Ever since this whole pandemic shut everything down, people were bored. We were all stuck at home with nothing to do, but luckily that was when “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” released. This game was super successful and it was hard to escape on social media. Even though some people say it is an “overhyped” game, that should not stop you from giving it a try. After playing this game since March, I think everyone should try playing and here is why:
1. It’s Therapeutic
I never thought playing a video game could be so relaxing until I got sucked into “Animal Crossing”. I love to decorate and being able to do this in the game made it enjoyable. I could also create custom designs or see what everyone else made. It can be a little intimidating to see how talented everyone else is, but I am proud of all the things I’ve designed. I was able to design my clothes and put them on display in my shop for everyone to see. To my surprise, I saw my villager wearing the sweater I designed the next day and it touched my heart.
2. Your Style
When you start the game your island is a blank canvas full of possibilities. If you don’t like your house you can change the style with ease. You have the final say because the island is all yours. You can put your house by the beach or on a cliff above a waterfall. Every time you walk through your island you appreciate everything because everything except the trees had to be built or bought by you.
3. No Two Islands Are the Same
Everyone is different and has unique tastes. This is why there are no two islands that are the same. I’ve seen islands that are Disney themed to New York City-themed to Harry Potter themed. The possibilities are endless and if you don’t like it, you can start over at the press of a button.
4. Meet With Friends
During quarantine, I was missing my friends and was a little sad that I had to celebrate my birthday trapped in my house. When it was my birthday my villagers threw me a surprise party and gave me gifts. It was a very nice pick me up because even though it was a game it was nice to have some type of celebration. My friends also came to my island and gave me gifts which were super sweet because they didn’t have to. The famous singing dog, KK Slider also sings you a special song for your birthday. I also got to show off my island and my home to my friends.
5. Cute Villagers
I am a sucker for anything cute and my villagers are absolutely adorable. In the game, you get to go looking for new villagers to convince them to come to your island. They will become permanent residents until they ask to leave which you have to approve. So once you convince them to move in, they are trapped and I’m ok with that. I love seeing my villagers out and about and having fun on my island. Sometimes they become buddies with other villagers and you can see them doing yoga or sunbathing together. Even though I had nothing to do with the friendships they make, I feel like a proud parent watching their kids get along.
6. Villager Hunting
When you start “Animal Crossing” you only have two villagers at the beginning and as your island grows you can have ten. While the first two you get are random the next eight you get to choose. You must earn tickets and you can fly to new islands where you find a villager you can bring home. If you don’t want the villager, you can always use another ticket and try again. I spent hours looking for my favorite villagers and I enjoyed seeing new villagers I’ve never seen or heard of. There are over 300 villagers to choose from so it’s a little hard to only chose ten, but I’m happy with the choices I’ve made. My villagers are shown above!
7. Constant Updates
Just when you think you are tired of the game and have finished everything there is to do, Nintendo sends out an update. This last update we were finally able to swim and dive around the island. They also added firework festivals and fun new prizes that you could win. A new character named Pascal was added and he is a cute little otter who gives you mermaid themed items if you give him the scallops you find. My friend who is a huge mermaid fan collected all the items and made her entire house mermaid themed. How cool is that?
8. Outfits
I try to make sure I change my outfit each day in “Animal Crossing”. There are so many outfits you can buy or you get as gifts from your villagers. You can also wear outfits that other people have uploaded online. The possibilities are endless! You can have all the outfits you want without actually breaking the bank. There are also two special characters named Kicks and Sable who give you multiple fashion items. Kicks is a skunk that sells cute shoes, socks and bags. While Sable is a designer looking for new inspiration and if she likes your outfit she gives you a piece of clothing she designed herself.
9. Special Events
During holidays there is always a special event happening on the island. For Easter, eggs were all over your island. You could collect the eggs and make special items like an Easter hat or dress. Your trees also change with the seasons and during Easter, your trees turn into blossoming cherry trees. This was my favorite season in the game because you had pink trees and pink flower petals floating in the air. If you caught the petals you could craft items with them as well. I loved being resourceful and reusing everything on my island. Now since it’s September everything has changed to Fall on my island and there are rumors of a Halloween event coming soon!
10. Getting Five Stars
The main goal of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” is to make your island so popular everyone wants to live there. You do this by keeping your villagers happy and decorating your island. After you achieve this your island will be given a five-star ranking. By reaching this ranking you unlock this beautiful flower called Lily of the Valley.
I hope I was able to show you all the fun sides of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.” If you don’t have a switch or the game is too expensive you can try the “Pocket Camp” app. It is a little different than the actual game but it is free and you can use it as a test run before you buy the actual game.
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