Anyone who grew up with Nintendo has probably come across the adorable game Animal Crossing but times are changing—it’s about time for the game to change too.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a famous life simulation game developed and published by Nintendo for their newest addition to the console family, the Nintendo Switch. The game’s the fifth main installment to the Animal Crossing franchise and was released on the 20th of March, 2020. The game’s beauty lies in how it can get you invested in it with its varied gameplay to keep yourself busy.
Also, the cute appeal of the entire game reeled in a whopping player count of 11 million, and it’s no surprise how they got it. With how addictive the game really is, the question of how it got famous is still a mystery to those who haven’t played the game yet. However, if you take the time to read this whole article, you might be itching to get a copy for yourself.
Fresh Start and New Experiences
Being the franchise’s 5th installment, Animal Crossing: New Horizon has its unique appeal separating it from its predecessors. From the numerous and varied objects, you can collect to the massive island, which is yours for the taking, the only limit here is your imagination. There are so many things to cover on how huge and immersive this game is, so sit back and relax as the magic of New Horizon reels you in.
Immersive gameplay
Many video games get their appeal and hook their players in with how the game gets you, the player, invested in it. Animal Crossing: New Horizon does the exact same thing, although rather differently compared to its previous titles. Unlike the first Animal Crossing, where you’re dumped into an already thriving city filled with animals and interaction, it’s way different in New Horizon. You start off on an island completely cut off from the main society with the companion of two villagers and a raccoon family. With a slow start like that, the game welcomes you cozily to your very own sandbox.
You start off with nothing but the forest trees and the stones you mine, giving an even slower start to New Horizon. From the moment you log in, your Nintendo Switch will use the built-in clock it has to keep track of your game too. Because of this, the game uses real-time to track your progress, so anything built in the game would actually take real days to be completed. The game accomplishes immersion and investment through this since progress is actually grinded, and island life would only get better if you strive for it.
Your very own sandbox
You might be thinking that having to wait real days for your bridge to finish might be disheartening; there are so many things you can do while waiting. New Horizons offers you many in-game actions to keep you busy, from terraforming your island to decorating it to your liking. This freedom to create waterfalls, hills, and so much more gets you even more hooked into the cute game since you practically have a personal island.
Also, what’s better is that your island is 100% completely customizable to show your very own characteristics and aesthetic. Whether you’re into that fun and exciting beach life, or you’re more of a cozy and peaceful park lover, the whole island is yours. In time, with all the days you’ve spent making your perfect island, it will start to resemble you as a player. Although it is true that real-world-time is a mechanic of the game, the results are worth it seeing your village, and villagers on the way, thrive.
Never a Dull Moment in New Horizon
Now you know how fun New Horizon gets, you’re in for a treat on the other things you can do in this game. Aside from playing creator and making your dream island, you yourself are in the game too so you can also interact with it. From making friends, collecting bugs, to playing the tambourine, this game got it all to keep you going.
Building a routine
With how addictive the game gets, it’s no surprise you start to develop a pattern in running your island and going about its daily maintenance. Players often refer to this routine as “the loop,” where you have a certain mental check-list you have to run through the moment your game starts. This loop is greatly different from player to player, which makes it so much more special. After all, the game becomes so much more fun once you fall in love with the routine.
A loop can be caused by various things, from the daily achievements you want to finish to grinding special resources that pop up on specific seasons. You can also build your loop by interacting with your villagers to win their fun little games. It’s the little things in this game that gives its cozy appeal really. In addition, certain actions you perform in your day to day activities can reward you with the in-game currency, Nook Miles. Basically, Miles can be used for upgrading your inventory, island decorations, and improving your terraforming tools, so your daily actions are well awarded.
Customizing and crafting
Again, because it’s a sandbox-like game, many things are of your creation, from the clothes you wear to the furniture you sit on. Animal Crossing would make you fall in love with designing and customizing your character and your island for you and your friends online to enjoy.
However, although the appeal of creative crafting and customization seems fun, it will take a lot of hard work. In order to get the materials you’ll be needing, you’ll have to work for it—literally. To get raw materials like rocks or wood, you got to do it the old fashioned way of mining and chopping. Be careful too since your tools aren’t unbreakable so keeping a crafting bench at hand is a useful tip for beginners.
Conclusion
Animal Crossing: New Horizon is such a big game, and in order to know the full-experience of it, you’ve got to play it for yourself. From the calming vibe of starting from nothing to immersing yourself into the game’s environment, it’s no mystery why this game made its way to many peoples’ hearts. Animal Crossing: New Horizon lets you see the beauty in the little things in life, and little by little, it teaches you to love them.