Disney Dreamlight Valley will be moving in a new plot direction following the redemption of The Forgotten and the conclusion of the A Rift in Time expansion. An image appearing in the end credits of A Rift in Time hints at the future of Disney Dreamlight Valley's story, although it does not confirm whether that story will be told in free updates or paid expansions. However, if the A Rift in Time hint does prove true, Disney Dreamlight Valley will have to be careful not to simply repeat a story already told in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Dreamlight Valley's Potential Villain Team-Up Resembles Kingdom Hearts
In the first Kingdom Hearts game, protagonist Sora initially faced down an alliance of Disney villains led by Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and including Hades from Hercules, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Jafar from Aladdin, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, and Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Although later games in the series chose to focus instead on original villains such as Organization XIII, Maleficent continued to play an antagonistic role, working with Mickey's nemesis Pete, Scar from The Lion King, and many others.
The image shown briefly at the end of A Rift in Time shows Maleficent and Hades facing one another in front of an open storybook. It is unclear whether they are collaborating or opposing one another, but the positioning does seem to indicate that they will appear together. This definitely evokes thoughts of Kingdom Hearts' villain team-up, especially with Jafar recently serving as the primary antagonist of A Rift in Time.
How Dreamlight Valley Can Avoid Copying Kingdom Hearts
In the two years since its launch, Disney Dreamlight Valley has done a good job setting itself apart from other Disney-themed video games via its cozy atmosphere, consistent updates, and a wide variety of included characters. Even if a Maleficent-Hades villain team-up is indeed on the horizon, Dreamlight Valley can set its plot apart from Kingdom Hearts' Villain Alliance in several ways.
Continue Including Original Villains
Dreamlight Valley's initial plot focused on The Forgotten, an original character who had once ruled the Valley before falling to darkness and despair. The Forgotten's story was generally praised for its uniqueness and handling of important subjects like depression. Including more characters like The Forgotten will help Disney Dreamlight Valley keep its own identity.
Don't Rely On Retelling Movie Events
Later Kingdom Hearts titles drew criticism for focusing closely on retelling movie plots entirely - most notably, fans disliked the in-game inclusion of the entire "Let it Go" musical number from Frozen in Kingdom Hearts 3. Disney Dreamlight Valley has so far avoided this - while Jafar did wish to conquer Eternity Isle in A Rift in Time, the story focused on him as a learned vizier and alchemist who conducted many experiments, an often-ignored element of his character. While he was briefly trapped in a lamp, he never became a genie as he did in both the original films and Kingdom Hearts.
Alternate Villainous And Redeemed Disney Antagonists
Due to its status as a cozy life simulator, Disney Dreamlight Valley allows all characters, even villains, to eventually move into the Valley. This has allowed the game to give different roles to different villains - while Jafar and Mother Gothel have been antagonists, Ursula is a generally helpful member of the community, and Gaston was a fully heroic presence in A Rift in Time. Even Scar has been able to coexist with Simba, with his "villainy" limited to occasional attempts to chow down on Donald Duck. Dreamlight Valley should continue this trend, letting some villains have their time in the antagonistic spotlight while others adjust easily to Village life as grumpy but willing allies.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 77%
WHERE TO PLAY
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a hybrid between a life-sim and an adventure game rich with quests, exploration, and engaging activities featuring Disney and Pixar friends, both old and new.
Once an idyllic land, Dreamlight Valley was a place where Disney and Pixar characters lived in harmony—until the Forgetting. Night Thorns grew across the land and severed the wonderful memories tied to this magical place. With nowhere else to go, the hopeless inhabitants of Dreamlight Valley retreated behind locked doors in the Dream Castle.Now it’s up to you to discover the stories of this world and bring the magic back to Dreamlight Valley.
Free the Dream Castle from the insidious grip of the Forgetting, and unlock the unique Realms of well-loved Disney and Pixar characters, including great queens and kings such as Anna and Simba. Each Realm contains unique challenges with puzzles to solve in the quest to bring friendship back to the Valley.
You’ll start your adventure in the Valley, but your journey will take you to infinity… and beyond! Explore what lurks in the Forest of Valor and brave the deepest caverns as you take on challenges from iconic Disney and Pixar heroes and villains. Who knows who—or what—you might discover.
- Engine
- unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms (requires purchasing the game separately on each platform)
- Franchise
- Disney
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation, Casual
- How Long To Beat
- 33 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
