There's a surprising number of cookbooks based on popular video games. Drawing inspiration from some of the biggest and best series in the medium, these instructional tomes extend their world-building into reality. These 4D experiences can transport your tastebuds to the frosty Norse landscapes of God of War, Stardew Valley's sleepy village lifestyle, and even the (less appetising) radioactive wastes of Fallout.
Today, though, we're putting the focus on Guerrilla Games' post-post apocalyptic action RPG, Horizon. The official cookbook — Tastes of the Seven Tribes — is available now, and I'm here to tell you about it, but also to put it through its paces.
Yes, I'm bringing you along as I attempt to make a handful of recipes from the book. While I can't show you everything (the cookbook contains 65 food and drink recipes), I've picked out a few that appeal to me and that I thought would be fun to tackle. Before we get to the making, though, let's talk about the book itself.
The first thing to say about Tastes of the Seven Tribes is that, while it is first and foremost a cookbook, it also tells the tale of the Oseram chef, Milduf Boarbroiler. Fans may recall this character from Horizon Forbidden West, working in the tavern in Chainscrape. Framed as a sort of journal, the book chronicles Milduf's travels, the simple premise being that he visits each of the world's tribes to sample their different cuisines.
It's a clever way to structure the cookbook, too; sections represent a handful of recipes from each of the clans, and the collections do all somewhat stand apart from one another. The seafaring Quen rely heavily on seafood, as you might imagine; the Utaru people cook up a range of vegetarian dishes, with tofu (sorry, beanweed) being the main protein; and it's big, hearty, meaty meals for the Oseram.
Flavor text (no pun intended) accompanies each recipe, again giving you a bit of backstory on Milduf's situation as he traverses the land. It's a nice touch that, even if you never make a single meal from the book, fans are getting a little more Horizon lore to chew on (pun intended). It should also be noted that nearly all the recipes included are consumable items found within the games, allowing you to make manifest many of the meals Aloy can eat in Forbidden West.
The whole thing is very nicely presented, too. The hardcover cookbook is full of attractive photography and original artwork, and each recipe is laid out clearly. A difficulty indicator and other key info (yield, cooking time, dietary information, etc.) can help you decide what to make at a glance, as well.
All in all, then, the book itself is a great item for Horizon die-hards, with its culinary lore that further fleshes out each tribe. It comes down to the recipes themselves, then. Again, it'd be nice to try them all, but Milduf I am not, so we'll just be exploring a few here.
Thanks to Insight Editions for sending us a copy of The Official Horizon Cookbook: Tastes of the Seven Tribes. The book is available to purchase now. Will you be cooking up any Horizon meals yourselves? Have you used any other video game cookbooks? Simmer away in the comments section below.