Is Disney Dreamlight Valley worth buying?

Disney Dreamlight Valley was recently released into early access and costs $30 USD unless you play with Xbox Game Pass. However, it will be free when it reaches full release. So, is it worth buying now? The instant popularity of the game would suggest that it is, but why would you buy a game that will be free eventually?

The only reason I can think of are that you really love Disney and want to try the game they call “Disney Animal Crossing”. Aside from the real-time day-night cycle, this game isn’t really anything like Animal Crossing. That isn’t a bad thing though, Disney Dreamlight Valley actually has a story to follow!

Fall asleep one night and wake in the mysterious (and a little creepy) Dreamlight Valley. Night Thorns grew across the land and caused The Forgetting, so people can’t remember who they are or how things used to be. It’s up to you to get rid of those dastardly thorns to help them remember!

The game is charming and adorable, with great character creation options (and lots of clothes to find!). It was lovely to see the sunset on my first day in Dreamlight Valley, but it also has a lot of bugs. After playing for about 30 mins and quitting the game, I found I couldn’t get back in! I got the dreaded error #7 which stops Australian and New Zealand players from playing the game. Fortunately, you can fix it by changing your timezone. There are also errors buying (I received ‘transaction error’ when trying to buy an awesome hairstyle, then when I tried later it was gone!) and selling items.

Update: Error #7 has now been fixed with the most recent patch! You should be able to log into the game without issue with or without the “Well Fed” buff applied. Also, there seemed to be an issue where characters wouldn’t follow you when you ask them to hang out. This bug also appears to be resolved.

So, is Disney Dreamlight Valley worth buying? If you’re a big fan of Disney? Maybe. Otherwise, grab it for ‘free’ on Game Pass and make sure to pick up the Founders Pack before it goes.