Review: Barbie Project Friendship - A Sweet, Relaxing Adventure for Young Gamers
Help Barbie and friends restore their favourite places in this wholesome game perfect for young gamers
Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Playstation
Genre: Casual, Management, Narrative
Developer: Xaloc Studios, Casual Brothers Ltd.
Publisher: Outright Games Ltd.
How Cozy? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Game Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐ /5
If you're looking for a cute, no-pressure game to wind down with, Barbie Project Friendship is a solid choice. Aimed at young players (under 10s I’d say), this game lets you help Barbie and her friends give some much needed TLC to various locations like a beach, a vet clinic, and more. The premise is simple, tidy up and spruce up different spaces by completing mini tasks. While it's a pretty straightforward experience, I was honestly surprised at how charming it turned out to be.
Story
At its core, Barbie Project Friendship revolves around helping Barbie "Malibu" Roberts, who goes by Malibu in this game, and her friends, like Ken and Nikki, bring their spaces back to life. Whether it’s renovating a rundown beach or giving the vet clinic a fresh look, the narrative’s all about teamwork, friendship, and light-hearted fun. The dialogue between characters, which I wasn't expecting to be all that engaging, actually turned out to be quite funny at times, and the game’s actually fully voiced which I wasn’t expecting either, which was a pleasant surprise.
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Gameplay
The gameplay follows a familiar pattern: you enter a space, it’s a bit of a mess, and you complete various tasks to clean it up and decorate it. Simple enough, but it’s surprisingly satisfying to see everything come together. You might be picking up litter, fixing things, or collecting items. The tasks never get too complicated, which makes it really accessible for younger players.
For a Barbie game, I was expecting a bigger variety, especially when it comes to decorating spaces or choosing outfits. You get a selection of items, but it’s fairly basic, nothing that really screams Barbie’s world of endless possibilities like I expected. I was hoping for more customization choices, especially since Barbie is all about fashion and personal expression. The lack of variety in both the clothing and décor felt like a missed opportunity to make the game even more engaging. I would’ve loved to see more options for outfits and décor, allowing players to get a little more creative with their spaces and character looks.
Graphics and Visuals
Visually, Barbie Project Friendship is really bright and cheerful. The colours pop, and the spaces you transform look noticeably better after you’ve worked your magic. It’s a feel-good vibe all around. The character models are cute, and while the game’s not going for realism, it’s charming in its own way. Everything feels polished, even if it’s not pushing any visual boundaries.
Music
The music is playful and upbeat, which fits the vibe of the game well. It doesn’t get annoying, but it’s nothing groundbreaking either. The tracks are nice background noise while you’re busy completing tasks, and it’s just catchy enough to keep you tapping along without distracting you from the gameplay.
Longevity
For someone like me (a millennial), the game’s appeal might wear off a bit quicker. Once you've cleaned up a few locations and done a couple of mini-games, you’ve seen most of what the game has to offer. But for younger players, especially those who enjoy a bit of repetitiveness and the joy of seeing spaces transform, it’s probably got enough to keep them entertained for up to 10 hours.
Conclusion
All in all, Barbie Project Friendship is a lovely, easygoing game with a lot of heart. While there are a few areas where I wish there was a bit more variety, like with the decoration options or clothing choices. it’s still a nice game to play through if you’re after something light and cheerful. It might not have long-lasting appeal for older players, but it’s definitely a win for its target audience: young gamers who want to help their favourite characters build and restore in a fun, low-pressure setting. If you go in with low expectations, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.
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