‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Excites
Amidst a period such as this, when we must stay indoors until the pandemic ends, I can think of no better game to play than Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s latest release hit shelves on the 20th of March, and has been drawing in old and new fans of the series across the world, and for good reason at that.
It was in fact my first Animal Crossing game, a series that has been around since the start of the century back in 2001. The premise of the game is quite simple: you, along with two other villagers, are brought to a deserted island where you are set free to do a variety of things, all of which might not sound fun on paper, but in practice, turns out to be incredibly charming and enjoyable.
Don’t get me wrong, if you are looking for a wildly exciting action packed adventure filled time, Animal Crossing does not provide that, and it never has. It is a slow burn, but fun nonetheless. It is therapeutic in a way. There really is no ‘losing’ in this game, and because of that, it creates a 100% stress-free environment for the player to do as they please. It really is an escape from the increasingly stressful realities of the present.
As far as gameplay goes, there is quite a lot to do in New Horizons. You can go fishing, catch bugs, dig up fossils, gather materials to craft objects to customize the look of your home or island, meet new villagers, give them presents, and enjoy the occasional special event on your island during a holiday. While many of the above activities may sound more like chores, and while I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you thought so, most cannot deny the relaxing nature of partaking in such activities.
Whether you are familiar with the series or not, Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis absolutely worthy of your time and money, for in only the two weeks since it’s release date, it has been able to provide millions with the remedial experience we all so desperately need at this time.