Picture this: You’re strolling along the beach with Darth Vader as you force him to go fishing with you and listen to him complain nonstop about how much he hates sand. That sounds like the dream to me, andDisney Dreamlight Valleyhas found the perfect way to deliver it.
Now, Darth Vader and other characters aren’t actually coming toDDVjust yet, but we’re taking a step in the right direction with some Premium Shop offerings from a galaxy far, far away. This is the perfect way to implement the beloved franchise, and I really hope Gameloft decides to give us moreStar Warsand eventually set their sights on Marvel, too.
I know not everyone is a fan ofStar Warsand Marvel, and thatmanyDDVplayers want the game to stick to “classic” Disney content only. This just doesn’t seem like a feasible goal to me, though, considering how both franchises are two of Disney’s biggest hits and how much love there is for them.
As much as I enjoy both franchises, I do think Gameloft’s call to addStar Warsas purely optional items is the right one, and I think it should be the move for all content from this world and any hypothetical Marvel content going forward. This ensures that those who want to engage with it can, while those who are committed to avoiding it can freely do so.
I also feel like the Premium Shop offerings are probably a test to gauge the community’s response. If it goes over well, I imagine there’s a good chance we could get aStar WarsDLC like The Storybook Vale or A Rift in Time in the future. Maybe even multiple different ones, depending on how players react.
Even if you’re not a fan, these franchises offer tons of untapped potential with so many possibilities. We’re already starting off strong with some of the coolest items we can get in theWonderland Whimsy update. I’m going to carry my trusty blue lightsaber absolutely everywhere, and R2-D2 might even replace Heihei as my favorite companion, but there’s still so much moreDDVcould do.
I’m thinking of aStar WarsDLC world with each biome as a different planet, like the deserts of Tatooine, the harsh icy regions of Hoth, and the underwater Gungan palace of Naboo. It would also be cool to see Sith-inspired clothing, villagers like Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and potentially even a light combat system for certain map areas that’s somewhat similar to the sneaking mechanic introduced in the Tales of Agrabah update withJasmine and Aladdin.
Marvel also has a lot to offer with accessories like Captain America’s shield and Thor’s hammer, houses like the Avengers Tower, the X-Mansion, and the Sanctum Sanctorium, and costumes like Scarlet Witch’s ensemble, Spider-Man’s suit, and an X-Men uniform. I’d also love to enjoy some shawarma with Iron Man and Black Widow, or cause some mischief around the valley with Loki.
There’s just so much theDDVteam could do with these franchises, and I think more of both would ultimately benefit all players.Star Warsand Marvel have lots of really cool items that could be added to the valley, so even if you’re not interested in the characters, all of the outfits, furniture, houses, and other such items would still be useful in allowing for much more customization.
I’m all for the idea of fully adding lots ofStar Warsand Marvel content, but I do think it’s essential that Gameloft only ever adds content from these worlds through optional DLC. This was the perfect choice on their part, and I think they absolutely have to stick to it if they decide to do more. There’s no other fair way to do it since there are lots ofstrong opinions against it, and I’m all for players being able to curate their desired gameplay experience with this.
Since there are alsomany in favor of this collaboration, keeping it as DLC seems like the perfect compromise, and I really hope Gameloft gives us a whole lot more in future updates. After all, there’s no other game you could play where Yoda could tell you “Cook me 20 Pumpkin Puffs, you must,” or you could yell “HULK SMASH” while mining rock nodes with Hulk. Just like Rapunzel, I’ve got a dream, and I’m optimisticDDVwill eventually deliver on it.
