Petit Planet Preview: HoYoverse's Latest Looks Like Animal Crossing, But My Inner Wizard Has Questions...
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
HoYoverse's *Petit Planet* offers a charming, *Little Prince*-themed take on *Animal Crossing* with clear progression and multiplayer, though early beta impressions reveal concerns about character customization, online safety for younger players, and future monetization, despite the potential for robust live-service support.
Alright, mates, gather 'round the digital campfire, because HoYoverse, the maestros behind *Genshin Impact* and *Honkai: Star Rail*, have tossed another intriguing spell into the gaming cauldron: *Petit Planet*. Now, if you're thinking "Animal Crossing in space," you're not wrong – even the game itself gives a knowing wink to its island-dwelling predecessor, though apparently, you won't be shackled by debt just for having a home, which is a fair dinkum relief, I reckon.
I recently spent about five hours peering through the looking glass of its closed beta, and what I saw was a charming, *Little Prince*-esque take on the cosy life sim. It’s got clear progression and multiplayer from the get-go, which, let's be honest, were two things many of us were craving from *ACNH* but never quite got. So, is HoYoverse about to sprinkle some much-needed cosmic dust on the genre? Maybe, but my magically-attuned skepticism sensors picked up a few signals along the way.
First off, and this is a bit of a bummer, the character creator at the start felt a tad... limited. I mean, a wizard’s gotta have options, right? Four skin tones and a pretty sparse selection of hairstyles initially didn't quite hit the mark for a game touting customization. Now, I know it's a beta, and there's talk of more options later via in-game currency, but for a global audience, that's a tricky first impression. Here's hoping the final incantation is a bit more inclusive.
The premise is rather whimsical: you're joining a trio of anthropomorphic animals from "Loomi Co" to terraform a nascent planet and explore the cosmic neighbourhood. I picked the "hot and dry" golden prairies, because, well, who doesn't love a bit of desert magic? Your resident taskmaster, Mobai (think Isabelle and Tom Nook rolled into one, but furrier), guides you through developing your planet, all centred around a rather special tree that grows and evolves with you. As it levels up, your world expands – new fields, bigger rivers, beaches – all laid out with a satisfying clarity that *ACNH* sometimes lacked. I quite liked being able to peek ahead at future upgrades, like mountain biomes.
The initial hour was a bit of a tutorial death grip, all tight spaces and forced learning, but blessedly, it loosened up considerably, letting me stretch my virtual legs. *Petit Planet* ties its deeper upgrades to real-world daily progression, à la *ACNH*, which is fair enough. No cheating the system by meddling with your device's clock here, thanks to those ever-watchful HoYoverse servers! But honestly, I never ran out of things to do. I spent my time in familiar, yet cosmically re-skinned, activities: whacking trees for fruit, netting bugs, picking flowers, smashing rocks for ore, and casting a line into the digital depths. A neat touch was using shellfish tongs to scoop up tidepool creatures – quite charming, that. Everything's got a starry, round design, and the directions are always crystal clear. Activities need "strength" (energy, basically), but fruit and food sources were ample, so it wasn't much of a faff.
The NPCs, or "Neighbors," were a highlight. HoYoverse usually nails character depth, and *Petit Planet* seems no different. Each has a distinct identity, background stories, and evolving tastes, which is a massive plus for a life sim. I'm keen to see who else I can coax to my little slice of cosmic paradise on my interstellar travels.
Speaking of travels, I eventually got my own cosmic jalopy – a car that runs on earnable (and purchasable) batteries. This allowed me to zip off to "Planettes," which are tiny, resource-rich worlds or potential new Neighbor habitats. I even convinced one to relocate! The other major hub is the Galactic Bazaar, a multiplayer hangout with mini-games and spots to chat.
Now, here's where my wizardly senses started tingling a bit. *Petit Planet* looks undeniably aimed at younger audiences – the player characters even look like little cosmic sprites. Yet, the Galactic Bazaar actively encourages chatting with strangers, and my casual test found the text chat didn't shy away from mild expletives. Safe online spaces for kids are a whole other magical spell to conjure, and I genuinely hope HoYoverse has some robust plans beyond simply blocking other players, especially if the final game is indeed aimed at a younger crowd. The beta's 18+ age restriction is a temporary balm, but the broader question remains.
Then there's the inevitable question of pricing. It's free-to-play, which is HoYoverse's bread and butter, and there seemed to be plenty of ways to earn in-game currencies during the beta. But let's be real, a HoYoverse game without some form of gacha or monetization scheme is like a wizard without a wand. Will it be characters? Cosmetics? Both? The exact nature of the future cash flow remains a mystery shrouded in stardust.
Oh, and because it's 2024, I even bumped into a couple of AI chatbots – one for in-game help, and a barista in the Bazaar. Easily dodged if you're not keen on them, though.
Despite my occasional eyebrow-raises, *Petit Planet* being an online HoYoverse game is a massive potential strength. Their track record for supporting *Genshin* and *Honkai* with consistent updates, events, and quality-of-life improvements is solid. I saw hints of future content like a "restaurant" and was already eyeing cute cosmetics and furniture sets I wanted to craft. Even knowing my beta progress would be wiped, I couldn't help but feel a genuine buzz for what this cosmic garden could grow into.
So, is *Petit Planet* the next big thing, a truly magical blend of *Animal Crossing* and *The Little Prince*? It's certainly got potential. My inner wizard is cautiously optimistic, ready to see if HoYoverse can truly enchant us with this one.
*(Based on a preview by Miranda Sanchez for IGN South Africa)*
Tags: Web3 Gaming, Cozy Sim, HoYoverse, Animal Crossing, Preview
Original article: IGN South Africa