Disney Dreamlight Valley Review: Feel the All-Encompassing Love

In our Disney Dreamlight Valley review, we take a look at the Nintendo Switch Early Access version and discuss what makes it a great life simulation.

If there are two things I love in life, it's Disney and Nintendo Switch, so every time they get together, I just have to make it part of my world. With that in mind, it's no surprise that I keep a close eye on disney dreamlight valley since its original announcement as the game takes us to a world full of Disney characters.

You see, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a life simulation, so it includes the essentials of crafting, cooking, fishing, building, and of course, welcoming new people to the valley. While the game fits everything you'd expect from the genre, there's one thing you can't find here that you get in the likes of Stardew Valley.

It's not surprising, but I think I should point it out just in case there's no romance in Disney Dreamlight Valley. Instead, like Animal Crossing, it's all about platonic relationships. While this might be a disappointment for those who love building a life with that special virtual someone, there's simply no chance Disney will ever allow that with their characters. I respect that as I can't say that I ever really thought about taking it to the next level with Donald Duck.

In fact, I love that Disney Dreamlight Valley shares this similarity with AC, since friendship is important in life and the idea that I can become best friends with some of the characters I grew up with fills me with joy.

The characters you can currently meet or bring to the valley include those of Frozen, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Scrooge McDuck, Minnie Mouse, Ariel, Kristoff, Donald Duck, Ursula, Scar, Eric, Remy and many more. There are many faces from Disney and Pixar that you can meet. However, I'm a bit disappointed that Mirabelle isn't around.

You may notice that there are some villains in the valley to get to know, and when you combine that with some of the dialogue options you can choose from, it's clear that you don't have to be the good guy Disney world heroes hope for. This brings me to the story and what exactly you need to do in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

The reason you're here is because you've left your life in the big city behind and while you're traveling to your next location you're taking a much needed rest, only to wake up and find yourself in a rather miserable place full of purple thorns and dilapidated building. Pretty soon, you run into the only Merlin, who explains that you are in the Valley of the Dreaming Light, a place that was once an incredibly beautiful haven where many people lived in harmony.

Unfortunately, this was not destined to last, as the evil being known as the Oblivion comes and sends the valley into disarray, dividing all biomes with impenetrable spikes. After this happens, many of the characters choose to leave the valley, while those who remain lose their memories and forget some important details.

Lucky for them, you're here now, and it turns out you have a penchant for magic and can remove the little spikes that plague the main area of ​​the valley. With this gift, you must clear the initial sections of the valley and reach the castle. Once you've done that, the main goal of the game becomes clear as you now have to work to bring the characters back to the village, build houses for them, restore order to the land, and get to the bottom of who Oblivion is.

From what I've experienced so far, the Disney Dreamlight Valley story is a treat and I certainly can't wait to see it unravel as time goes on. Of course, there are also many small adventures for you, as each of your friends in the valley has many tasks that you can help them with. For example, Mickey Mouse desperately wants Minnie Mouse to return to the valley, and you have the power to make that happen.

Then there are individual missions that you need to complete in different worlds. For example, when you enter the Frozen Realm, you find yourself in the Enchanted Forest, where all the nature spirits are in disarray, so you must help Anna and Elsa calm them down in order to restore order to the area. This results in Anna returning with you to the Valley of the Dreaming Light. Another one of my favorite worlds I've been to so far is Ratatouille. Here you meet Remy at his restaurant and you have to help him with the service by creating dishes.

I suggest you start with the Ratatouille Realm, as it gives you the opportunity to explore different culinary recipes. It also allows you to bring a famous little chef to the valley where you can help him start a restaurant, which in turn gives you access to new ingredients. Believe me. You want to learn about cooking.

Speaking of cooking, this is one of the most important things you can do in the valley for a variety of reasons. First of all, it provides you with hearty meals to replenish your energy, which you need to complete various tasks such as fishing and mining. Not only that, but one of the best ways to build strong bonds with the residents of Dream Light Valley is through gifts, and it just so happens that most of them share a strong love for the kitchen. There are many recipes to improve your repertoire and Remy is always on hand to let you know how delicious your meal will be.

Fishing, mining, and building also play a key role in building friendships, as Sims like Moana and Goofy love fishing and are more than happy to spend time with you to indulge in this activity. You also have the option to gift certain types of fish to them. As for mining, you can get not only crafting supplies from it, but also gems, which also make fantastic gifts. Of course you can't bring people into the valley if they don't have a home, hence the importance of building.

Many of these activities provide energy. When you are too tired to complete more tasks, you can either return to your home for an instant refill or eat a good meal. I'm usually skeptical about this sort of system, but Disney Dreamlight Valley's energy use is done so well. In no way do I feel that this is unfair or that I have too little energy to use.

Even better, as you strengthen your connections and level up your friendships, you will increase the rank of your avatar, which in turn gives you a permanent increase in your energy bar. So, you can see that the Gameloft team makes sure that you can always complete daily tasks to help restore the valley.

Not surprisingly, the valley is huge and not all of it is accessible at once. The spikes block access to various areas such as the beach, the forest, and the mountain pass. This is where dream light comes into play. This magical type of currency is what you earn by completing daily tasks like picking vegetables or cooking. You can see what is available for completion by selecting dreamlight from the pause menu.

I like the variety of different areas of the valley. The meadow has a certain charm, while the beach gives you access to the ocean, where the fresh sea air brings a sense of calm and the forest is ethereal in its beauty despite its darkness. Although, I may have a certain fondness for the Forest of Valor because of a certain ice house that appears there. As soon as I step into the building, I hear a very familiar tune that is about being who you are and not letting the past hold you back.

This actually brings me to one of my favorite things about Disney Dreamlight Valley - the sound design. The first time I heard that famous tune that all Disney fans know (the Walt Disney theme, the one that plays at the beginning of every movie), I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It gave me goosebumps and took me back to three years at Disneyland with my mom for the first time. This is a memory that is dear to me, so there is something special for the game to take me.

Depending on which neighborhood you're in or which houses you visit, you may hear specific Disney tunes, from Let it Go to the Walt Disney theme, Part of your World, A whole New World, and the Ratatouille main theme. It's all so wonderful to hear and nicely complemented by a rather calm soundtrack as you explore the valley.

Okay, I think it's clear that I'm in love with Disney Dreamlight Valley and I'm certainly happy that it's part of my world, but there are some issues in the performance department. To be more specific, the game kicks me out once an hour without fail, and while it's not a deal breaker, it's annoying when I'm almost done with a quest, only to repeat certain steps again. Also, loading times are longer on the Switch than on other platforms, so you feel a little monotonous when you have to constantly wait to get back.

Also, I'm in the unfortunate position of not being able to bring the cute, planet-loving robot known as Wall-E to the valley. Why, you ask? Everything is simple. The mission has stalled to the point where the task I completed is repetitive and impossible to finish again, so the poor lil bot should be left in the junkyard in his realm. However, I should point out that the game is in Early Access and this is the period in which Gameloft is likely to fix issues like this one.

I certainly think these issues are easy to fix and I have no doubt that by the time there is a full launch I will have a Wall-E in my valley where we will both spend the grand old time gardening together. Despite the performance hiccups, I can't deny the beauty of Disney Dreamlight Valley, the game looks visually stunning and I'm looking forward to seeing what my valley looks like when I'm done renovating it.

Overall, I cannot recommend Disney Dreamlight Valley enough. I certainly think the founder's pack is a worthy purchase to gain access to the game. Better yet, you can create a whole new world, which is something Disney and life sim fans can enjoy. So go ahead, meet the heroes of your childhood and don't just be their guest - be their neighbor and friend.

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