Game update: 30/11/16

Hats, scarves and gloves at the ready! There's a serious chill coming...

Notification for winter themed update

We've got our first winter themed update of the season, with plenty of snow on display across a selection of new content. It's all unlocked at level 29 and can be seen in the following list:

Tables:

• Snowy Table - 2 gems

Chairs:

• Snow Chair - 10,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Quilled Snowflake - 10,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Snow Sledding - 60 gems
• Snowflake Candles - 16,000 coins
• Snowy Centerpiece - 15,000 coins
• Snowy Pine Tree - 18,000 coins
• Holiday Cheer Bistro - 32 gems (LTO)

Wallpapers:

• Snowy Forecast - 8,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Snowy Hardwood - 5,500 coins

Counters:

• Snowy Counter - 15,000 coins

Just as with last's week's batch of additions, the prices are very appealing. Perhaps the equivalent content coming at exactly the same prices may have something to do with that! Once again there are just two permanent decorations which cost gems, leaving almost everything well within our grasp. This is especially pleasing this week, given that many players are now scrambling around for funds after turning their wallets upside down over Black Friday weekend.

However it is a little concerning that the game's developers have stuck with exactly the same prices as seven days ago. Is this a show of the laziness we often get with the statistics for new recipes? Whilst the costs are so biased towards coins this won't be a particularly serious concern, but I'd certainly encourage Storm8 to keep changing up the costs to keep the updates fresh.

As for the theme itself, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. With this update landing on the last day of November I fully expected the gamemakers to squeeze in a non-seasonal update, so it's unexpected to see something really tying into the current dark nights. And I also like how it is easing us into the Christmas period. Other than the limited time offer this is a winter based update rather than a Christmas one, with the emphasis on the season rather than the festivities which dominate the month of December.

Before we get into the individual decor, here's a snap from the Storm8 Blog displaying all of the new items introduced in this update:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

I'm going to start with the Snowy Table and Snow Chair, mostly because they look oddly familiar. They are completely new, but have been heavily influenced by tables and chairs of yesteryear. In particular the Frosty Table, Winter Table, Icicle Table and Winter Chair are major influences, which mean that these two are not really 'new' as such for long time players. However with all of those furnishings listed either removed or only available to those who completed a past goal set, they will certainly appeal to newer players.

The table was one of the two gem buys in this update, with the other being the Snow Sledding. A serious 4x4 floor decoration, this item weighs in at a hefty 60 gems. After my Black Friday binge this piece is way out of my price range, and I won't be alone. It's a shame because this does look to be a really cool item - four kids are having fun with their traditional wooden sledges on a slippery white slope. The specks of snow floating around add an extra dimension to it, but at such a high price it's going to have to be a no from me.

It's worth noting that the Snow Sledding bears some resemblance to the Sledding, a second prize in the Snowman Hat box. I'm sure like me you're probably sick of the sight of crates after the weekend, but I felt duty-bound to make this comparison!

The Snowy Pine Tree is much more accessible to us at 18,000 coins, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It features a pine tree coated in thick snow at the lower reaches of each section, and as with the Snow Sledding there are snowflakes dotted around for good measure. This is a really attractive decoration which could be used in so many ways to great effect. It's also a fine fit for Christmas despite not having a clear festive outlook. I expect to see this tree in a lot of restaurants over the next couple of months.

The two remaining floor items are a little more low key, but that doesn't mean they should be written off. The Snowflake Candles and Snowy Centerpiece both depict candles surrounded by some chilly designs. The former is the more notable with the large blocks of snowflake-shaped ice playing the role of tealight holder and a nice bunch of roses at the front of the table. But both are nice and could make for decent fillers when it comes to winter decorating.

Over to the wall and the Quilled Snowflake which has a slightly yellow complexion and several bluish beads near the centre. There's a hint of sophistication about this wall item just like with those two candle based decorations, although I think it is likely to be most effective on a darker background such as the Snowy Night wallpaper.

In contrast the Snowy Forest wallpaper portrays a light blue sky. However it does have a really good tie-in with another piece from this update - the snow covered trees in the wallpaper mirror the Snowy Pine Trees, meaning that there is scope to combine the two in a very pleasing winter scene.

The floor tile introduced goes for more of an indoor vibe, with the Snowy Hardwood bringing some snow inside. In truth the snow effect isn't very well executed, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. After all it makes this appear to simply be a floorboard tile which is marked. I'm not sure I'd use it for winter decorating, but there's certainly scenarios where it could be a fine fit.

Last among the regular additions is the Snowy Counter. To be honest I'm not all that taken by this counter, and I think the wooden side panels are responsible. There's nothing wrong with the wooden effect (indeed this is a texture that Storm8 have perfected these days) - it's more the fact that there's no snow on the panels. Consequently the counter just looks overly neat for one with a covering of snow. Some lines of snow akin to what we see around the Snowy Pine Tree would have helped resolve this.

Overall though I'm feeling pretty positive about this update. And that's with one more item still be to be looked at. The Holiday Cheer Bistro is around for five days only.

Notification for Holiday Cheer Bistro limited time offer

It's not often I have to admit to this but I have no idea about the history of this floor decoration. It's been a very long time since we had a classic limited time offer involving a completely new item, but it's possible we have that here. I can't afford this special so can't get a close look but it appears to involve a family enjoying some Christmas dinner with a waitress bringing out more food and drink.

Update: Thanks to Whipped Cream (via the comments) and Fat Bear (in-game) for letting me know that the Holiday Cheer Bistro is a second prize in the Sleigh Crate!

If this is the dawn of a new era for LTOs with them being brand new decor that would be exciting. But I would caveat that by suggesting that Storm8 really need to provide a larger preview than the small thumbnail in the market. Even the notification window with the timer counting down would suffice to give us a better look at the notable gem investment we're being asked to make.

The Holiday Cheer Bistro is the only true hint of Christmas in the update, and has really whet my appetite for more. With no goals from previous years re-released today I'd assume that that will come next week if it's going to happen. And as a result there's got to be a good chance that next week is when Christmas content is dropped big time, even if it doesn't include the 2016 quest. If the festive season lives up to the high quality of this update then we're in for a fantastic Christmas in Restaurant Story this year.

In fact, I'm feeling so festive at the prospect that I might just go and look out my real life Christmas tree!