“Tomodachi Life” has been my favorite game since I was about 12 years old. The life simulation game has always been charming for me, and creating characters with unique personalities was a source of creativity for my younger self. I never thought my dream of a sequel would come true until my cousin told me a new game was coming out.
I was skeptical of whether “Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream” would live up to the standard of the original. Because let’s be honest: If the original is that good, how could a sequel make it any better without losing the hilarious quirkiness of the first game?
My skepticism went out the window when I watched January’s Nintendo Direct preview video, featuring a customizable island, more interaction and characters that have since gone viral. Honestly, it makes sense that this game is the No. 1 best seller on multiple platforms right now, and it was popular even during presale. “Tomodachi Life” is one of the world’s most loved games, and the sequel not only lives up to, but surpasses the original game I fell in love with when I was younger.
The game entered production in 2017, which means that there were 9 years between the beginning of development and the release date. At first, I was confused about why a game would take so long to develop, but I would soon figure out why.
The demo was released on March 25. This was my first taste of the game that I had enjoyed watching so much on the Direct, and it was amazingly detailed. Although it was very limited in features and only allowed the player to create three characters, the demo made me want to play the full version even more. This made the following three-week wait for the game even more unbearable.
On the night of April 15, I stayed up until 11 p.m. to play the game I’ve been waiting for since December, and I wasn’t disappointed at all.
Although I was only able to play the game for about two hours before going to bed, I was impressed at how much interaction was available to the player and how detailed the game was compared to the original. The game even allows you to create custom food and items for your characters. Also, the characters can remember certain interactions with other characters, which is a new feature for the “Tomodachi Life” series.
Since “Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream” is like the original in that events happen over time, I’m sure my experience will only improve the more I play the game. That being said, this sequel balances keeping the charm and traditional feel of the original and improving the gameplay experience by adding better graphics and more player involvement.
The original “Tomodachi Life” is something I played for months, but the sequel seems to be one of the rare games that allows for infinite possibilities. I look forward to enjoying this game more as time goes on.
