Animal Crossing: New Horizons debuted on March 20th, only a little over a week ago. It feels like everyone I know, from my mutuals on twitter to my roommates, are already playing it. It could be because of our isolation from the rest of the world or the fact that this is the first Animal Crossing game to come out in eight years, but it sold better than both Super Smash Bros and Pokemon in their first weeks.
With all this hype, I couldn’t help but try it out for myself. I had never played a full animal crossing game before, with the exception being the mobile game Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, so I went in with only a vague idea of what to expect. While the concept was easy to grasp I was surprised by the gameplay experience.
When starting the game you are limited to only about a third of the island, as it takes special tools to get to the rest and you don’t start with the ability to craft these tools. I thought that I had picked the wrong map to start with and was a little frustrated with my limited options. I soon learned the game was designed to be this way, slowly pacing you so that you focus less on progressing and more on just experiencing the island. I instead just mindlessly began catching fish and bugs. This became more relaxing and less stressful once I realized it was intentional.
My favorite part of the game so far definitely has to be the villagers. They are so adorable and have the greatest personalities. Each one of them is so unique and the dialogue sometimes has me screaming. I don’t know where they come up with these things when writing but I really appreciate the Animal Crossing writers’ sense of humor.
This game has been my saving grace during this weird and scary time. It is an escapist’s dream to have such a beautiful and relaxing game to come out at this very time. I believe the lack of a clear objective at all times is what makes this game so appealing in a sea of action-packed games on the market. I now understand why for some people this game is a healing experience.