I should start by saying that a Nintendo Switch is pretty darn expensive. It costs $300 for a traditional one and $200 for the Nintendo Switch Lite which is the smaller version. On top of that, the individual games themselves cost money. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is $60. So, I think it’s safe to say you should be sure of your decision if you decide to invest in the game.
I have been playing Animal Crossing for a very long time. Not nonstop, but it’s been a huge part of my childhood. I would watch my sister play on the Wii for hours, and we would always bring our DS’s to our cousins’ house so we could all visit each other’s’ towns. I’ve been through at least three versions of the game. When the newest version of Animal Crossing came out for the Switch, I was curious, but fought the idea of getting it because I was already struggling a bit with productivity and didn’t want to make it worse. Eventually, the FOMO got to me, and my cousin was kind enough to sell her used Switch to me for a reduced price. Now that I’ve been playing for about two weeks, here are my thoughts.
What I dislike about Animal Crossing:
This game is so consuming that I can easily spend at least three hours completing tasks and taking care of my Island. You can also change days in the game by changing the day in the Switch’s system, so you don’t actually have to wait until tomorrow to reap the excitement of a new building that will be ready the next day, for instance. Because of this, you can sit for hours advancing in the game. I spent five hours playing it when I group facetimed with my cousins and sister once. It was a poor decision on my part to start playing when I did, because now I am in the throes of finals and am finding it easy to get distracted and hard to pull myself away from the game, even when I set a time limit. The best thing I can do is leave it in another room, or better yet, on a different floor of my house. If it weren’t for the fact that I have work to do, there would be no negatives about this game except for the price.
What I love about Animal Crossing: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” One major reason I love Animal Crossing is that it provides a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Some tasks are harder than others, but never impossible, and for that reason there is an endless sense of accomplishment as you complete task after task. There is also something ritualistic about the game, which can be very soothing, as you gather fruit, fossils, and items from trees and stones. Another plus of the game is the background music. Many people I know, as well as myself, find the background music to be very relaxing. In my opinion the most relaxing music happens early in the morning in the game. One of my favorite parts of the game is filling the museum with fish, bugs, fossils, and artwork that you collect as time goes on. Catching a rare fish is exciting, and then getting to see all of that work collectively in the museum is really cool. It also makes me miss going to museums right now since we’re not leaving the house, but I live vicariously through my character a bit. There can also be a social aspect to the game if friends or family are playing as well. Like I mentioned before, you can visit friends’ islands in the game. It’s so fun to be FaceTiming with my sister and cousins and visiting each other, exchanging items and seeing their progress in the game.
Overall, I love this game and I think it can be really stress-relieving. I am especially looking forward to playing once school is over so I don’t feel as guilty about taking time away from final papers. That being said, you’ll have to take into consideration all the factors to see if this game is something you’ll enjoy.