Like many of my high school and college friends So I did not get to work in a coffee shop and I did not want to pass up the opportunity to work as a barista or should I say, work as a potionista for iconic Disney villains Gigachad Gaston or livestreamer Maleficent were not on my 2025 bingo card but I am So glad to see them.
Customer service is a horrible job. Everyone knows the work is exhausting, the pay is low and the customers are terrible. Disney villains is notorious for a sharp wit very coolest attitude or cocky behavior which means they are a perfect fit for the cafe's customers: completely ruthless or egotistical.
15 dollars is way too much to ask for for a visual novel in my opinion, even if it has a Disney label next to it. Disney's reputation isn't great when it comes to video games, but after last year's Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, I was hoping this could be the start of a new era for the House of Mouse.
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| Credit _Disney Villains Cursed Cafe |
The Cursed Café immediately piqued my interest. Hipster Disney villains wearing dirty dishes and going about their everyday lives? I puting my dirty potion stained apron or got Ready for the working. Instead of ordering custom coffee, I concocted amazing drinks for oblivious villains who lament their evil struggles.
Potion making is worth a try
The initial visual novel format can be daunting, especially with the motion controls on the Switch, which move the screen around as you talk. It's a subtle feature that adds depth to the 2D visuals, but as a perpetually restless person, it made me a little dizzy. Still, it gave me hope that maybe Disney wasn't so quick to make a buck-a-buck game out of their scariest characters.
For the visuals novel there is lots of room for error here. You'll have to do the work of making the potions yourself, except for a few recipes available from the start. And Making the mistake or then results in poor rating and the missed opportunity to learn more about your favorite character villain. Some customers are easier to please than others, like the head-scratching Gaston, who is the opposite of Maleficent, the mistress of all evil. You only getting the only one chance with customers per day or You can also choose your potions wisely.
I gathered random ingredients to serve the evil queen, which eventually resulted in yogurt. She drank it angrily and told me. If it weren't for Yzma's sudden arrival at the counter, I would have missed out on a great conversation.
The inclusion of a rework feature is nice, and technically these are free. You can try as many times as you like to experiment with dialogue options and potions, but it becomes a hassle to complete each day from the beginning when you make a mistake.
The villains aren't villainous enough
Although these are the most notorious Disney characters, they still lack that special something that makes them so lovable. If anything, they feel like Boomers themselves, just a lot less scary and a lot more annoying. Like actually working in customer service - but we are talking about Disney. Shouldn't it be magical? Interesting? An escape from reality?
Maleficent wants to be on top of the world by livestreaming her visits to the cafe, Gaston constantly needs everyone's attention, the Evil Queen needs reassurance to feel regal, and Cruella want to everyone see how stylish or wealthy she is despite her wealth having nearly disappeared in this alternately cafe universe.
Perhaps it takes gradual effort to get to the best parts, just like it takes patience to make the perfect coffee. However, some of the villains seem really mismatched. For one thing, Gaston doesn't even see himself as a villain - and Cruella de Vil isn't considered the most horrific in terms of her crimes. Yes, the puppy coat was a pretty dangerous thing, but compared to people like Jafar and Maleficent? It's an odd choice, when there are other villains like Hades or Gothel who would provide a more light-hearted, comedic atmosphere, while still getting the respect that Disney villains deserve.
There's not much thinking or decision-making required here, which I quite enjoyed. Let me make a cute shake by mixing frozen ideas haphazardly, or mix several ingredients to help Gaston spit fire for attention. Avoid doing anything so Maleficent doesn't leave a terrible review on Talkzik to kill her fellow streamers and hate me. She's so evil she won't even leave a tip.
For the price, it's well worth it
Although Disney villains have become the millennial caricature of visual novels, there's still some entertainment left. Giving out the wrong medicines, ignoring villains that come to the counter, and rescheduling the day to do it all makes the game very replayable.
Then, the ease with which you can make a mistake and then have to start from the beginning dampens my enthusiasm. I do not wanted to waiting experience a loading screen in a visuals novel when there is a no skip button. At that point, it's literally like working in customer service again, and I don't want to go back to that situation. Even the chance to help Gaston think about why he should be loved by everyone isn't enough to bring me back, as I have the attention span of a goldfish these days.
It's best to present Disney Villains Cursed Café in small chunks so the atmosphere of the café stays. Personally, I play one game a day to keep the story moving, but if you just want to see how the story ends, this can all be completed in a couple of hours. Threaten the villains or help them become better people if you want; at the end of the day, it's your cafe.
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