Dosa Divas review: "I came for the culinary mechs and Jet Set Radio vibes, I stayed for the emotional rollercoaster"

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from Dosa Divas. I certainly wasn't expecting a cross between Jet Set Radio, Venba, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – but here we are. The culinary arts are important to both the narrative and the gameplay and so, while I won't make tiresomely obvious "food fight" jokes, it must be said that the story is surprisingly… stirring.

I really must stress that Dosa Divas has a powerful and memorable identity of its own, but the above references are useful. It's the colorful, often angular art and funk-tinged soundtrack that put me in mind of Jet Set Radio, for example. So too does the rebelling against homogeny and authority, which (unexpectedly perhaps) ties directly into why it sometimes reminds me of Venba. Sisters Samara and Amani reunite after many years apart, and are alarmed to find that their third sister – Lina – has abandoned the family tradition of lovingly home-cooked food in order to build an oppressive business empire based on mass-produced, minimally nutritious slop.

Sounds like the perfect setup for a breezy, lightweight, home cooking versus ultra-processed food story. It could have been, and that would've been, y'know, OK. And, while to a small extent that's what it is, I referenced Clair Obscur not only because Dosa Divas similarly insists on QTEs to enhance attacks and blocks (rather than parries), but also because they're similarly emotional. I would in fact say that Dosa Divas is more likely to mercilessly play a relatable tune on your heartstrings, because its gut-punches would and could still hit without the existence of a fantastical world.

Let them cook

This is all sewn together with turn-based combat, where the elements are flavor-based (sweet, sour, savory, salty, spicy) rather than fire, ice, etc. While your three characters – Samara, Amani, and their battle/cooking mech Goddess – will slowly unlock new skills, there are only a few for each. This, combined with the reliance on QTEs and even button-bashing for certain moves, serves to simplify combat down somewhat. It works just fine, but isn't exactly the highlight of the experience.

This is appropriate (if not entirely desirable) because, although you'll engage in many battles before the credits roll, fighting really isn't what Dosa Divas is about. It's about food, it's about cooking, and it's about the unexpected things that they can touch directly. Family, grief, memory, love. This is why food plays a central role not only in the story and how people connect to one another, but gameplay too.

Each area has hungry NPCs that need feeding. Sometimes in order to advance the story, sometimes as optional tasks for extra rewards. These citizens are so hungry, they double over with hands clasped to their bellies, emitting a worryingly loud stomach rumble.

Despite this seemingly supernatural hunger, everybody demands a very specific food and will not eat anything else. But, hey, I've raised three kids. I'm used to this.

Goddess isn't just there for you to ride around and help punch office workers in the face. She's also a mobile kitchen. Any time outside of battle, you can enter her to cook up any known recipes (or have a go at making something random). Food items are important not only to satisfy the irritatingly specific needs of NPCs, but also to battle. Cooking food is the only way to get items that will heal you, temporarily increase stats, and dispel negative status effects.

Diva intervention

Dosa Divas places huge importance on food and cooking, so each meal will need to be prepared via a series of simple mini-games. This process doesn't have anything near the intelligence or complexity of Venba, but it does serve as a reminder that food doesn't magically pop into existence from nowhere. Similarly, you'll need to get your own ingredients by harvesting them from the environment, collecting rewards from battles, or fishing. Oh, and some things must be bought from the merchant. The most ferociously horny merchant I have ever encountered.

Seriously, if the Resident Evil merchant displayed this attitude while opening his jacket and leering at Leon (especially with that voice), Resident Evil 4 would have been banned in 56 countries on grounds of indecency. The trader in Dosa Divas, Kabi, is thirsty. One of the most impressive feats of writing here is making him seem like a cheeky rascal rather than a total creep. Kabi doesn't sell drinks, but if he did, he'd be offering a stiff one to everybody in a three mile radius.

You wouldn't perhaps expect it from a game that embraces color and can be extremely funny, but Dosa Divas grapples with some very weighty subject matter. It doesn't always nail it, but it usually does. There are some universal truths confronted here. Family relationships can be messy and distinctly imperfect; past mistakes can not be erased; redeeming yourself for the worst ones is not quick and easy, nor should it be.

Combat never really gets past 'OK', but excellent writing allows the experience to soar. It's a relievingly reasonable length, too; I finished the story in about nine hours with some extra stuff still to mop up (though the shine comes off a little when the busywork doesn't have the script to back it up). This is a beautiful gaming cake that I'd encourage you to devour – and I'm sure Kabi would be happy for you to pop in the kitchen and lick the spoon.

Outerloop's last RPG was an hilarious take on battling exes on a quest for love. In our Thirsty Suitors review, we called it "a witty, heartfelt adventure about going home".