Viva Pinata

Viva Pinata is an incredibly cheerful and heartwarming game that centers around building up a giant garden full of all kinds of different pinata creatures. The game follows the player as they take over the role of lead gardener from the retiring Mr Jardinero (Spanish for gardener as an inside joke). From here it is up to you to clean up the local areas and turn them into green pastures for all of your little pinata creatures and friends to enjoy. The game follows a very Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon style set up in that there really isn’t much of a story as the game revolves around what the player does rather than any NPCs. There are some wacky characters to interact with aside from the pinatas but these are minor.

Tools

Despite seeming like a barn style simulator, and being very close to it in fact, the game is more focused on gardening aesthetics and ideals. Therefore all of your tools are items like watering cans or shovels. You can use the shovel to clear up holes for more space that you can plant in later or for beating up some of your wilder creatures (gently). Similarly other tools can help you manage different aspects of your gardening, including everything from feeding pinatas to watering the grass. There’s a lot to mess around with and you always feel like there’s something you can do to progress as well as side entertainment to indulge in, all based around your items, options and creativity.

Gameplay

The point of the game, much like Harvest Moon, is to create a large and vibrant world full of wonderful creatures you’ll desperately want to collect and attract. There’s 60 different types of pinatas, all with their own personalities, behaviors and unlock requirements. Some are nice and docile while others are rowdy and aggressive, making managing your garden a very in depth balancing act. Despite being a game made primarily for relaxation, it definitely does require you to pay attention at times in order to prevent a massive blowout fight between all your wacky little pinatas. The more you play, the more you unlock and eventually you’ll be able to get access to more decorations, larger areas as well as being able to meet the higher requirements that the late game pinatas need to show up in your garden. A very rewarding experience that’s well worth your time.

Audio & Ambiance

The game is just a joy to see, everything looks so colorful and full of love that it’s like watching a pinata themed Pixar movie play out before your eyes. A Pixar movie with some attitude. Everything is just perfect, from the sights to the sounds and the fun immersion the game provides.