You may have noticed that everyone and their grandmothers are currently playing the newest edition of animal crossing, and I am right along there with them. I have been playing animal crossing since Wild Worlds for the Nintendo DS which was gifted to me by my cousins not longer after it came out. At first I didn't really get the appeal - I was much more into story lead games such as Final Fantasy (particularly 7 and 9), the Fable series, Harry Potter and the Professor Layton games, not to mention GTA, saints row and not to mention the most action pack game of all... Pippa Funnel! But then I bought myself New Leaf in 2013 and fell in love. The game became my addiction, even to the point of playing in while in my second year of uni! oops! But what is Animal Crossing?
Animal Crossing is a life simulating game that actively rewards daily check-ins in a world of your own creation. The game syncs with our world clock and thus syncs with the seasons and events that happen throughout the world. And now for the first time ever, Animal Crossing New Horizons allows people to chose whether to house their island in the northern or southern hemisphere (previously everyone was locked to northern hemisphere seasons). Each game initially starts with your humanoid character arriving in a new location that's home to a collection of adorable anthro-animal characters. Overtime your character will make changes to the world, befriend all the villagers and pay many many many bells to a tanuki called Tom Nook.
The daily check-ins involve checking in with all your villagers, watering plants, shaking trees, gathering fruit, digging up fossils, and catching bugs and fish. This may all seem pretty menial work but there is just something so magical about doing all these activities in the animal crossing world. When you first boot up the game you start with absolutely nothing, however, through your hard work your island/town will go from a weed filled wilderness to a beautiful thriving town. So why is New Horizons so huge?
The whole point of New Horizons is that you have bought a Nook Ticket to live on a deserted island with two fellow animal villagers (for me Moose and Tammy), and the nookling family of Tom Nook and his nephews Timmy and Tommy. When you arrive you are given a tent, told to set it up where ever you like, help your villagers set up their tents and ta-da! You now live on this island and you can do whatever you like. Pick weeds, plant flowers, grow fruit trees, catch fish, plant bugs and befriend your fellow island inhabitants. Overtime the more you do the more you will unlock such as the Nook shop, museum, clothing shop, town hall, island designer and whatever else Nintendo will release in the new updates! So why is New Horizons the best game to play during Lockdown?
It is nothing new to say that lock down and self isolation has caused the whole world (especially the UK) to go from the freedom to go anywhere, to suddenly not being able to leave their home. For myself that isn't TOO bad, I tend to work mainly from home and enjoy my own company (although I am now out of work as my place of employment is currently shut), but for the "normal" person, being trapped at home without their normal routine can feel wrong. Animal Crossing gives you that routine. Because the in-game clock syncs with the world clock, different things happen during the day at different times. For example, only some fish or bugs can be caught during the day/night so you need to log in to check. Also because you have these daily chores that give your rewards, it actively pays to hop into your island and say hello to your villagers and enjoy your daily duties. Also, because there is so much you can do to your island through hard work over time, there is a sense of huge achievement in completing small or large goals within the game. If you currently can't go to work it can cause us to go a bit insane, but now we have an outlet to just unwind and relax and build a beautiful island (or not, create your island however you want), meet with friends and just enjoy the calm that Animal Crossing creates.
Speaking of friends, I know most people are going a bit nuts not seeing friends and Animal Crossing helps with this too. If you and your friend has a switch, then you can visit back and forth to each others islands, give each other gifts, celebrate birthdays that wouldn't be possible due to lock down. A friend and I, who only get to see each other once a year or so due to where we live, have been in and out of each others island most nights. I've seen more of her in-game character in the past month than I have since she moved away 4 years ago. It's nuts! But the joy we both feel getting to see each other, give each other gifts and enjoy our cyber company has truly helped both of us deal with the anxiety that has been caused due the the virus that shall not be named! I'm still trying to convince my boyfriend to get the game so we too can enjoy each others company during this lockdown.
In summary, Animal Crossing is a charming life simulating game that encourages small steady steps each day that culminates in your own beautiful little island or town, achieved through all your hard work and dedication. The game encourages a calm and gentle approach to living life, making friends and creating something beautiful from your own mind and ideas. Planting flowers, catching bugs, fishing in the sea and rivers, popping balloons, making friends, planting trees, making new paths; its all just small steps each day that give us a sense of joy from even the smallest accomplishments.
Animal Crossing is a beautiful game for us all to unwind and relax with during lock down and allows us to still be able to create a beautiful functioning society that currently may not be possible for most of us. I love this game, and I know that all who play is love it too. I hope I can convince some of you to unwind with the game too.
Much love to you all, keep safe as always.
- Morven
Comentarios