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| Notification for Classy Halloween box |
Given that it was four weeks since our last box, it was no surprise to find a notification for the Classy Halloween crate upon opening the game this evening. Coming with a 24 gem asking price, tapping this box will result in one of eight possible prizes being awarded, with several tiers of rarity and variety in the quality of content.
Before we get into the specifics of this crate, I have to say that another Halloween themed update was rather unexpected. I was having visions of a repeat of October 2014 when the goals update was the only one to offer new Halloween stuff, especially considering that that has been the case in Bakery Story this year. But I've been proven wrong and so we have another opportunity to eerie up our diners.
At this juncture let's have a look at the teaser for the Classy Halloween crate which was published on the Storm8 Blog on Tuesday:
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| Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog |
A little like with last week's preview, the white floor doesn't do much for showcasing the darkness of the fresh decorations. The gamemakers could really have done with implementing a grassy tile of some sort and lining the walls with a graveyard based wallpaper.
Nevertheless, in terms of quality the content isn't a write-off. As has been the way of late there are still some sizing problems but dealing purely with the design side of things the items are decent enough.
Here's a draft distribution list for the prizes:
First Prize
- Halloween Candy Bar
- Bat Light
- Halloween Firepit
- 'Halloween Pumpkin Cart'
- Halloween Scarecrow
- Halloween Flowers
- 'Halloween Topiary'
- 'Crow Lamppost'
This list has been cobbled together using the little information we definitively have along with some dodgy instinct. This includes some really handy information posted by pcabral03 on the Storm8 Forum. If you can offer any corrections (including regarding the names of prizes) do feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
The headline here is the size of the first prize. Going by the notification, the Halloween Candy Bar is definitely the first prize, and yet is only 2x1. This alone is pretty unacceptable, but then it just becomes downright weird when we see that the third prize Halloween Scarecrow is 3x3 and the second prize Bat Light is 1x1. Before the update was pushed out I would have wagered a lot of gems that the scarecrow was the leading item and the bat was a fourth prize given their respective sizes.
I can't really understand how Storm8 have come to these decisions. Admittedly the scarecrow with its pumpkin patch, pitchfork and perching crows is the superior piece here, and that in theory should make me keener to open the box since it is easier to obtain than it would be if it were a first or second prize, Yet this means that if this is a fateful tap and I get a first or second prize, it's going to be a really underwhelming one.
Having said all of this, the Halloween Candy Bar isn't a bad decoration. It comes loaded with detail including glass jars of sweets, melting candles and bunting wrapped around the sides of the table. It's an attractive prize, but ultimately is never going to steal a scene which is undoubtedly a requirement of a first prize in a crate.
Halloween 2016
The other major prize is the Halloween Firepit which depicts a circular cauldron surrounded by pumpkins and bunting. Standalone this is another strong item, with the stars around the side of the cauldron a particularly nice touch. You can even make out a disgruntled face on the nearest pumpkin (or at least I can!) But once again this is not as imposing an item as I hope to see from a second prize.
Of the rest of the prizes, the 'Halloween Pumpkin Cart' and 'Crow Lamppost' are the two that stand out to me, The cart is a nice Halloween alternative to some of the Autumn themed pumpkin based decor we already have, while the lamppost says a lot with very little courtesy of the crooked shaft and dark outlook. Interestingly, there is a similar lamppost with crow perching in a box over in Bakery Story.
So the Classy Halloween box is probably a pass for me. There's a few good'uns to be had, but overall the quality just isn't high enough to merit parting with serious numbers of gems, especially as we edge ever closer to Black Friday.
Now for a tenuous link - the 'Halloween Fire' has a potentially dangerous flame burning, so we may have a need to call the fire brigade. Oh look - there's a sale on the Firefighter Crate!
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| Notification for sale on Firefighter Crate |
That was one of the worst links I've ever done on this blog, although that is fitting given that this is one of the worst boxes ever in Restaurant Story. To illustrate my point, allow me to quote myself from when this box was first released:
"It's abundantly clear that this box has gone down like a shed engulfed in flames."That pretty much sums up my feelings on the Firefighter Crate. It has no decorations worthy of 24 gems, but crucially for this sale, it also has no decorations worthy of 12 gems. That's a damning indictment, but that's how I see it.
That's all I've got to say regarding this week's update which it has to be said hasn't really hit the heights. There are a few good items in the new box, but essentially it follows recent chests in being all over the shop when it comes to the quality versus rarity of the prizes.
But before I sign off on this downbeat note, allow me to blow my own trumpet and finish with a flourish. This, ladies and gentleman, is the 500th post on the Restaurant Story Adventures blog!
Never did I think I'd reach this milestone. It's taken over three-and-a-half years to achieve it, but it's been worth every minute. Over this time I've released approaching 200 posts on weekly game updates like this one, with the rest tallying up from goals content reports, the Suggestions Box, RS2 News and lots of other less regular features.
It's been a thrill, and that's only the story so far. Maybe one day I'll be proclaiming a thousand posts!
The ordering and ranking of these items confuses me... I'd gladly spend 24 gems on the scarecrow but nothing else.
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