I’d never really played a game from the “Animal Crossing” series before now, but man did this game make me a fan overnight. I’ve been so hooked on the game that it took me way too long to even get a chance to write this.
The game reeled me in right from the start with stunning warmth and charm that has managed to help take my mind off the pandemic happening right outside our doors. So if you’re looking for a way to spend your days indoors, or just need a distraction from the monotony and stress that is our current reality, buckle up because “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” for Nintendo Switch is the game for you.
The only landlord by whom I can abide, the lovable tanuki Tom Nook, offered me an island getaway. While I thought it would be fun, I had no idea how much time I’d want to pour into this virtual world. Right from the start, I was given a clear goal. I had purchased this island getaway package and it indebted me with Tom Nook and I needed to find some way to pay it off. The beauty of the game came in the freedom the game gave me in going about this.
With no interest and no time limit I could take my time paying it off bit by bit, simply selling the random flowers, fish and bugs I found around the island. Or, the approach I elected for, I could craft everything I could, creating things to sell and use, making my island and my tent residence more appealing as I went.
The game also dispenses an endless supply of charm, each villager is unique, and while the two that you start with always have the same personality types (a male Jock and a female Uchi) they can be any of the characters that fit this description, which means there are an enormous amount of possibilities when it comes to who you share your island with. Talking with my villagers was a joy (mostly, looking at you Shari) and I always find myself interested in what they might have to tell me today.
While I still haven’t unlocked all of the features, such as the ability to terraform terrain the way I want, I’ve managed to expand my town to include five villagers including myself. This has made my game act and feel like a living town. I caught Norma, a pink cow villager, watering the garden I built for no reason other than she felt like it. I set up a record player near the town square and Tybalt, a yellow tiger villager, started to sing along to the song it was playing when he stopped by.
The way the world lives and breathes on its own is only part of the charisma. The museum is a stunning and enormous building where I can go to view all of the fossils and different types of fish and bugs I’ve managed to snag. It’s truly the type of place you could get lost in. I know because I have. Several times.
Each time you catch a fish or bug it’s accompanied by a cute and clever pun or joke, which can get a bit tiresome for a few of the more common creatures, *cough* Sea Bass *cough* but I find myself still enjoying almost all of these quips after seeing many of them various times or more.
That’s not all there is either. As I’ve expanded my home, the level of customization I’ve been able to obtain in my house and my wardrobe is beyond satisfying. I could, and probably will, spend hours designing my home in the game to look exactly the way I want it to and I’ve already been putting a lot of thought into my character’s outfits.
From the start, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” made it very clear that this is a game practically anyone could enjoy. Want to build the biggest, most amazing house or town ever? You can do that. Want to reel in a record catch or find the rarest island creatures? You can do that too. Just want to laze by the beach or meander around enjoying island life? Go right ahead. “Animal Crossing New Horizons” sets itself apart by being able to appeal to so many people without compromising an inch of what makes the series so much fun.
