For over a year now, Disney fans have been able to play alongside iconic Disney characters in the life simulation adventure gameDisney Dreamlight Valley. Here, players have been able to go on quests with numerous Disney and Pixar characters to get rid of pesky night thorns and build Disney-themed houses and communities. A big allure ofDisneyDreamlight Valleyis its wide array of setting and character customization options. However, this customization can be expanded upon by taking inspiration from another Disney video game series:Kingdom Hearts.
Disney Dreamlight Valley and Kingdom Hearts Compared
ThroughoutDreamlight Valley’s numerous updates and expansions, several new realms and Star Path events have been released, introducing treasure troves of new customization options. InDreamlight Valley’s most recent update, Thrills and Frills, players were able to open up their own Boutique shop with Daisy and design their very own clothes. Despite these updates and additions of new realms, includingMonster, Inc.’s Scare Floor, however, gamers are still limited to creating a strictly human player character.
Kingdom Hearts’ Character Changes
InKingdom Hearts, players control Sora, a young boy who travels to various Disney movie-themed worlds as he strives to defeat the rampaging Heartless creatures and save his friends. Sora’s appearance seldom changes to align with a world’s characteristics during his travels. For instance,inKingdom Hearts 2,when Sora travels toThe Lion Kingworld,The Pride Lands, he will turn into a lion cub, while Donald and Goofy will turn into a hornbill and a tortoise, respectively. InKingdom Hearts 3, the trio visits theToy Storyworld and they turn into plastic action figure versions of themselves. These changes are not optional and are only accessible when visiting these few worlds.
Expanding Dreamlight Valley Customization
FutureDreamlight Valleyupdates or expansions could take inspiration fromKingdom Hearts’ method of player character diversity and allow players to have more options in how they can appear. One expansion could allow players to take the form of their own customizable lion, robot, monster, toy, or more. While players can already make themselves a monster thanks to The Laugh Floor update, the customizations options were restricted to only changing the player’s skin, eyes, and ears. Players deserve a chance to make their characters more unique and monstrous, in any shape they’d prefer, similar to the wide variety of monsters seenin bothMonsters, Inc.andMonsters University.
These new customization options could potentially be released through aKingdom Heartsthemed expansion if approved by Square Enix.Dreamlight Valleycould introduce aKingdom Heartsrealm, perhaps themed around Destiny Islands, Radiant Garden, or Twilight Town. In addition to allowing gamers to play as their own robot, animal, or monster, this proposed expansion could introduceKingdom Heartsthemed clothes, accessories, and homes, such as Organization 13’s iconic hooded cloaks.
Kingdom Heartscharacters and items have collaborated with other games before, includingSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Disney Infinity,Disney Emoji Blitz,LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum,World of Final Fantasy,Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, andFinal Fantasy Record Keeper.
A More Diverse Dreamlight Valley
Allowing players to customize their characters into their own Disney-themed lion, robot, monster, toy, or more usingKingdom Heartscould grant players new forms of expression not seen before. Players could create their own unique monster and show it off to friends online, who may have their own unique animal, robot, or toy character. It could evenfurther immerse players inDisney Dreamlight Valleyas they journey to other realms. For example, people could play as a toy in theToy Storyrealm instead of just playing as a human with realm-themed clothes.
Dreamlight Valleyprovides players with a treasure troveof cosmetics and other customization options, but allowing people to create their own characters based on some of their favorite films could help people continue playing the game. It may even incentivize new players to delve intoDisney Dreamlight Valleyfor the first time.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
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.
