The Untapped Potential of the Descendants Franchise for Disney Dreamlight Valley

As Disney Dreamlight Valley keeps expanding its roster of characters, it’s important for both players and Gameloft to recognize that the well of Disney’s animated classics isn’t bottomless. With that in mind, there will likely come a time when the game needs to explore options beyond the realms of Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios. Instead of diving into mega live-action hits like Star Wars or the MCU, it might be more fitting to stay true to Disney’s roots with a franchise such as Descendants.

The Disney Channel’s Original Movies (DCOMs) and animated series offer a treasure trove of content that’s sure to resonate with the audience of Disney Dreamlight Valley. These properties often intertwine with fantasy, making them a more suitable addition compared to live-action series like Hannah Montana. Among the DCOMs, Descendants stands out as a highly successful franchise, making it an ideal candidate for Disney Dreamlight Valley to explore further.

Descendants, for those unaware, revolves around the offspring of iconic Disney villains. It introduces us to Mal, the daughter of Maleficent; Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen; Jay, Jafar’s son; and Carlos, the child of Cruella De Vil. These characters start off isolated on the Isle of the Lost but get a chance at a fresh beginning through Prince Ben, the son of Belle and Beast, who invites them to Auradon Prep. While their parents hope they retain their villainous ways, the youngsters gradually embrace goodness throughout the first movie. The franchise boasts three main films, and a prequel titled Descendants: The Rise of Red was set to release on Disney+ in the summer of 2024.

Fans of Disney Dreamlight Valley will find the thematic journey of Mal and her companions—shifting from villainy to redemption—quite relatable. It mirrors the game’s narrative focus on redeeming villainous characters, yet players have the autonomy to decide the fate of these mischief-makers in their village. This thematic synergy makes Descendants a natural fit for Disney Dreamlight Valley, reinforcing the game’s core storytelling theme.

Some gamers might be skeptical about incorporating live-action elements or variants of characters that are already part of Disney Dreamlight Valley. This concern is valid, but Descendants offers solutions. Descendants: Wicked World, an animated spin-off, could serve as a design template, circumventing potential design issues the game has faced when translating animated characters in the past. This animated series might just be the key to seamlessly blending the Descendants into Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Interestingly, two out of the four main Descendants characters already have ties within the game. Jafar has been featured through the A Rift in Time Expansion Pass, and Maleficent is expected to make her debut in the upcoming part of the Storybook Vale expansion. These portrayals remain true to their original Disney narratives, separate from their Descendants versions. Adding a distinct Descendants Realm could help differentiate these alternative portrayals within the game world.

Disney Dreamlight Valley’s evolving storylines provide a fitting backdrop to incorporate character variants. While it may take some time before the game steps outside the familiar territories of Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios, the prospect of welcoming the Descendants universe seems promising and well-justified.