Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream is the best Nintendo game in a long while, according to a reader's feature. The rollout for this game was highly anticipated, with the reader loving the demo, watching every promotional video repeatedly, and staying up until midnight on launch day to be among the first to play. The question remains: was the game worth the hype?
Gameplay Shines with Open World Evolution
As with Nintendo's best titles, the gameplay shines. The evolution from Miis only being able to visit isolated parts of the island to them roaming an open world already elevates this game above its predecessor. Seeing Miis walking with and past each other, and following them directly into the restaurant, makes core gameplay and Mii interactions feel organic and part of a wider world. Solving an issue with one Mii outside while several others walk around or talk in the background is deeply satisfying. Dragging Miis to interact or explore newly built parts of the island gives a sense of autonomy over a game that could have been completely hands-off and randomized.
Cut Scenes and Island Builder Add Depth
The cut scenes for key Mii interactions resemble those from The Sims 2, in the best way, and deciding topics of discussion that get added to the island lexicon is always fun. However, the Island Builder and Pallet House are the real gems. The grid-based system makes editing the island surprisingly smooth, despite the busy interface, aided by directional button controls. Pallet House allows players to create objects for Miis and the island, with templates and stamps making artistry optional. These features add depth to gameplay, addressing a frequent criticism of the predecessor that it was only suited for short bursts due to a lack of meaningful functionality. The ability to customize the island and drag Miis anywhere enables continuous experimentation even when Miis have no requests.
Visual Appeal and Minor Flaws
The game looks lovely. On ground level, the world is more detailed than recent Pokémon games and is one of the most attractive Switch titles in recent memory, making it a perfect swansong for the Switch 1. However, it isn't perfect. The absence of the concert hall is disappointing, especially since its music plays in the restaurant. The open world approach could have justified its inclusion, but shops remain menus, so keeping the concert hall separate wouldn't have been out of place. The 70 Mii cap is understandable due to game complexity, though a Switch 2 patch with a higher limit would be welcome. It's also notable that this is the fourth Nintendo game in the last year (after Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4, and Pokémon Pokopia) to use open world elements, and object creation is clearly inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While resulting in massive gameplay improvements, the pattern is starting to feel formulaic.
Overall Verdict
Overall, this is the ideal evolution of a franchise that deserved more attention. While this style of gameplay won't suit everyone, it is much stronger as an interactive game than its predecessors and worth purchasing for those seeking a funny and casual title.
