Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch [Digital]

I’ve never played any of the Animal Crossing games before and a lot of people I knew were getting this game. I decided to get it as well. Best decision I made. (Even got my best friend addicted to it.) It’s a great game to play alone or even with friends. Learning the game was super easy. There is so much to do in the game and you can take your time doing it all. I’ve even heard there will be special events or something similar to that in the future. There’s even specific items that are seasonal items too. I do recommend this game (and I have to several of my friends as well.)

This isn't a game for those looking for an end goal. This is more of a "go at your own pace" kind of game that lets you explore, and eventually build and customize your own little island. Your storage inventory can be a bit cramped without constantly upgrading your house space, so keep that in mind as you have to save up a considerable amount of bells to afford said upgrades. The game gives you lots of opportunities to earn the bells though. Usually through fishing, bug catching, or even turnip trading if you're clever and patient. The game works off of real-time and even has seasons depending on hemisphere (northern or southern). The game could be in winter in the middle of July if you went with southern, but most will go with northern as it better matches North American climates. The animals in the game are quite helpful at times, so be sure to check up on them often, and remember important events such as their birthdays. Just remember to play often. You don't have to play every day, but it is recommended to pop in often to see how the villagers are doing, and to do the daily tasks such as fossil digging, harvesting crafting materials, and checking what the stores have for sale. If you're a fan of any of the previous Animal Crossings, then you'll definitely want this one if you have a Switch!

I still play every single previous Animal Crossing game since their release day. New Horizons does not disappoint! It just looks so beautiful and the fact that you can share a joy-con or use another controller to play with other players is very awesome. There's so many things to do, like building, crafting, gardening, fishing, bug collecting, fossil hunting, fashion, & traveling. It's also an easy way to hang out with friends especially in this COVID-19 era. It's almost like The Sims but more kid friendly and very cute. I love it! My kids, friends and relatives all play it alone and together. 2 thumbs up!

Fun game for all ages. You can pick easily play it for hours on end. It is also easy to pick back up after not playing for a while.

I'll admit that I wasn't expecting to like this game as much as I do. My friends talked about New Leaf quite a bit when it was released, but I didn't play it at the time. I tried Pocket Camp, but didn't feel it was special enough to invest a significant amount of effort into. New Horizons, on the other hand, has been a lifesaver. The first thing that really convinced me was the sound effects-- the game's realistic ambient noise are both immersive and relaxing. Different shoes produce different noises on different paths! When you step on grass, it crunches like real grass! The wind sounds exactly like wind! Maybe I'm easily amused, but I'm always so happy just listening to my character walk on stuff. And since the game takes place in real time, it genuinely feels like a place I can escape to. The short days in Stardew Valley tend to stress me out, but with Animal Crossing, I can wake up at 7 AM and it'll be 7 on my island as well... and when an hour of real life passes, I don't come back to find that all my Sims either hate me or haven't moved. I was skeptical about the deserted island setting at first; I'm not much of a beach person. But I've been impressed at how effectively I can to make my island my own. And the environment is easy to navigate, even for people like me who are easily disoriented by rapidly-moving cameras. The characters are mostly cute and friendly, but there's enough of a sense of danger (is that the right word?) to keep the game from feeling overly sweet. Tom Nook is mildly exploitative, but not in a way that feels genuinely threatening. There are wasps and tarantulas/scorpions, but you don't necessarily need to battle them outright-- a net and quick reflexes will do, or you can hide in your house at night. Some of the villagers are awful, and it takes effort to get rid of them (just like real acquaintances tbh), but they won't actually hurt you. And it can be surprisingly fun to commiserate with other players about how much we all hate (or love to hate) a few particular characters. That's the key thing here, I think-- Animal Crossing offers social connections, but only if the player actually wants to connect. It's a lighthearted cultural phenomenon in a time when lightheartedness is more necessary than ever. New Horizons can be whatever we need it to be-- perhaps something with strict competitive deadlines, or just a place to run in circles with different shoes to see what sounds you can make. It's something that you can use to connect with others, or to hide in a very expensive basement with fifteen stacks of books. Maybe both. Of course, it does have flaws. The controls aren't as well-designed as they could be, and as a result, some simple tasks are more repetitive than they should be. The social features aren't always up to par, either-- the messaging system is convoluted and unwieldy, and having more than two friends on your island can be frustrating. Every time someone shows up or leaves, everyone has to watch a very slow, very predictable animation of them walking in or out of the airport gates. Still-- the pros massively outweigh the cons here. It's truly an excellent game.