My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery Review (PS5)
Summary: My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery respects younger gamers well and complements the My Little Pony Lore!
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Respecting kids!
My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure from 2022 was a huge hit with my daughter and it was also the first game that she ever finished, so a proud gaming dad moment right there. It was developed by Melbot Studios and published by Outright Games, A Maretime Bay Adventure was actually a solid game and not just a cash grab like most titles aimed at kids. So when my daughter heard there was a sequel, she was over the moon but how does the sequel fare from new developer Drakhar Studios? Read on!
At its core, My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery is a mini open world game with set level boundaries that must be unlocked as you progress through the game. Although not really possible to get lost, there is an option to turn on the “bread trails” which in this game is via a butterflies. Unlike the previous game that only allowed mini-games to be played in local co-op, A Zephyr Heights Mystery allows for another player which is a great option, especially amongst warring siblings. In terms of playable ponies, there’s Sunny Starscout, Hitch Trailblazer, Izzy Moonbow, Pipp Petals, Zipp Storm and Misty Brightdawn – so fans will be super pleased.
The story around My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery requires the player with their pony avatar to uncover the mystery behind the magical chaos and hi-jinks that has been occurring throughout Zephyr Heights which is causing mayhem for the other equus ferus caballus (aka pony) residents. So who is causing all this chaos, is it one of their own or something more sinister? We’re spoiler free sorry!
However like the previous instalment, there are also plenty of side quests to help your pony friends, including mini-games to help spice things up, including the various different abilities of the different My Little Ponies you control such as the rollerskating Sunny who can zoom around Zephyr Heights or Izzy Moonbow who uses magic to move objects around. Needless to say, each skill set of each pony is needed to complete certain aspects of the game and missions. With that said, younger gamers will enjoy the exploration and discoveries that they will uncover by being curious.
Controls are also well mapped on the PS5 DualSense controller and it goes hand in hand with the gameplay as you explore in third person. Equally interacting with the environment and objects is rage free and everything with the gameplay works smoothly. Sure, there are a few grinds and repetition here and there but all in all, it’s a decent kids game.
Graphically, My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery channels the cartoon series perfectly onto the PlayStation 5 with its comic-like environments, filled with colour and sunny days! Equally, all the ponies are well animated, including some of their manes which move with this real world grace as do these creatures who interact well with the environment.
Lighting and special effects also help in creating a fine polished title. Younger gamers will also appreciate that you can buy new outfits for the ponies that again adds a bit more ownership for younger gamers. Also supporting the graphics and gameplay is the excellent voice acting, sound effects and musical score which nicely rounds out this game.
Final Thoughts?
If your kids loved the previous game, My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery is an updated and dare I say more enjoyable version that will allow children to become fully immersed in this enjoyable game from start to finish. Controls are well mapped and for the most part, the gaming mechanics are sturdy and require limited parental input. It’s a kid game made with respect for the characters and the younger gamer.
Recommended!
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