While Disney Dreamlight Valley might be one of the newer hits in the simulation genre, Animal Crossing remains an absolute giant. Though it may be one of the most iconic simulation games of all time, the Animal Crossing franchise can always take inspiration from its competitors in the genre. Disney Dreamlight Valley is no exception, with at least one key feature that could spice up Animal Crossing gameplay for players in a future installment.
Animal Crossing and Disney Dreamlight Valley have several similarities, as is expected due to their shared genre. However, both games have different ways of spicing up the quests and tasks players must complete. Disney Dreamlight Valley’s approach to this critical aspect of both games could be a game-changing inspiration for Animal Crossing’s next installment.
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Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Hang-Outs are One of its Best Features
The core gameplay of Disney Dreamlight Valley is befriending the classic Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios characters that inhabit the Valley. With ten Friendship levels for all the game’s villager characters, players unlock new rewards for each level they complete. While the most iconic Friendship Rewards are the character-themed motifs, clothing, and pieces of furniture players obtain upon hitting a new Friendship level, players can access an even more valuable reward upon hitting Level 2 of any character’s Friendship Rewards.
Once a player reaches Level 2 of a villager’s Friendship Rewards, that character and the player can now Hang Out. Players must also assign a role to the character, like Digging, Gardening, Fishing, Foraging, Mining, Timebending (A Rift in Time DLC), or Snippet Catching (Storybook Vale DLC). Based on which role is assigned to the villager, the villager can find more items while searching for resources.
However, the most interesting aspect of Hanging Out gameplay is that the assigned villager will follow the player around the village, including into any Disney Dreamlight Valley character’s houses or locations. While this feature does not take these villagers to other Realms, it remains a fun aspect of Disney Dreamlight Valley’s gameplay.
Once a player ends a Hang-Out or restarts the game, villagers may resume their regular schedule.
Animal Crossing Has a Lot of Potential for Hang-Outs
Disney Dreamlight Valley’s version of Follow the Leader would be perfect for Animal Crossing and could be a great way to spice up activities like daily tasks. With the amount of resource hunting in Animal Crossing, giving players more opportunity and reason to interact with villagers would likely generate a significant fan response.
First introduced in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the latest entry in the Animal Crossing franchise also has a Friendship system like Disney Dreamlight Valley. Though the game’s system is slightly different as it is points-based, Animal Crossing’s Friendship system is similar enough in concept that it could be tailored to introduce this new follow-the-leader gameplay. Perhaps acquiring a certain amount of points per day with a villager could lead them to follow the player around their island. This would make the follow-the-leader system more closely related to Pokémon GO’s buddy system, which makes buddies follow their trainer around town after being fed a certain amount of treats.
Animal Crossing’s Dreamies Could Benefit from this Feature
Animal Crossing has dozens more villagers than are currently available on Disney Dreamlight Valley’s character roster. The franchise, and especially New Horizons, is already known for its ruthless player base’s dedication to certain villagers. With such loyalty already built for these villagers, players would be thrilled to spend more time with these characters while doing tasks like catching fish, shaking trees, and digging up fossils.
Though the next installment in the Animal Crossing franchise remains in the dark, sources of inspiration for the game have spotlights shining down on them. Hopefully, this new Animal Crossing game will take inspiration from this small, but delightful, Disney Dreamlight Valley feature.
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