Review: Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea

Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea is a cute virtual pet game for young children. It’s the second installment in the Fantasy Friends franchise and is the first pet-caring game featuring magical underwater creatures.

I reviewed Fantasy Friends earlier this year, so I will focus on the similarities between the two games and which one stands on top.

Gameplay:

Just like the first installment, players can collect, feed, and play with 12 different magical creatures. There are different skins and accessories for each pet, as well as collectible items used for decorating the ocean. In this version, the graphics, pets, and items are much more attractive compared to the first Fantasy Friends.

Since this game’s intended audience is young children, the controls and the gameplay are very simple. The left analog stick is mainly used to pet, feed, and bathe your pets. However, I still think it would be more fun and interactive if the game also used touch controls.

In Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea, the magical fairy guide Aurea is back, but this time she’s a mermaid. One complaint I still have is how Aurea speaks in Animalese. Since this game is for very young children, I think it would be beneficial to have her actually speak.

However, I have also noticed several improvements in Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea compared to the first game. They cut back a lot of the dialogue, so even if the players can’t read very well, they can get the gist of the game. And thankfully, the loading times aren’t as long as before.

Another nice improvement I noticed is that the mini-games are more entertaining than the first game. I wouldn’t necessarily say they are fun, but they aren’t painfully boring either.

Even though the mini-games were better, some toys were really pointless. For example, with one toy, you just swing it around your pet’s face, and this is considered one of the “games.” There is barely any actual interaction with the pet except for your pet showing excitement in the same manner every few seconds. These kinds of cheap animations and gameplay are things I would expect from a free-to-play game from the App store, not a fully paid console game.

Pros:

• Cute graphics and characters
• Suitable for young children

Cons:

• Almost a complete replica of the first game
• Not enough content for the price
• Frequent game errors

Conclusion:

Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea feels more polished, and the overall design is nicer compared to the first Fantasy Friends. But unfortunately, I was not impressed with this game since it’s a cheap rehashing of the first one. I had high expectations for Fantasy Friends: Under the Sea because it is really cute and visually pleasing. There were a few improvements here and there, but not enough for me to recommend this game to anyone, especially at its price range. Though if it’s on sale for less than ten dollars, I’d definitely recommend getting this version over the first one.

Entertainment: 4/10

Replay value: 2/10

Graphics: 8/10

Sound: 6/10

Kid-Friendly: Yes (Recommended age: 3-7)