HoYoverse is entering the cozy, life-sim territory with its upcoming release, Petit Planet. After spending some time in the closed beta test, I experienced a whimsical world full of charismatic characters, adorable decorative items, and a stunning universe that has me excited for a full launch.
Petit Planet’s main game loop revolves around building up and nurturing a planet. To do so, players will farm, fish, catch bugs, terraform, and decorate their planet while exploring the galaxy for new friends. These new friends can be invited to move to the player’s planet, where players can continue to get to know them and speak with them at any time.
Sound familiar?
Animal Crossing fans have seen this before, and that’s not something that Petit Planet shies away from – in fact, there’s a rather funny line from the start referencing a certain freedy tanuki that spans every Animal Crossing title.
With that being said, the similarities between the games are very shallow. While it’s inevitable that the HoYo title will be compared to the Nintendo franchise, Petit Planet offers a more social and complex experience than any Animal Crossing game does.
One of the biggest differences is the Galactic Bazaar. This is a multiplayer area where players can meet other players, chat, and play games to earn prizes.
For players looking to socialize, this is a great way to do so. There are places to sit where you can talk freely with other players (and somewhere to go if you’d rather speak to an AI), and I could see it being handy for those who love community. HoYoverse has also explained that beyond the closed beta, it’s working on improving the social side of the game, which could mean these
That’s not the only way players can interact with other random players. Occasionally, planets will come close to each other, and players can choose to visit other players’ planets if they’re open. This is a feature that can be turned off for those who don’t want random visitors.
Petit Planet can be played without interacting with other players, and that’s where the game really shines.
The characters in Petit Planet are full of life from the start. Not only are their designs lively and adorable, but their personalities are just as bright. Talking to the other characters is never boring, whether it’s for a quest or just saying hi throughout the day.
Additionally, there’s a system for getting to know them that intertwines with the rest of the gameplay. As players take action on their planet, they’ll find small sprite-like creatures called Archiboos that they can give to other characters. By doing so, they can unlock their friendship levels, discovering new levels for them and learning things like emotes and recipes.
This feels quite natural to do, too. There are plenty of quests to explore, especially at the start, that have players doing things like fishing or chopping trees, which gives players Archiboos. It all comes together nicely and, for the time I played, didn’t feel too repetitive.
Unfortunately, the biggest downside in the game is also found in these characters – there’s no voice acting or any sort of silly sound to mimic voices. While the music of the game isn’t bad, it’s a bit jarring to sit in dead-silent dialogue.
Whether it’s a gibberish language like in The Sims or even Animal Crossing itself, Petit Planet would benefit a lot from some sort of sound coming from its adorable animal friends. Considering they’re so full of life, this feels especially off-putting.
The days in Petit Planet mirror days in real life, on a 24-hour cycle. This affects the shops and even the progression. There’s no way to get around this, which can be a double-edged sword, especially in the first couple of days when not everything is unlocked.
For example, once you’ve built the shop and have access to more decorating tools and furniture items, there’s so much to do. This means there’s so much more to do every day that you don’t feel like you’re waiting until tomorrow.
The biggest question that will likely affect Petit Planet is where the monetization comes in. Right now, there’s no sort of gacha system in place, so we’ll have to see where the business model will land.
The possibility of purchasing premium currency would make sense, as some of the prices in the different shops are steep compared to what you can earn. However, this could just be a way to keep players playing to earn more in-game money than a hint at what will be monetized.
Ultimately, Petit Planet appears to be in a great place for those who want a cozy, adorable life sim. It’s got a lot to offer in its closed beta test state, so I can only imagine that the full release will expand on this.