Hello Kitty Island Adventure Review (PS5)
Summary: Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a delightfully cosy life sim that balances charm, exploration, and friendship.
4.3
Whimsical Escape
The adventure kicks off with a turbulent plane ride and a silly one-liner from Badtz-maru (“I’ve had enough of these cakes on this plane!”) that immediately sets the playful tone the game carries throughout. After landing on the island, you are greeted by Hello Kitty and some of the Sanrio crew before being tasked with finding the rest. The main objective of the game is to restore the resort by gathering resources, completing quests, and building friendships. On the surface, the game draws comparisons to Animal Crossing or Disney Dreamlight Valley, but the key difference is how much everything revolves around friendships. Progress is locked behind gift giving, making friendship the heart of the game.
At its core, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a life sim centred on exploration and self-expression, making island life as sweet as it looks. The island offers plenty of ways to unwind, whether it be cooking, fishing, potion brewing, or customising cabins. It’s approachable and easy to pick-up, but it doesn’t feel shallow. It has exactly the right balance that makes it suitable for younger players, but still satisfying for adults who want a cosy escape.
Exploration in Hello Kitty Island Adventure is far more substantial than you might expect. The map doesn’t only consist of one island; it branches into swamps, volcanoes, caves and underwater ruins. Each new zone feels like a pocket-sized adventure, full of secrets that reward curiosity. Puzzles range from simple switch-pressing tasks to environmental riddles, alongside collectibles tucked into hard-to-reach places that encourage players to keep exploring every nook and cranny. Progression in these areas is gradual, gated by gear like snorkels and pickaxes that become accessible as you raise your friendships with the Sanrio cast.
This isn’t the first time players have been invited to the island. Hello Kitty Island Adventure debuted on Apple Arcade back in 2023, and it quickly became a huge success on the service. While the console version doesn’t reinvent the game, it certainly elevates it. The visual presentation shines on PS5, the extra horsepower giving the Sanrio universe more vibrancy than ever before. The higher resolution and smoother frame rate make them feel crisper and more alive. The colour palette is a mix of pastels and bold highlights, giving the perfect balance between cosy and eye-catching.
The environments are equally charming, from sparkling beaches to dense swamps and underground caves. Lighting and water effects look especially clean on PS5, adding just enough realism to make the whimsical art style pop without losing its cartoon-like charm. Transitions between areas are smooth and instantaneous, which helps the island feel like one cohesive, fluid world rather than a set of disconnected zones. Minor hiccups rear their head every now and then, like the occasional texture pop-in, but they never meaningfully break the immersion.
While the friendship system is charming, interactions with the Sanrio cast lack variety and conversations start to repeat after a while. Many quests are locked behind friendship levels, and some quests require other quests to be completed first before being able to unlock them. This makes progression quite slow at times, especially when the quests themselves are very short. To make the most of this game, you ideally need to play daily.
Final Thoughts
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a cosy life sim that is bursting with charm, personality, and a steady pace of exploration and friendship. It may lean into repetition at times, but the combination of whimsical characters, vibrant environments and the little discoveries that make it a joy to play. Whether you’re brewing a pink latte for My Melody, decorating a cabin for the next island visitor, or simply checking in on your favourite Sanrio pals, it’s a game that invites you to slow down and enjoy the small moments, which is exactly where the magic lies.
About the Author
Jade Darton Jade is a web developer and Computer Science BSc student from Suffolk, UK with a passion for games and writing about them.
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