Review of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

I had been hoping and waiting for this game for years. I never got to play the old Tomodachi Life game, because I never had a 3DS as a kid. So when I saw they were coming out with a version for the switch with a ton of customization options, a whole new island, and the able to make gay people, I was obsessed. 

Okay. Actual review time: 

The customization was excited how I hoped it would be. For the first couple of weeks, I made a ton of Miis and was spending all of my time playing customizing. I watched all the new fun cut scenes unfold. It was amazing, the the community online around it was awesome too! Everyone had (still has) so many hilarious ideas for characters and objects. 

However then I began to realize something by the third week. This game is incredibly repetitive and gives the creator way too much control over outcomes on the island. "But weren't you just praising its customization?" Yes, however only for the island decor and Mii creator. The control given to creator over the relationships is far too much. There was a zany sort of thrill that came from the lack of control of the old game. You never knew what was going to happen next. 

Yet in this game, I feel as though the game is sanitizing and generalizing the interactions so much it feels like the game is saying "please don't throw a fit because your characters didn't get to together. Here you can change it. Please don't get mad at us." There were many times where nothing would be happening on the island because new characters couldn't seem to just meet each other by themselves. I had to make them meet and sit through the repetitive cut scene of them talking about whatever, just so they could get to know each other. 

Nintendo definitely has a problem when it come to sanitizing new games while adding a ton of customization. We saw this for Animal Crossings: New Horizons too. Similar to that game's villagers, the Miis feel so safe. They never fight and if they do it is very short.

Ending thoughts: 

If you have a strong flowing creativity and have the patience for some repetitive/boring game play, this game could be for you. Although it improves on something it takes a lot of the old game out. Could use some updates even though it came out this year. I would say this is a fun game though. Not worth 60 dollars. Go play the original for wacky, fun shenanigans. 

Also had to show off my cute Ranpo Mii