Like any other game, Disney Dreamlight Valley has its own pitfalls. These weaknesses range from criticisms in certain areas of gameplay, to content additions, and more. But one of Disney Dreamlight Valley’s most reasonable criticisms is unfortunately intertwined with the stigma that the simulation genre faces.
While video games can be played by anyone regardless of gender, the simulation genre has been deemed by some as “girly.” This is obviously a reductive, and sexist, way of viewing one of the most diverse video game genres, but the stigma around simulation and cozy games is very much real. Combining the simulation genre with Disney animation, which is of course known for its long run of profitable heroines and princesses, leads to a one-two-punch of “girly” content in the form of Disney Dreamlight Valley. Again, anyone can play any game as they see fit, but the fact remains that Disney Dreamlight Valley is viewed through this lens.
What to Expect from Disney Dreamlight Valley's Alice in Wonderland Star Path
Disney Dreamlight Valley's next Star Path will be Alice in Wonderland themed for the new Wonderland Whimsy update, which offers clues about its items.
Disney Dreamlight Valley Is Neglecting Masculine and Gender-Neutral Clothing
In fact, Disney Dreamlight Valley itself tends to target players with a preference for femininity. The number of masculine cosmetic items, like wigs, costumes, hats, and so forth, is significantly lower in comparison to items typically catered towards women. The lack of masculine clothing shows that Disney Dreamlight Valley is surprisingly non-inclusive, leaving players with masculine styles by the wayside. Even gender-neutral pieces are uncommon in Disney Dreamlight Valley, with the game heavily relying on the Disney princess franchise when it comes to designing clothing.
This is despite the fact that Disney properties could easily inspire masculine versions of these costumes. For example, rather than simply adding items inspired by Kristoff, a masculine blue suit to contrast with Elsa’s iconic blue gown could be a great option for Disney Dreamlight Valley players that prefer masculine clothing while still giving Frozen a nod.
But Disney Dreamlight Valley may not have to rely on Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios for inspiration when it comes to new masculine clothing. As part of the Wonderland Whimsy update, a set of Jedi robes, a lightsaber hand accessory with an accompanying photo pose, and R2D2 himself will be available for purchase in the Premium Shop.
Star Wars Content Could be the Catalyst for More Masculine Items
It would be unsurprising to see Disney Dreamlight Valley use Star Wars as an avenue to fix the game’s lack of masculine pieces of clothing. After all, a significant number of Star Wars heroes are male, making costumes inspired by the franchise’s icons, like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, etc., logical clothing additions if Disney Dreamlight Valley decides to travel down this route.
Star Wars is also one of Disney’s biggest moneymakers. Sure, Disney Dreamlight Valley has yet to add any characters outside of Walt Disney Animation or Pixar Studios to its roster, but content inspired by properties outside these divisions is commonplace among Disney Dreamlight Valley’s various clothing, furniture items, motifs, and more. It makes perfect sense that Disney Dreamlight Valley has decided to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars, especially when its addition could easily alleviate the criticism the game faces over its lack of masculine clothing.
A more inspired take from Disney Dreamlight Valley, like masculine designs inspired by female characters or even the Occam’s razor approach of making all clothing present in Disney Dreamlight Valley wearable for all regardless of an avatar’s gender, would arguably be better than simply adding a “boyish” property to the game. Nevertheless, the addition of Star Wars to Disney Dreamlight Valley will likely be popular and profitable. Hopefully, this attention will encourage Disney Dreamlight Valley to add more masculine, and gender-neutral, clothing items to the hit simulation game.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 77%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- unity
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation, Casual
