Stirring Up Success Behind the Virtual Bar
I once worked in a pub; a pub that was so rough that on a Saturday night they used to have a bouncer behind the bar. But since those times, public houses have been in decline, with the old boozers on the way out. People want a different experience on their nights out, and that’s why the cocktail bars have come to the fore. See, folk get degrees in being a mixologist now, and in Bartender Hustle those skills will come to the fore as you go mixing drinks, serving customers, and giving them a shoulder to cry on if needed.
Are you ready to shake and stir?
Shaking and Serving
Bartender Hustle will make you want to go all-in with the cocktail vibes, so much so that shortly after playing the game, I went out and bought a cocktail shaker.
In the story, you play a bar person who is starting a new job at a bar in town. You start the game in your apartment, given a choice of clothes to wear and ones to buy later if you like. In the bar, your new boss tells you about what to do, and then you are off.
The story is focused on the customers you meet along the way, like a barista who is trying to set you up with her boss, a man who speaks like a robot, and someone who is trying to get you to pay protection money. These little interactions are fine, and the change to different locations is good, but it’s a sidebar to what you’re here to do – mix some drinks.
Crafting Cocktails
Running in first person, you are the only worker behind the bar, and all your tools are there to be had. You have your different types of glasses, from a highball glass to a champagne flute. Then there are all the spirits, working from vodka to absinthe. You have mixers like cola and tonic too, as well as syrups, bitters and then some fruit to decorate the glass. Straws and the famous small umbrella are there as well should you need to call on them, whilst a whole range of other drinks are present too; wine, beers, lagers on tap.
This is how Bartender Hustle works: you get a drink order, and you have to go through several steps to make the drink. For example, you might have something simple like a Pale Ale, which means getting a glass and filling it up to around 8oz of liquid and then serving it. That’s pretty simple and you’ll find yourself getting a tip depending on how accurate your serving is.
It gets more complicated though, especially as cocktails come to the fore, adding ice, getting the right measurements of different spirits, and then stirring or shaking and adding the right adornments. It’s strangely addictive, but annoying if you get one thing wrong, and need to start over again.
When you have completed the story, which only takes a few hours, you have other options in Bartender Hustle. Arcade mode gives you your own bar, leaving you to take care of it, keeping it maintained. This again is good fun, and sim fans will enjoy it. There’s also a Sandbox mode, allowing the opportunity to mix cocktails to your heart’s content, without the pressure of bar maintenance or customers. And then the endless mode is as it says on the tin.
A Well-Stocked Virtual Bar
The visuals are neat, and the bar is well-stocked and fun. Character models are okay, and the bar environments are reasonably well designed. Menus are clear and concise, as are the instructions for mixing the cocktails. In fact, Bartender Hustle is simple enough to get around. Alongside that, the audio comes with a load of different tracks which you might find playing out in a supermarket, but it works well enough for mixing drinks.
A Dive into the Art of Mixology
You should enjoy the chance to get behind the bar of Bartender Hustle, especially if drink mixing is your bag. What keeps it interesting is the variety of cocktails, the different locations, and the variety of modes on offer from the beginning.
Story wise there isn’t much to it, and there are a few things like getting a breakdown of your wages at the end of the shift that feel a bit redundant, but on the whole, Bartender Hustle will tempt you into the mixology life.
Important Links
Shake, Stir & Serve! Bartender Hustle Pours onto Xbox Today – https://www.thexboxhub.com/shake-stir-serve-bartender-hustle-pours-onto-xbox-today/
Buy Bartender Hustle on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/bartender-hustle/9pd47f83m79r
