Nintendo’s New Cozy Game Has Me Equal Parts Worried and Excited

Nintendo has always been fairly synonymous with the cozy game genre thanks to the likes of Animal Crossing. However, lately, it feels as if it has been dipping its proverbial toe a little more into the warm, comforting waters of the genre with newer titles like Pokémon Pokopia. Indeed, it has several more looming on the horizon, promising to devour your time as you settle in, get snug under a blanket, grab a warm cup of your favorite beverage, and lose yourself within the soothing vibes. Of course, I’m not complaining, I’m all for a good cozy game now and then, and I’m glad Nintendo has leaned in, especially as we await the much-anticipated next Animal Crossing game.

Crucially, Nintendo’s latest cozy game has me both extremely excited and a little apprehensive. While there is a lot to love about it and plenty of potential for it to be great, there’s a troubling aspect that I can’t seem to overlook. I am, of course, talking about the upcoming Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, the sequel to the now ridiculously expensive Nintendo 3DS game that has generated quite a lot of buzz thanks to some truly effective marketing. It also recently received a demo, and I’ve spent a little bit of time exploring it and trying to understand exactly the kind of experience it offers. While it only showcases a sliver of the overall game, I can’t help but feel as if it may not quite fulfil the cozy dream I had hoped it would.

Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Feels A Little Empty

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream’s surprising new demo had me intrigued from the outset. While I haven’t played the original, something that I deem rather important for reasons that will become clear, the bizarre, the off-kilter trailers for Living the Dream made me curious as to exactly what experience it was offering. Having now played it, I can safely say that Nintendo has conjured up something bafflingly bizarre and, crucially, something I’m certain will appeal to a subset of cozy gamers.

However, as much as I enjoyed my time, I’m a little fearful that this won’t become one of the best cozy games ever made, not that I’m particularly sure it’s reaching for such heights anyway. That’s because its central gimmick of messing around with Miis feels a little underbaked right now. As aforementioned, this demo really does only offer a small piece of the overall puzzle, so I can’t state for certain that this won’t be expanded upon greatly in the final product. However, as it stands, there’s only so much enjoyment to be had with the eccentric antics Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream provides.

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At the centre of Tomodachi Life is the interactions Miis have with one another, and the quirky nature of these, alongside the unpredictability of the dialogue, is a lot of fun. However, it feels as if this is really all the game has to offer on this front, which, from my understanding, isn’t a great deal more than what the previous game let you do. Sure, there’s the island builder feature, which gives you a pretty impressive degree of freedom over how you customize your island, and you can dress up your Miis, play the occasional minigame, and deal with their problems by interacting with them directly.

Unfortunately, all of this largely evokes the hollowness of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While the Miis in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream certainly have more personality, there are few ways of meaningfully interacting with them. The game, then, becomes more of an aquarium than a sandbox, a way of looking in on a very strange civilization as you plop more decorations down for them and occasionally feed them nice food. There’s certainly joy to be had in that, but I’m not convinced enough to keep me around for the long haul.

There’s Plenty Of Potential For Tomodachi Life Antics In Living The Dream

All of that being said, there is still an awful lot I love about Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. The aforementioned off-kilter dialogue that wouldn’t feel out of place in a British pub past 2 am is refreshingly absurd. I’ve seen some truly outrageously funny clips from the original game, and it absolutely seems like Nintendo hasn’t held back when it comes to just how ridiculous Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream can get. There’s a savagery to these Miis that feels completely contrary to their adorable little faces, and that dichotomy is ultimately the bedrock of Living the Dream’s sense of humor.

The trailers and previews have also promised a plethora of additional antics that I haven’t been able to see yet, which makes me excited, as there’s undeniably pleasure to be derived from seeing just how far Nintendo has pushed this latest entry. Furthermore, while I’m a shamefully uninventive person when it comes to these types of games, I am rather intrigued to see how other people customize their islands, and attempting to dabble in a little landscaping myself.

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However, I have to come back to my aforementioned admission that I’ve never played the original Tomodachi Life. It is important to reflect on this, as it puts me in a difficult position. On the one hand, it is altogether possible that I’ve merely misunderstood the point of this game, and that long-time fans will have a blast indulging in all the absurdity while caring little for the relative lack of meaningful gameplay. On the other hand, as a newcomer to this series, I feel like I’m able to judge Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream on its merits alone, rather than how it stacks up against another game, and I’m not entirely convinced I’m wholly sold on the idea.

I love the concept of ostensibly playing God in a town of Miis, at least in theory. I was a big fan of Black and White growing up, so I get the appeal here. However, while certain aspects of that idea have been executed perfectly, there’s a lot that’s missing, at least right now, that would make it truly shine. Perhaps all of this will become clear in the full game, and I sincerely hope that’s the case. If it is, then I stand corrected, and I’ll buy the game immediately. However, right now, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream’s demo has failed to grip me in the way I had hoped it would, a way I am fully willing to accept may be putting unfair expectations on it. I could be wrong about this one, it has certainly happened in the past, but Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream feels just a little too lifeless, and that has me just as worried as I am excited to see how the final product turns out.

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