The weird circumstances that are quarantine has allowed me to invest time into Animal Crossing New Horizons that released earlier this week. This game is the first game that I have played from the Animal Crossing franchise, so here are my initial thoughts on it!
The game itself is very cute and very engaging. I know a lot of people seemed to be upset with their first two villagers, but I got Reneigh and Cob and I love them both dearly. Initially I was worried about paying off debt, but at first it was not too bad! But now I am 98,000 bells in debt, which is a lot. But since there are no repercussions other than not being able to upgrade your home for not paying debt, I am not too stressed out about it.
The way the game allows the player to interact with the environment is so much fun. I can plant and move around trees however I please. I’ve also enjoyed planting flowers to attract different types of bugs so I can catch them. The fishing mechanics are also really cute. The way the villager holds the fish to the screen and then whoever is around claps is adorable.
Collecting stuff on any game is something I always enjoy, so the fact that there’s a museum is great. It gives me a goal to have for the game when I am waiting on buildings to be built.
The fact that each villager acts differently gives the game a lot of personality. The way Blathers reacts to insects, Reneigh jokes around, and Cob talks about how he is strong helps establish them as individuals and not just random NPCs to interact with because you have to.
The option to visit distant islands is something I was not expecting, but it really helps the game not get boring once I complete everything I can do on my own island. I’ve ran across some really cute villagers on my adventures to distant islands, and the fact that you can ask them to join is a great way to expand my own little island home.
My favorite part about this game is that I can interact with my friends. I’ve enjoyed going to their islands and hitting them with my net. Since more than one person can visit a specific person’s island, it becomes a fun party when three or more people come together!
I’ve been playing this game day by day and have not been using the time travel cheat, so this is allowing me to involve Animal Crossing in my daily routine to give me something fun to look forward to.
All in all, Animal Crossings New Horizons is a very fun game to play to pass the time. It is something that I can foresee myself playing for a long time.