Animal Crossing: Amateur Reviews

Animal Crossing, the quarantine savior of people everywhere has infested every corner of the internet. All this hype leaves many people confused. How could a game about completing menial chores like picking weeds and planting flowers be so enjoyable?

I myself did not know the answer to this question for quite a while. Upon the game's release, my friends would lobby me recommendations to join in on the fun. I refused. Animal Crossing was simply too different from the first-person-shooters and platformers that I was used to. I was frightened of its newness. 

Still ignorant of the craze, I discovered that my sister had purchased the game in April. With all the hype and talk surrounding the game, I was enticed to try it. I was able to extract some joy out of the game, but I was doubtful that it would be able to satisfy my $1 spent to 1 hour of playtime gained ratio. I believed that it was outright impossible that I would be able to catch fish and pick weeds for 60 hours of my life. I could not have been more incorrect. 

After my siblings were now hungering for someone to play with and the amount of Animal Crossing content on my social media accounts was becoming unbearable, I finally installed the game in May. It was like a drug.

From the moment I stepped onto that deserted island, I could not bear to tear myself away. There was something magical about it, and that magic was carefully cultivated through the first 30 or so hours of playtime. The game starts to follow real-time after you complete some pre-game activities. The game then limits you to one main activity per day. For example, Tom Nook, the creature who has arranged this entire venture, will have you build a shop. Once you have given the materials to his son Tommy, you are finished for the entire day. 

I feel that it is from this slow and gradual progression that acts as the ylem for Animal Crossing's wonder. In a time where many of us are scared of what tomorrow could bring, the game never fails to provide a reason to log on the next morning and hear the cheerful jingle of the title screen. It is a living, breathing experience that forces you to calm down and enjoy yourself. 

The game does not force log you out or force you to wander the island aimlessly, however; it instead grants you some smaller, more gradual activities to undertake at your leisure. 

One of these activities is catching animals. As you progress through the game, you will unlock a fishing rod and a net. The former allowing you to mine the island's seas for fish and the latter allowing you to ensnare the collection of insects and arachnids that wander on the surface. More recently, the player has been granted the ability to delve into the surrounding waters, where one can find a multitude of "sea creatures." The first 15 of these animals will be given to the all-important Tom Nook. After this holy number has been reached, Tom Nook will enlist the help of his museum curator friend, Blathers. 

With Blather's assistance, the player constructs a museum, in which the various faunas of the island are preserved for future enjoyment. This particular facet of the game appealed to the dormant animal lover within me. The museum creatures are beautifully modeled and animated, making for an altogether magical experience when you choose to walk through your proud collection. 

However, you will hardly ever be perusing your museum alone. Animal Crossing has a very robust multiplayer system, allowing you to connect with players both through local radio and the internet. In many contexts, the video game simply acts as a glorified messenger app. Having a conversation with your friend is miles more enjoyable while both of you admire a beautifully decorated area at the same time. This is another aspect that leads to the game's success, the ability to play it in the background. 

Out of all the video games I have played, Animal Crossing is the easiest to play passively--that is to play while hardly being thought about. You can easily boot up while also listening to your favorite podcast, a relaxing music playlist, or even exercising. The natural way the game can weave into other parts of your life is amazing. 

My final verdict on this game is a five-star rating. No matter who you are, I am confident that you will extract some sort of enjoyment from this product. Even though it may seem bland and unenjoyable, I implore you go at least attempt a journey to understand—whether that be through a friend’s copy or as an impulse buy in a very plausible game sale.

With that, the first Amateur Review concludes. 

Remember that this episode has also been published on my podcast and YouTube channel—both are linked in the side menu of the blog.