Preview: Genshin Impact Dev Takes on Animal Crossing with New Cozy Game

Animal Crossing as a brand seems utterly unsurmountable, but if any company’s going to put the popular Nintendo property to the figurative sword, it’s HoYoverse.

Having now played the Genshin Impact maker’s cosy effort for several hours, I certainly think it’s got a shot.

Petit Planet, as the game is rather unimaginatively named, is the Chinese juggernaut’s most accessible outing by a country mile. There are no complicated currencies or jiggly anatomy here – just a loosely LittleBigPlanet-esque universe for you to inhabit alongside animal-inspired companions.

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My test of the latest beta took place on an iPad as the title is technically only confirmed for PC and mobile right now, but the accompanying documentation I was provided with says “additional platforms are in development”.

Given the success of the studio’s various games on the PS5, I think PlayStation feels like a certainty, as outside of the likes of Disney Dreamlight Valley, it doesn’t really have any other titles like this. It’s going to be really interesting to see if Nintendo welcomes it on the Switch 2, though.

That’s because I’ve long held the position that the Mario maker made a colossal mistake by moving on from Animal Crossing: New Horizons far too early.

I know it technically updated the game with new content earlier this year, but I feel like this should have been a live service stalwart in Nintendo’s library – especially considering it sold some 50 million copies during COVID-19.

Here’s the rub: Petit Planet has none of the brand or character recognition of Animal Crossing, but it does have a dev notorious for never-ending updates. If it supports this game to the same level as its other more established games then it’s really going to build up a head of steam on Nintendo’s inevitable sequel.

If you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned much about the actual gameplay yet, it’s because it’s very familiar to Animal Crossing – almost to a fault.

You’ll start out by creating a simple, anime-style character and taking an intergalactic trip through the virtual universe to your very own planet. Powered by a kind of energy named Luca, your planet will slowly spring into life, inhabited by insects, fish, and other visitors.

I’m not entirely sure how much this starting experience will differ between players, because everything is fully voice acted – the presentation outpaces Nintendo’s property by some margin.

I get the impression everyone will start out with a unique fruit on their planet, but other aspects may be the same. I’m not sure it matters much because in the initial phases of the campaign, the game slowly rolls out mechanics like fishing and bug catching, but later you’re obviously encouraged to decorate your planet how you want to.

The title’s got the same soft focus and rolling, spherical look as Animal Crossing, so there’s no question where HoYoverse’s inspiration has come from. All of the furniture and decorations have that dollhouse-like kitsch aesthetic to them as well, so the art direction is really on point.

I was really curious how the studio, known for its gacha games, intends to monetise the whole thing – and it’s not telling me right now.

A spokesperson said that while it understands how important the monetisation model is for the “long-term sustainability of the game”, it’s still “actively exploring and refining” its approach. I find this interesting because it must have some idea on the direction it wants to go.

If I had to guess, based on what I’ve played, it will be another gacha system revolving around “sets”. Most of the furniture already included in the game subscribes to a variety of different themes, so I can see it rolling out new “sets” with each update cycle, and you’ll have to pull on them to get all of the items. That’s purely speculation on my behalf, though.

I think the real worry here is that, despite great art and some really thoughtful improvements to the pace of the experience, Petit Planet isn’t doing anything particularly original.

But, as I mentioned earlier in the article, on the PS5 it doesn’t really have to. There’s nothing quite like this on Sony’s console outside of Disney Dreamlight Valley, and HoYoverse’s commitment to cross-platform experiences that quickly grow and expand will give it a leg-up on whatever Nintendo’s planning to do.

I’m really fascinated to see where this title eventually settles and if the dev’s enormous marketing muscle can really put some pressure on K.K. Slider et al.

This is definitely something different from HoYoverse, and if the unstoppable success of titles like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail has taught us anything, it’s that it’s not going to give up on this until it dominates the space.

Petit Planet’s Stardrift Test beta is currently running across PC and mobile right now. You can find out more information on how to participate through here. Is this a game you’d love to play on PS5? Make your voices heard in the comments section below.