Mini Review: Hello Kitty Island Adventure (PS5)

Hello Kitty Island Adventure has at last landed on PlayStation 5. First launching on Apple Arcade back in 2023—its name famously lifted from a South Park gag nearly two decades ago—the cozy sim later released on PC and Switch last January.

The experience fuses relaxed life-sim pacing with gentle exploration: you team up with Hello Kitty to revitalize an abandoned amusement park on a tropical isle and, along the way, buddy up to its eclectic residents.

The journey begins with crafting a Sanrio-worthy avatar, offering a parade of critter species, silhouettes, and color palettes so you can shape a character that genuinely belongs inside Kitty White’s irresistible universe.

Once you step onto the beach, the locals bombard you with tasks, and you’ll soon scoop up an avalanche of knick-knacks that you’ll hoard before figuring out their purpose.

A quest journal and guiding waypoints do exist, yet the opening hours feel like sensory overload—multitudes of items sparkle for attention and pile up in your backpack without clear utility.

The world is spacious and—after the prologue quests—almost entirely unlocked. Visuals pop in gentle pastels and approachable softness that scream official Sanrio merch. Roaming is delightful: you’ll hop, scramble, and paddle across every corner, plus stealthy “dungeons” hide straightforward Zelda-lite brain-teasers controlling locked gates.

Laid-back staples—crafting, angling, insect hunting, and culinary concoctions—are all accounted for. Deepening your bond with NPCs chiefly flows through present-giving; these gestures unlock fresh missions and superior crafting patterns, though daily gift caps create a slow-burn grind toward max affection.

Indoors, you can spruce up personal quarters and guest cottages with thematic décor, but reviving the island’s outdoor areas follows a set path—never letting it truly feel “yours.” The emphasis on roaming and collecting, rather than freeform holiday-home personalization, skirts furthest from Animal Crossing’s sandbox charms.

In the end, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is indispensable for lovers of the Sanrio brand thanks to its faithful capture of the IP’s spirit, and casual players will still discover a comforting playground to unwind in. While some corners could be richer, it remains a pleasant new entry for cozy-game shelves.