Hello Kitty Island Adventure is an upcoming narrative-driven life simulation game that has been at least two years in the making from Sunblink and Sanrio. With an expected release date of July 28 for Apple products, fans of Sanrio should expect it to be a cozy tropical getaway reminiscent of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While containing the game to only Apple devices could see a potential drop in what might have been a higher player count, Sanrio believes Apple Arcade is a good platform for it because they share the same core values. The representatives at Sunblink have stated that there may be an option to expand past just Apple devices in the future.
Indie games developer Sunblink allowed Game ZXC to play an early build of Hello Kitty Island Adventure, experiencing about ten hours of the game. The game will debut with forty-five to fifty hours of content, though more is promised to come in increments. Players will likely also spend quite a bit of time collecting items and customizing their island to their preferences, outside these core experiences.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure: First Impressions
The game first asks players to create their own customizable characters, each of whom has the qualities of a cute Sanrio friend. Unfortunately, there are only three options to choose from: a bird, a dog, or a cat. Sunblink has mentioned that they would like to add more types later, and in the meantime, players can customize their clothing and body whenever they come across a mirror. The type of animal that is chosen doesn't affect the overall gameplay in any way.
The story begins with the player waking up on an airplane that has nearly completed its journey to Friendship Island. An incident featuring Hello Kitty sees each Sanrio companion having to jump from the plane to the ground below. Initial quests ask that players ensure the others landed safely while getting adjusted to their new surroundings. The game starts with thirteen Sanrio characters: Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, Keroppi, Retsuko, Chococat, Hangyodon, Pochaco, Badtz Maru, Pompompurin, Tuxedo Sam, and Pekkle. Only a handful are available to interact with at the beginning of the game because a few friends have been lost around the map.
The personalities and the world are all vibrant and comforting, which is exactly what one should want when playing a cozy life simulation. Not only does the large map feature shops, cabins, oceans, and swampland, but it also features puzzles for players to solve. Sunblink said they took some inspiration from the puzzles in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild which certainly shows in their designs. As the game gets harder, the puzzles do as well. The reward system usually gives a person something worthwhile to match the effort put in, but it's hard to say for sure how worthwhile some rewards can be. Generally speaking, these puzzles typically require platforming skills, logical thinking, or both, but puzzle caves on the other hand are one-off puzzles that put players in different situations and environments.
People can also level up friendships, like in Disney Dreamlight Valley, by giving the islanders gifts. If a present is given that fits their preferences then the friendship level will increase faster. For example, Hello Kitty appreciates baked goods so giving her a pie is a sure way to make her happy. Players can also choose to keep a lot of the items they find around the tropical island, which is perfect for those that enjoy collecting and building an inventory.
Of course, many of the best life simulations also allow players to decorate rooms and cabins. Furniture can be found around the island or be purchased through My Melody's shop. Interestingly, My Melody is also the island guide, much like Isabelle in Animal Crossing, and she can give players a "Vibe Check" to inform them of where the island's overall rating stands.
Another important feature Hello Kitty Island Adventure has is the option to fast travel around said island. It can take quite some time to traverse the terrain to get to different points of interest, which may give a good idea as to how big the map truly is. Cinnamoroll's mailboxes, scattered all around, can be activated to teleport to these locations. There are seventeen options to choose from at the moment, though more could still be added.
Arguably, one of the best features of the game is Gudetama Snap, which encourages players to use their camera tool whenever they see Gudetama. Camera tools have been seen before in similar games, but it's always nice to be able to document memories and save them to one's device. Gudetama is the size of an actual egg yolk in Hello Kitty Island Adventure and can be seen striking various poses in somewhat hidden places around the island. When enough pictures are taken of him, Chococat will give the player a reward.
Truly, Hello Kitty Island Adventure has so many options that it's not likely that players will get bored. There is always something to do, including daily quests. Players can also choose to catch critters with a net, go fishing, explore the ocean by transforming into a mermaid, and prepare cabins to entice Sanrio characters like Mocha to stay on their island. While this amount of content can be overwhelming at the start, the islanders can provide advice when approached.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure Will Evolve Over Time
On release, Hello Kitty Island Adventurewill support multiplayer, and it's been stated the game can be more enjoyable with friends. People will also be able to explore other people's islands, quest with them, and give them gifts. And there will be more characters to interact with eventually, too.
While the beginner-friendly game already has a wide cast of characters to start with, the Sanrio franchise is quite vast, and it's already been teased that more friends are on the way. Specifically, a month after the launch the community should see more cabin visitors alongside the Little Twin Stars, Kiki and Lala. Cabins are going to be a nice way for Sunblink to bring more Sanrio characters to the game in the future.
Sunblink was adamant that it would be listening closely to its player base to make Hello Kitty Island Adventure a fun experience for all. The team wants this game to be of triple-A quality, calling it their "labor of love," and it appears to be on the right track with its immersive open world and beautifully designed characters. Sunblink also promised the game will evolve and update as it grows and at the moment they are considering adding farming features.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure releases on July 28 exclusively for Apple Arcade.