Those that love vogue simulation video games as a lot as I do will seemingly bear in mind a collection for the Nintendo and 3DS often known as Fashion Savvy (also referred to as Fashion Boutique and Ladies Mode). Developed by Syn Sophia, this collection of video games was distinctive.
They every had their very own tales as to the way you got here into proudly owning a boutique of your personal, you’d meet energetic, memorable characters throughout your time as a stylist, and most significantly, you had customisation choices galore. For the reason that launch of Fashion Savvy: Styling Star in 2017, which featured a pop idol twist, followers have been in need of a brand new dress-up sport like Fashion Savvy for the Nintendo Swap.
Syn Sophia listened, after all, and just lately dished out Vogue Dreamer for Nintendo’s hybrid handheld. That mentioned, regardless of being unable to place it down for the previous week or two, it was removed from what I’d hoped. As a lot enjoyable as it’s handy out my unwarranted vogue recommendation to people, the sport is boring, flat, and lifeless in comparison with its religious predecessors.
We’re dwelling within the age of social media (or the collapse of it, in the event you’re feeling cynical), and Vogue Dreamer has tried to make this the core caveat of its sport, to its detriment. Relatively than opening up a boutique, tending to prospects’ wants and visiting the Exhibition Corridor to purchase new garments, Vogue Dreamer is all about gaining social media followers. The memorable characters we beforehand had have been exchanged for caricatures that aren’t half as partaking, your ‘boutique’ is merely a Showroom that gamers can go to slightly than having any substantial goal, and even clothes customisation feels half as thrilling because it as soon as did.
With all of that in thoughts, this didn’t cease me from tirelessly enjoying the sport for hours on finish. Whereas it’s removed from what I anticipated it to be, and much faraway from how energetic and engagement the Fashion Savvy collection was, there’s nonetheless lots of enjoyable available in shelling out unwarranted vogue recommendation to NPCs or different participant’s Muses. Every time you achieve this, you achieve followers, and the extra followers you achieve, the extra hub areas (often known as Cocoons) you could go to.
Even then, the thrill of unlocking a brand new hub space to discover is missing; they’re all the identical, that includes some characters to offer vogue recommendation to, a salon, and a pop-up space the place you’ll be able to gather new garments. There’s no incentive to truly hold going with Vogue Dreamer after some time; you’re not boosting a boutique’s income anymore, you don’t need to diligently earn money from prospects to purchase new clothes gadgets, and so forth. There’s no limits, which is nice for some gamers, however damaging for simply how partaking the sport truly is.
Syn Sophia has efficiently modernised the collection, and it is actually not let gamers down by way of simply what number of gadgets of clothes can be found. In order for you a sport the place you’ll be able to repeatedly dress-up characters again and again in new clothes, Vogue Dreamer is simply that. You may take loads of photographs of your characters outfits, amass an enormous social media following, and unlock extra garments whereas doing so. However that’s it for Vogue Dreamer’s gameplay loop. It’s comparable sufficient to the Fashion Savvy collection, however the lack of a problem or an overarching objective past gaining as many social media followers as attainable seems like a let-down.
Let me reiterate that as lifeless as Vogue Dreamer typically feels, I nonetheless can’t name it a foul sport. I positively had enjoyable enjoying it, and can little doubt return to it after I really feel like mindlessly enjoying dress-up. However the lack of a problem, objective, or any actual gameplay past amassing cult standing among the many vogue world has seen me doing one factor I by no means fairly imagined doing in 2023, and that’s returning to Fashion Savvy. Whereas Vogue Dreamer is undoubtedly granting the liberty that I think about lots of gamers have been dreaming of, I can’t fairly assist however miss the problem that its religious predecessors offered.