Josh’s Diary of a Retro Gamer – Animal Crossings: New Horizons (Impression)
With the world in crisis and a massive amount of time on my hands, I decided I needed a new game for my Nintendo Switch. I heard that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a fantastic title so when I found it on sale, it was an easy buy. It’s a simple game in which the premise is to build an island utopia. Almost everything built or worn is customizable and there are hundreds of choices in each category. Even the villagers and the landscape of the island can be changed later in the game, allowing the player to be in total control of their paradise and its features. From the lulling music and realistic nature sounds to the almost Pavlovian sound heard when earning points, the game provides a nourishing environment. Personally, being able to escape to a world of my creation far from our current social situation was crucial for me. It gave me a feeling of being in control of my surroundings even though the real world around me was in chaos.
The other element I was looking for in a game was a challenge to occupy my mind and ultimately the copious amount of time quarantine had created. This challenge came in the form of Nook Mile points. These were many simple tasks such as catching fish and bugs, building furniture for the house or even just digging for fossils. Regardless of how menial the task, it was enough to feel like a legitimate goal had been accomplished. After the completion of a task, the player is awarded Nook Mile points which are redeemable like tickets in an arcade. These points can buy anything from unique furniture for your home to trendy fashions for your avatar and much much more. By obtaining these points and subsequent prizes, I was given a sense of purpose in an otherwise static period in my life.
I highly recommend this title to any gamer, regardless of their generation. I look forward to finding new features and opening an even bigger world of possibility.