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i used to be a real go getter
i used to think it'd all get better.

fashion dreamer

basics
  • fashion dreamer
  • developer: syn sophia
  • published by: xseed
  • playable on: nintendo switch
I love dress up games - part of the reason I wanted to be a Vtuber was the infinite possibilities for outfit designs (and then ended up just making my avatar wear an outfit I actually own anyway…). Growing up on the 90s internet I remember playing with Dollz, KISS, and Gaia Online or any other little dress up game I could find - in hindsight, it’s kind of funny as I was not a girl who played with dolls. All of this to say that I am a big fan of the type of games Syn Sophia Inc puts out, having played my first Style Savvy Game in 2012 with the release of Trendsetters, and I have been holding out since Styling Star came out in 2017. How does Syn Sophia’s latest game, Fashion Dreamer stack up?

Let’s clear the air, Fashion Dreamer is not, and was never intended to be, the next Style Savvy entry. Syn Sophia was clear about this leading up to launch - but even so, it doesn’t make the game feel any less disappointing and hollow in its current state. You’re spawned into Cocoon “HOPE”, a digital gathering place for your avatar and others - known as Muses - to show off your fashion designs. The game only ever spawns in 4-5 other Muses at a time, and you can create “LookIts” for them and exchange “Thanks!” or “Nice!” stamps. Gaining items is extremely dumbed down- just approach a Muse who’s outfit you like and you can pick and choose which items to earn, or just take them all. By earning likes you can move on to other Cocoons to unlock new design patterns, but the gameplay loop is so shallow that I actually went and charged my 3DS up to play Stylling Star instead.

The Fashion Dreamer official site promises free updates with new gameplay modes beginning in December of this year, which will hopefully prompt me to pick it back up and give it another try. With a shallow gameplay loop and no sense of progression, Fashion Dreamer leaves me dreaming about what could have been if the last Style Savvy on 3DS hadn’t been cancelled.

final score: 5/10