Tomodachi Life Living the Dream Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Features

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is among the most unique, charming and creative games available for Nintendo Switch.

Tomodachi Life releases at a fascinating time following the immense success of Pokemon Pokopia. For those who may have gotten into the life-sim genre because of Pokemon Pokopia, Tomodachi Life is very much worth the time of gamers interested in a new cozy, immersive, life-sim game. It is a completely different experience that focuses more on community and the legitimately unbelievable occurrences that unfold throughout the game.

Even for gamers who may be skeptical of the gameplay, premise or simply have never played the Nintendo 3DS version of Tomodachi Life, Living the Dream is the sleeper hit of the year.

Gameplay Impressions

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a feel-good game that is constantly surprising and entertaining. It is not a game you want to have spoiled as hearing about things that unfold won't even do it justice compared to seeing it happen out of nowhere when least expected. There are so many humorous and quirky occurrences or situations that unfold across dozens of hours. It seems virtually impossible to play Tomodachi Life and not smile from the unpredictable, zany shenanigans that unfold each day. 

At its core, Tomodachi Life focuses on the creation of Mii characters living on an island and building a community. Gamers essentially serve as a movie director, helping Miis make decisions about activities, living conditions, style, friendships and relationships, which features inclusive options for dating different genders. 

Gamers can spend hours in the character creator and customization suite creating characters resembling friends, family members, celebrities or even video game characters, for example. There's an inherent nostalgia for those who grew up with Miis on the Nintendo Wii, and the game includes voice options for pronunciations. For those who don't want to spend too much time creating characters from scratch, there's a quicker option for creating characters that works very well and still allows players to make any changes they see fit. Once a character is created, players venture out onto the island where they create houses, buildings, decorations and more Miis to grow the community.

The sense of community, relationship building and unpredictable occurrences is truly where the game shines. It is something gamers must see to believe with some of the wild interactions, and they are best not to be spoiled. One example, however, is early on when the only Mii character is aware they're the only Mii character on the island and this plays into the progression. Players can give themselves a name for the Miis to reference them as, such as Divine One, Cap'n or many other possibilities and Miis will actually say it to the player. The dialogue is very funny and unpredictable. 

The control scheme is extremely intuitive and easy to use. It's not obtuse or overwhelming despite the number of options available as the game progresses. The art style is charming with a whimsical flair. However, the food, for example, is some of the most realistic and best-looking food ever seen in a game. Most importantly, the interactions between Miis are hilarious. The player can drag-and-drop Mii characters near each other to watch them interact to help them grow their acquaintance, or perhaps do the reverse and dissuade Miis from forming bonds. Players can easily check on Mii characters by pulling up a menu with one click of a button to see which Mii is in need of assistance. 

Much of the game is up to the player's imagination with how they want to direct the characters on their island but from there it's about seeing the wild happenings that can occur around the island. It is a quirky and completely open-ended social simulation that truly showcases impressive game design because of how many different permutations are available behind the scenes making it all come together seamlessly. 

Tomodachi Life isn't just about the interactions between Miis but also building out the island with more structures and activities for the Mii characters. For example, building a bonfire or a playground for the Miis to enjoy. From there, the player will watch the Miis go about life independently and strike up conversations or even get themselves in some surprising, unthinkable situations. It's an intuitive and dynamic system that will guarantee each player's experience is unique to their island and community. Gamers can play mini games with Miis, or help them when something happens to them like developing hiccups or falling to the ground.

Overall, the player is like the painter of a blank canvas or the director on a film set, the game just allows for dynamic relationships and events to occur while the player fills in the blanks. The creativity is off the charts and the game runs flawlessly with no glitches or hiccups whether playing in handheld or docked. There is so much freedom and variety to do as one pleases and each gamer fills their island with different Miis, scenery and structures. It is an extremely accessible and delightful game that allows players to let their imagination run wild. There's so many surprises and legitimate laugh-out-loud moments. It's easily one of the funniest and most entertaining games on Nintendo Switch.

Conclusion

Tomodachi Life is a success in every way and achieves what it sets out to accomplish. Whether playing for hours at a time or simply checking out the island for 15 minutes at a time, Tomodachi Life is extremely entertaining, funny and enjoyable. The "Living the Dream" subtitle is fitting because gamers may think they're in a dream with unpredictable and unbelievable outcomes that are possible. 

With seemingly endless possibilities thanks to a fantastic creation suite, players will find enjoyment for dozens upon dozens of hours while discovering new content. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is different enough from both Animal Cross and Pokopia to live on its own as a remarkable "forever" game that will keep players hooked for many hours and wanting to check in every day to see what's happening on their island. While it may release as an underrated sleeper, Tomodachi Life is one of the most memorable experiences players can have this year.