Disney Dreamlight Valley is the Mouse House’s take on the “Animal Crossing” Genre. While it doesn’t have the years of experience behind that popular Social Simulation game from Nintendo, it has all the IP of Disney and that is enough to make this one of the most addictive titles around at the moment.
The game is described as a hybrid of Life SIm and Adventure Game, but I’d just say it’s really just “Animal Crossing” with a Disney Skin. In fact, it has all of the Disney and Pixar family of characters to choose from which means you’ll see the likes of Anna and Elsa living in the same world as Wall-E, Buzz and Woody.
Synopsis
Once an idyllic land, Dreamlight Valley was a place where Disney and Pixar characters lived in harmony—until the Forgetting. Night Thorns grew across the land and severed the wonderful memories tied to this magical place. With nowhere else to go, the hopeless inhabitants of Dreamlight Valley retreated behind locked doors in the Dream Castle.
Now it’s up to you to discover the stories of this world and bring the magic back to Dreamlight Valley!
It's Really Hard to Put Down
Full disclosure, I downloaded this early access title on Xbox Game Pass ready to play with my young Daughter who is Disney Princess obsessed. But I’ve been playing for quite a few hours now and I’m yet to show it to her.
This is partly down to I generally get to play games after she has gone to bed, but also I’m not ready to expose her to a game that requires you to play for extremely long periods to achieve the goals. Mind you, it hasn’t stopped ME from playing it though, it’s actually really good.
I really loved “Animal Crossing” but having a game with characters that are extremely recognisable makes you want to complete quests for them even more.
Your interest in the story is driven by the mysterious darkness surrounding the land known as the “Forgetting” which actually does a great job of inspiring you to seek out the items that will help the inhabitants of the land remember their past selves and in turn discover more about your own past.
The initial stages of discovery within the surroundings of the valley are good but it’s when you enter the Realms of the Dream Castle that you’ll start venturing into iconic places to meet and unlock characters like Anna and Moanna. Once unlocked you can bring them home.
As you unlock more and more, you’ll need to use the magical Royal Tools to design and re-design the entire look of the Valley to make it unique to you. This includes the home you move into at the very start of the game. Collect and purchase furniture and items, plus upgrade your digs by adding new rooms or making them bigger. The options here are really endless and it’s extremely easy to use.
Food plays a big part in your progression, you need to eat in order to fill your activity meter so you can continue to play. As you play you’ll unlock recipes to help you in your journey and with your standing with your Disney friends. A way to people’s hearts is through their stomachs afterall.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is in early access on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC, plus the game is coming to Mac. Retail prices vary depending on the system or digital purchase and what versions of the game you get as there are more expensive Deluxe and Ultimate editions.
The game is in early access which generally means “bugs” but I haven’t noticed anything worth mentioning.
I’m playing as part of my Xbox Game Pass subscription, but I have a friend who bought it on PlayStation, and he’s not complaining. I wonder when his daughter will get to play it?
