chef skills. This is where the world-famous Canteen from Monster Hunter World comes into the picture, with stat boost-inducing, mouth-watering food. Just giving them a few items, such as meat or vegetables, that you find while on a hunt can enable them to create something tasty.
Nearly any dish that is served by the Palicoes in the Canteen is something to marvel at. And it's not just one dish that looks amazing, it's the entire menu that will have your eyes widening in amazement. These cats can seriously cook for the toughest and hungriest hunters in the land. And just when you think they've peaked with how crazy their dishes can get, they work their magic with any ingredients they're given and come up with something even more delectable. Watching them move through every step of the process is an endurance test of hunger, as each step makes the big reveal very worth it.
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OpenCritic Reviews - Top Critic Avg: 90/100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- January 26, 2018
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- MT Framework
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Expansions
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Moogle mousse with Kupo berry
A loyal servant's cute dessert
If I was a greedy man, I would have this entire list full of dishes from Final Fantasy XV. Due to the visual fidelity of the game, and it's incredible attention to detail in every aspect, the food within the game looks amazing. All of it is done by the masterful hands of Ignis, the loyal servant and friend of Noctis in Final Fantasy XV. Every single recipe you find in the world and give to Ignis to create is a work of art. You may even swear you're looking at a picture of a real dish made at a restaurant.
One of the cuter-looking dishes is a dessert called Moogle mousse with Kupo berry sauce, which is a combination of fresh fruit and a mousse with a berry sauce for it. It provides a good boost to the entire party, but it looks incredibly tasty just by its appearance. The presentation of it resembles a Moogle from the Final Fantasy series, which fits right in with its theme of sweetness. If there was ever someone I wanted in charge of any desserts for Thanksgiving, let alone the whole dinner, it would mostly likely be Ignis working the kitchen for the holiday.
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OpenCritic Reviews - Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 74%
- Released
- November 9, 2016
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- luminous engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Salt-Grilled Gourmet Meat
Zelda food never looked so good
Who would've thought that Link from The Legend of Zelda could be a good cook? But his adventures during The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild required him to pick up the skill of cooking while saving everyone from the Great Calamity. And fighting the forces of evil requires one to have a full stomach with some hearty food. Luckily for everyone, Breath of the Wild has a number of recipes that can be made, including one meaty dish that is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.
By obtaining some rock salt and any combination of raw gourmet meat or raw whole bird while adventuring, Link can put together a serving of Salt-Grilled Gourmet Meat. Doing so and eating it can give a hefty amount of health and various stat boosts, such as Link's attack and defense. Eating the Salt-Grilled Gourmet Meat also grants a buff to Link for heat resistance and a stealth boost, which is a nice addition in certain situations. It's a great item to have on hand when taking on tough battles throughout the game, or when you just need to recoup after doing so many tasks.
While there are plenty of other great recipes that Link can find and make throughout The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there's something great about making a gourmet meat dish that is filling. Although turkey might be the main dish for Thanksgiving Day, who is to say that we can't have more than that on the holiday?
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OpenCritic Reviews - Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- March 3, 2017
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
- Cross Save
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure
We definitely want a plate for seconds
Food is a great thing that brings people together, especially during the holiday season. And with many aspects of life involving food in some way, it's no surprise that video games have food that can cater to our wildest imaginations. And if I wanted to bring any kind of dish to Thanksgiving dinner that wasn't turkey or the standard side dish, any one of these culinary delights would be something worth eating. I'm almost certain everyone at the dinner table would be wanting another plate for seconds.
4 games to play together with family over this Thanksgiving
During the Thanksgiving holiday, these are some games you'll want to boot up and play together with the family.
