Disney Dreamlight Valley needs a touch of magic to make it shine

digitaltrends.com:

Nothing prepares me for my second Disney World trip of the year this week more than playing Disney Dreamlight Valley. Just like the Orlando-based theme park (and other Disney Parks around the world, for that matter), the new Animal Crossing-inspired Disney game lets players live alongside their favorite Disney characters, playing with them and working to make their lives better than ever before.

In Disney Dreamlight Valley, Disney and Pixar characters lived in an idyllic village in perfect harmony — until a plague called the Forgetting set in. Night Thorns took hold of the titular valley, destroying everything and driving some of the residents back to their home worlds. Those who stayed behind suffered memory loss as a result of dealing with the Night Thorns. Then one day, a hero (your avatar) arrives in Dreamlight Valley and gains the power to get rid of the nasty thorns, rebuild the valley, and reunite everyone.

Disney Dreamlight Valley isn’t a Kingdom Hearts-sized crossover fantasy, but I’ve had a blast playing the charming life simulator on my Nintendo Switch thus far. However, there are some troublesome quirks that’ll need to be cut down like Night Thorns themselves before the game’s six-month early access period is up.

What makes Disney Dreamlight Valley stand out from Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the way it lets players strengthen their friendships with the Disney characters inhabiting its world. In the latest entry to the Animal Crossing series, you have the option to press “Let’s chat!” or something to that effect to initiate some small talk. Sometimes a villager will run over and start a conversation themselves, but hanging out with villagers is totally optional. Here, you can actually spend time with