Developer: GameLoft
Publisher: GameLoft
Release Date: 6th September 2022 (early access)
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch & Steam
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Take a pinch of Animal Crossing, a small drop of The Sims and a spinkle of some farming game and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, you have created Disney’s Dreamlight Valley.
Personally, I didn’t grow up being a big Disney fan, so I used to stay clear of their games outside of the odd few. However, as of late, Disney seem to know what they want with their licences and have sought out the right companies to deliver the best games possible.
Developer and publisher GameLoft plans to give us not one but two Disney licenced games this year, with the other being a free-to-play Kart Racer, named Disney Speedstorm. For now though, let’s focus on Dreamlight Valley! Despite being in early access, with the full release scheduled for 2023, so far I have sunk in close to 150 hours of gameplay. So suffice to say its been quite the addictive little game. It helps that it hit at just the right time for me, in between several big releases.
When starting the game you are taken into the character creation screen and this is where it feels a little like The Sims. Creation wise it’s not as advanced as EA’s juggernaut though, which currently does rob you of the chance to make a truly distinct-looking avatar.
Luckily this does open up as you advance through the game. Unlocking a ton of customisable outfits, hair, and jewellery, plus the ability to create your own clothing with sticker packs from the many licenses. Think of a simpler version of the sticker tool from Forza Motorsport. This ranges from Fantasia and Toy Story to Moana. There is definitely a lot of content here and it’s perfect for Disney fans who want to collect characters and items for their village.
Once you’re in the main game, you’ll soon realise that all of the characters have forgotten who they are. You are tasked with unlocking their memories by completing various quests and helping to restore the vally to its former peaceful state. In doing so, you’ll collect a ton of artwork from Disney’s long history. You can also gain or earn item chests that will appear randomly throughout the themed maps on offer. Each of these chests will have different coloured bags inside that will give you clothing, items, furniture or a few extra coins.
Dreamlight Valley has taken that addictive gameplay loop of Animal Crossing but allows you to take things at your own pace. Whether you want to farm, fish or capture critters to follow you around as a little pet, it’s a relaxing title that always leaves you wanting more.
Bring in well-known characters like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Wall-E to live in your Village and you’ll become good friends with them, allowing you to level each of them up and unlock new items. In return, they’ll help you out by giving you more collectable items. Whether it’s foraging for plants, fishing or collecting minerals to either sell or use, there are loads of possibilities in the game’s many recipes to cook.
All of this will be useful for completing tasks for each character, so its wise to start collecting items and put them in storage boxes to help you out later. The cooking part of the game, although simple, is a fun little mini-game, especially if you’re just throwing ingredients into the mix to see what comes out.
You’ll earn star coins throughout the game which can be used at Scrooge’s shop or spent on upgrading your home, or indeed the home’s of the characters you have unlocked to now live in the village. You can also craft rare items to fill out your home or village, and sell gems and fish or crops to earn more money to spend in Scrooge’s shop which updates daily with new items. If you don’t want to buy anything from the shop, why not upgrade Remy’s restaurant or one of Goofy’s stalls so you can purchase seeds to farm later on? This is also a good source of long-term income.
Dreamlight is another item you will collect throughout the game by completing daily tasks, catching fish, foraging items etc (a bit like Nook Miles from Animal Crossing). The game starts in the Plaza and Peaceful Meadow and while there’s plenty of exploration here, in order to progress and unlock other locations or biomes, you’ll need to gather enough dreamlight so Merlin can work his magic and clear the paths to these places.
The game has some nice little touches like being able to order furniture and other items from Scrooge to fill out your own house or add to the village. Unlike Animal Crossing, the shop is open 24/7 so you can visit no matter when you are playing. There’s also the ability to fast travel throught the map saving you time as you play.
In its current early access state, it does have its fair share of problems. You may experience game breaking quests, game crashes or weird little glitches where clothing seems to turn your legs into pieces of string. Luckily most of these were ironed out with its first update but I do think it still needs a little work before it’s free to play release next year.
It has to be said though that despite its current state, it’s an addictive game that hooked me instantly with its gameplay loop and cast of characters. Its not perfect (yet) but I look forward to seeing where they’ll take this game as it has so much potential, expecially with the Disney library. With plenty of content to be added overtime, I think I’ll be here for sometime.
-James