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| Notification for laboratory themed update |
The theme is the laboratory, with a selection of content as science takes centre stage in Restaurant Story. Before I set something on fire or poison myself, let's peruse a list of all the additions, each of which are unlocked at level 21:
Tables:
- Lab Table X - 2 gems
- Lab Chair X - 6,000 coins
- Food Sign - 4 gems
- Lab Warning Poster - 11,000 coins
- Lab Sign - 9,000 coins
- Venus Fly Trap - 15 gems
- Standing Microscope - 14,000 coins
- Chemical Bonds - 1 gem
- White Hex Lab Tile - 4,000 coins
- Lab Counter X - 8,000 coins
There's no getting away from it - this is an odd choice of theme. I was really anticipating an Olympic or back to school theme, or even some more summer related stuff. However at a stretch you can I suppose put this lot under the back to school banner. That's probably a pure coincidence though.
The make up of the new content is slightly unusual in that we have more wall decorations than floor decorations. For a glimpse at everything introduced, cast your eye on this snap from the Storm8 Blog:
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| Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog |
Note that in the bottom centre of the teaser is the Lab Counter from a Halloween update last year - it is not new.
There's some real chemistry on display, none more so than with the Chemical Bonds wallpaper. With the graphical representation of some hydrocarbon compounds ruggedly depicted on a dark background, this wallpaper evokes some horrible memories for me of sitting in chemistry classes attempting to pronounce bromochlorodifluoromethane. Yikes!
The chemistry lessons continue with the two wall decoration signs. Both the Food Sign and Lab Sign treat each letter as a chemical symbol, with the associated atomic number displayed in tiny text above. I must admit I only identified three of the five elements showcased! In terms of appearance these signs don't do much for me - they're a little too cheery colour-wise, but I guess they'll fit well in a school layout.
The other new wall decor available is the Lab Warning Sign. This one is a little more subtle, not only in its use of just a couple of colours but also in its link to the restaurant. A fair addition which may not only slot in well into a laboratory but also into a kitchen section.
The hexagon shapes of the White Hex Lab Tile tie in with the Chemical Bonds wallpaper which also has those hexagon forms. I believe these are specific to aromatic hydrocarbons (we've reached the limit of my chemistry knowledge here!) but whatever the case they make for a unique flooring. It's something different and definitely original. I'm sure there will be plenty of scope for using this relatively simple tile in the future.
Talking of the future, I absolutely love the Lab Table X and Lab Chair X. They're not so much lab related as futuristic. There are already such tables and chairs exist, but I really like how this pair each use only one colour in addition to white - they're not over-engineered. Unfortunately the table does come for 2 gems each, but I can still see myself possibly investing in it sometime.
The Lab Counter X is a little different, with beakers and flasks of exotic fluids within a glass box. Storm8 do love their glass counters, but in this case it's acceptable since you view this counter as something of a floor decoration. In this respect it is similar to the Organic counter which consists of a glass box packed with fruit and vegetables.
Finally we have two floor decorations which take the science in a different direction. Up until now we've been entrenched in the field of chemistry, but these last two are more related to biology. First up is the Venus Fly Trap which would make a nice plant for studying in the lab but I'm not sure I'd want to get too close! With the traps all coiling at differing angles, I'm liking this plant. It is only 1x1 in size though and probably doesn't merit the 15 gem asking price.
Then there's the Standing Microscope for taking a closer look at... well, what?! I'm not sure what is being put under the microscope here - to me it looks like a bun with some coloured fruits embedded on top, but maybe I'm missing something obvious! Overall this piece isn't doing it for me, although it must be said that the rendering of the instrument itself is really impressive.
Without a large item this update does feel a little lacking. But with so much lab based stuff already in the market, this batch can be viewed as a top up of sorts. The timing of it may be surprising, but I urge players to think ahead to how handy some of this content may be when it comes to Halloween decorating in a couple of months.
Before I turn off the Bunsen burner for the night, there's a special sale to be discussed.
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| Notification for sale on Indoor Zen Garden |
The Indoor Zen Garden is the top prize in the Asian Fusion Chest, and is in no way connected to the theme of this update. However it is a much coveted decoration, with it's colossal 4x4 size making it a real showstopper. At 40 gems it is an excellent deal for a box first prize so well worth picking up if you're big on the Asian themed decor.
That's it for now. I think the main thing we've learnt from this laboratory update is that I'm something of a closet chemist!
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