Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale brings new fun activities and characters to the relaxing simulator game. A couple of the challenges may take some patience, but if you approach the expansion without too rushed of a mindset, there’s lots to enjoy all around.
Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale
Developer: Gameloft Montreal
Price: $30
Platform: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was supplied with a PS5 code for review.
Thanks to a combo of being born into the ’90s Disney Renaissance and the length of time it’s been since we got an Animal Crossing game, I’ve played a decent amount of Disney Dreamlight Valley since its release. Last year saw the debut of the first major expansion, with the latest expansion – Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale – having just dropped on all platforms. Thanks to the introduction of new characters and a neat mechanic, this expansion is a solid second success for the laid-back life simulator.
Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale introduces a nice mix of characters from across different Disney/Pixar eras – Hades from Hercules, Flynn Rider from Tangled, and Merida from Brave, with some involvement from Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent. Each character’s writing is in line with their personalities in their respective films, with some of the dialogue standing out as quite funny – primarily Hades’. It’s a strong selection of characters to mess around with, and they all make great additions to the valley.
Credit: Gameloft
Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale features plenty of new locations
The Storybook Vale itself is an intriguing space, with an ancient Greece-esque area, a huge library, and an ethereal Sleeping Beauty-esque forest. These spots stand out from the many areas that have already been added to the game, helping Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale feel like a distinct addition rather than a derivative continuation.
“I’m glad to see so much come to the game here, as it really does feel like you’ll never run out of things to do in the game if you play at a nice and relaxed pace, as I do.“
I’m also fond of the Snippet-catching mechanic that’s been added. Little creatures called Snippets fly around the titular Vale, while you use a new net tool to catch them. They can be used in the library to assemble simple puzzles based on iconic Disney movies, which unlocks new items for you to use. Seeing Snippets flying around everywhere adds a little extra activity to take part in during the expansion’s many quests, which is always appreciated.
Credit: Gameloft
Some of the quests do take a bit of time to complete, as you’ll have to wait for resources like mining spots or plants to respawn to get a particular item. If you approach this with a more relaxed mindset, it’s not too frustrating, but completionists who like to run through quests may spend more time than they’d like waiting.
Finally, there are lots of new items to collect and things to craft, which further adds to the already huge breadth of content in Disney Dreamlight Valley. I’m glad to see so much come to the game here, as it really does feel like you’ll never run out of things to do in the game if you play at a nice and relaxed pace, as I do.
The Final Word
Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale is a pleasant expansion for the Animal Crossing-like title. Catching Snippets and crafting new objects and meals with characters like Hades makes for a good time, even if it takes a while to complete certain quests. If this continues to be the quality of DLC going forward, then I’m excited to see what else is added in future updates. (Dare I dream of a Tron expansion?)
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
