This article is a review on Sanrio’s latest video game titled Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
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The long-awaited time is here! The adorable app game gone Nintendo Switch title has just been released and it’s time to soak up the rays in Hello Kitty Island Adventure. I know for myself as a fan of the Sanrio franchise I have been very excited for the arrival of this new game.
This popular title boasts a familiar cast of characters as many of the fan favorite Sanrio mascots are NPCs that you can interact in a world ready to be explored. In this game you can create your own cute character and set out for adventure on a tropical island paradise.
This game has a cute premise and a fun playability that fits perfectly into the cozy gaming genre as much of the actual parts of the game are soothing to play. Are you one of those people whose still on the fence about whether you should play the game or not? If so then you should keep on reading because this article is going to give you all the information you need to know if you should play Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
Story
The premise of the game is fairly straightforward. You and many of the famed members of the Sanrio cast are on a plane to a now deserted tropical island for a fun getaway. Some for rest and relaxation, others to start a business, and others to tell corny jokes… it takes all kinds.
Regardless of each character’s reasoning for coming on this trip they will all tie into their story within the overall framework of the game. However, after a big cake mishap everyone is forced to jump out of the plane before landing as you arrive safety on land. Upon your untimely arrival to the island, you discover that you must hunt down the rest of the members of the plane crash if you have any hopes of returning this island to its former glory.
Right out the gate you can tell this is going to be a fun game with an adorable premise.
Each Sanrio character has their own story that plays out in the game as well as their own role to play out within the formation of the island. Searching for each missing character furthers the story and adds new layers to the game that keeps things interesting as you play. Unlocking friendships with each character adds new quests and unlocks new areas of the island.
This is great for those who are genuine fans of Sanrio characters and allows you to fully interact with the ones that you might be a fan of. This also gives you the opportunity to learn about other characters that you may not have been familiar with as you can also have less well known characters visit your island.
The only downside to this is that you do need to deepen friendships with a lot of the other Sanrio characters to be able to unlock areas that have the one you may be a specific fan of. This can be frustrating if your favorite character is further in the story and may encourage impatience depending on fast you prefer to move through the games you play. However, despite this the story still holds true as interesting without a lot of added stress to the game. It’s not a bit in-depth plot that will move you to tears or anything but if you like a wholesome story with cute characters than this is your jam.
Gameplay
The gameplay is not rocket science and makes for a great time if you want a gaming experience that is a bit more relaxed.
As soon as you land on the island you are sent on a quest to go and find the other Sanrio characters scattered around the island. This involves a lot of climbing, swimming, and other activities that will unlock as you move further into the story. If you’ve played games like Animal Crossing then the controls on this will feel somewhat familiar to you with some added tweaks to game mechanics like diving and fishing.
A lot of this game is about discovering and collecting so finding resources, chests, new areas, and new friends is the name of the game.
Another fun layer of this game is the friendship aspect. I touched on this a bit in the Story section but basically how you grow friendship is by giving gifts to each character everyday.
You can only give gifts to each character based on things that they like and you are limited to 3 gifts per day per character. By making the story progress in this way it soon becomes apparent that you do cap out of things to do each day and will have to wait until the next real life day before being able to progress the story. This can be a bit frustrating as you can’t really immerse yourself in the game and further your place in the story until you wait for the next day.
This also means that no matter how many hours you spend in the game you cannot progress to certain areas as they are locked until you can develop your friendship with certain characters. I know for myself it feels like more of a slog when I have to come back multiple days in a row to max out my gift slots in order to keep the game rolling. While I love the game at large this aspect can become frustrating as if you’re like me and impatient because you want to be Kuromi’s best friend NOW. Or you can’t progress to find the next characters until you level up My Melody’s friendship level so that she will give you the recipe to craft a pickaxe (what she got to hide anyway? I can be trusted with a pickaxe).
That being said, if you’re a patient person and don’t mind playing a little bit at a time then you will enjoy the fun story progression and game mechanics that this title has in store for you.
Who Will Like This Game?
The main types of people who will enjoy this game are those who are fans of the Sanrio franchise, cozy game lovers, and younger audiences. If you love the idea of interacting with your favorite Sanrio character and becoming friends with them then you will definitely enjoy this game. The same goes for fans of the cozy gaming genre as Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a wholesome game with engaging mechanics and fun characters. You do not have to turn on your brain too much to play this game but that does not mean that it will be boring. I would definitely recommend to those who want something fun and comforting to play after a long day at the office.
Lastly, those who belong to a younger crowd will also find this game engaging as it’s not a terribly difficult game that still draws you into the fun. It’s easy to learn the game mechanics and once you have them down it’s smooth sailing.
Who Won’t Enjoy This Game?
Those looking for a challenge or those who are not into the cozy gaming genre may want to steer clear of this title. The game is not bad by any means but if a cute game about reviving an island theme park and making friendships along the way doesn’t sound like your jam then you will not like this game. Also, if you identify as someone who likes to speed run games you will HATE Hello Kitty Island Adventure. A lot of the game is time locked and you can’t complete everything within a couple of days. This doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have a lot to do each day but just bear in mind that this is a key factor in the story progression.
Lastly, if you were looking into this game to see if it is an Animal Crossing 2.0 then I can confidently tell you that it is not. While this game has a lot going for it as a standalone title, I think there were a lot of people who were banking on this game being a lot like Animal Crossing. That being said, if none of what I have listed in this section applies to you then you should definitely consider giving this game a try.
Pros
- Cute stress free story.
- Adorable aesthetic.
- Cozy gaming mechanics.
- You can befriend KUROMI!!
Cons
- Much of the story is time locked.
- The fishing mechanic can take some getting used to.
Conclusion
This long awaited title has delivered in a lot of ways when it comes to the games overall play style. While it didn’t quite meet the expectations of some there are many who will still enjoy this game at its base level. Those looking for fast and non-cozy gameplay will want to stay away from this title.
However, if you’re someone who loves exploring, making new friends with cute characters, and reviving an old amusement park then you should play Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
This article was all about whether you should play Hello Kitty Island Adventure. If you’re still looking for more content check out below for even more articles on games you’ll love.
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You can also get Hello Kitty Island Adventure for Nintendo Switch Here.
And Steam Here.