Cake Bash Review
Release Date: October 14th, 2020
Developer: High Tea Frog
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
Price: $19.99
With the way things have gone in 2020, you would have thought we'd see more games try to give a sense of relaxation and escapism instead of the usual photorealism and gun-laden games that continue to come out in droves in every corner, but Cake Bash comes at a time as we're closing the year to finally be the one to give us that sense of fun through its wholesomeness and cuteness that is almost too much to bear, but in the best way possible. Party games have always been popular, but as of late thee has been a particular fondness of them as we're all locked into our homes and forced to stay away from others for the time being, so online gaming keeps us connected during these uncertain times. Cake Bash not only provides a way for us to connect, but brings with it a unique take on the party genre that you can't help but laugh at and smile along with as you see these adorable baked goods literally bash the batter out of each other to be the tastiest one at the end of the round.
Providing game modes in local and online with others and bots, Cake Bash puts you through a sequence of mini-games that come in a variety of formats to keep things from being repetitive and shallow, and while it seems like you may end up playing some of the same ones over again, the mini-games are tailored to be short and sweet without overstaying their welcome, giving an almost addictive approach while playing Cake Bash, wanting you to jump in more and more as each game ends whether you're the winner or not. These game modes work well for bots and real people both local and online, and with how frenetic Cake Bash can get in general, skill will only get players so far as anything can happen at any moment. I frequently felt similar stress (in a good way) to Splatoon where the final 30 seconds can completely change the landscape of the round no matter how much of a lead one side has had, and the same sort of principal applies here.
Now we may not all agree on which pastries are the best. I, for one, am not too crazy for lemon cakes, but thankfully Cake Bash has a diverse profile of delectable desserts to choose from as you fight to aim to be the tastiest and the strongest, from slices of cakes to cupcakes, donuts to flan, and more. No matter what you choose, though, Cake Bash keeps its cute aesthetic throughout, and it brings with it nonstop laughs as Cake Bash's odd mix of party games and brawlers marries itself nicely into each other with gorgeous visuals and an easy to pickup gameplay that will undoubtedly be fun even for those with little to no history with video games. Z/X/C are your main buttons that can attack, pickup/throw, and dash respectively, followed by the arrow keys that allow you to move. There isn't much to really memorize and you'll have plenty of fingers that can relax and not be utilized while playing, though the inability to remap controls makes the keyboard and mouse method a bit of a disaster, and it's highly recommended to use a controller whenever possible. Using an Xbox One controller with my PC after my first hour with keyboard and mouse, I immediately felt comfortable as the control method was a lot more intuitive and ergonomic compared to the KB/M option that felt all too familiar to some RPG Maker games that for some reason refuse to use WADS to move with odd mapping that finds your hands moving around a keyboard more than an MMO would. At first this was a big drawback, but thankfully the controller support came in to save the day. Playing Cake Bash on PC, however, got me thinking about how great of a game it can be playing locally, and while we currently sit in a pandemic distancing ourselves from each other to stay safe, online gaming has obviously become more prominent now than ever, but Cake Bash will be the ultimate party experience for families and those they feel safe around and once more and more people start coming together again when things ease out again. Party games I think are the most fun being a local experience with memories shared among those around you, and with Cake Bash's release on Switch in particular imminent, you're going to start to see a lot of great memories being made because of it. Cake Bash is a sweet and stellar time that really has that key Power Puff Girl ingredient of having that sugar, spice, and everything nice.
With party games being back on the rise thanks to the likes of Fall Guys and Among Us, Cake Bash weaves its way in as the one to complete the holy trinity of fresh and inventive ways to bring smiles, laughs, and tons of fun that's bound to last for ages. Cake Bash lends itself perfectly to a growing game that can easily see new content updates adding new maps and modes to keep the fun going inexorably, and with a cute aesthetic, gorgeous visuals, and an easy to pick up play style, Cake Bash is accessible for anyone and everyone looking for a good time. The best part is Cake Bash isn't just a series of mini-games you compete and bash in, but also has objectives between those games where you're trying to be the tastiest pastry of the bunch and be hand-selected in a bakery as the one to go to a special customer. The coins you gather within the mini-games are then spent here for a variety of toppings to increase the appeal of the pastry you've chosen, and then declared the winner or loser at the end of the game through a point-based system that gives or takes away scoring depending on how rotten you've gotten, how well you've performed, and any other little attributes throughout the game. Cake Bash has easily become one of the best party games in the last few years to release and should be proud of its accomplishments, and it can easily have a long and lucrative lifespan so long as it stays connected with its audience and maintaining a frequent series of updates and enhances to make the game even bigger and better than it already is.
PROS:
Gorgeous visuals and an adorable art direction keep Cake Bash unique and immediately appealing
A variety of mini-games that are all fun, regardless of any frustrations from how frenetic some can get
Games don't ever feel like they overstay their welcome and its charm keeps you coming back for more
CONS:
Keyboard usage is terrible with no way to remap and allow for mouse functionality as well. It is highly advised to use a controller and *only* a controller
Tons of pastries and desserts to choose from, but the customization is extremely lackluster.
A big thank you to to High Tea Frog for providing a copy of Cake Bash for the purposes of this review