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0 Disney Dreamlight Valley returns with a new expansion, The Storybook Vale. Published and developed by Gameloft, this adventure slash life simulation game has won the hearts of all Disney lovers. Being able to journey into a world inhabited by your favourite characters, I mean what isn’t to love? With new content coming to the game at regular intervals, we were lucky enough to get access to the latest expansion. Available on all good platforms, the expansion pack will set you back about £24.99. For this review I played Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale on PlayStation 5.
So just what is contained within this big expansion? We will give you a small glimpse into the magic surrounding The Storybook Vale.
Once Upon A Time…
It’s clear that someone at Gameloft absolutely loves Disney films. What else is clear is just how much love there is in the community. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and hopefully, Disney Dreamlight Valley will continue to grow.
Gameplay
So I’m not going to go over the main gameplay of Disney Dreamlight Valley. You’re here to learn more about The Storybook Vale, so let me tell you what I know.
You are tasked with restoring the peace between Maleficent and Hades. A conflict broke out between them and caused ink to spread across the Vale. Turning stories into paper creatures called Snippets. It is your job to catch these Snippets across three new biomes. Catch enough of these Snippets and you can take them to the Lorekeeper and solve puzzles to bring back the stories to The Storybook Vale.
The expansion will see you venture into The Bind, where books come to life. Ever after, where fairy tales and Maleficent have called home. And finally, Mythopia where Hades and Greek Myths loom large. Each new area also contains a new layout to decorate with all new themed furniture.
Catching the Snippets is no easy feat. That’s why you get a brand new tool to use, the Royal Net. You can even craft lures to try and attract them and make it a little easier on yourself.
Making Friends
As with all other areas in Dreamlight Valley, you will meet some new characters, as well as some old ones. The usual gang are back wandering around, Mickey, Scrooge, and Goofy. With some new faces, Merida, Flynn Rider, and Hades. With a further two other characters coming in the next instalment of the expansion.
My one irk with The Storybook Vale, is that it just feels like I’m repeating a lot of the tasks that I was doing on the main game. Just reskinned and in another area, thorns were replaced with ink for example. Don’t get me wrong I spent a fair amount of time raising the money to build Merida’s house, but I’d rather have spent the time in the main area. Making sure those relationships were kept up-to-date and intact.
Graphics & Audio
As with the rest of Dreamlight Valley, The Storybook Vale is littered with colourful and vibrant colours. Beautiful graphics are everywhere you look. It honestly is like playing a Pixar movie. I do wish that the characters had more dialogue and actually spoke their lines. But with the sheer amount of content provided, I can appreciate that would be too time-consuming and probably expensive.
Longevity
Who knows how long this expansion will last? With the second part coming next year, you may end up spending upwards of 50 hours expanding your area. With the ability to do practically anything, the gameplay time really can be endless.
Final Thoughts
Being a massive Disney fan, I’m surprised it has taken me so long to really get stuck into Dreamlight Valley, but The Storybook Vale has well and truly started that addiction. With gadgets and gizmos plenty, it’s clear to see why people love this game.
The Storybook Vale expansion receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received to write this review.
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