First, let me get this out of my system: IT’S SO PRETTY!
Okay, that’s all squared away.
Now, I took a bit of a leap of faith preordering the special Animal Crossing 3DS XL. I was obsessed with the design of the thing (I don’t care if it’s a pop-tart!) but had never really played any Animal Crossing games.
I was aware of the series, and knew sorta kinda what it was about. I even picked up a used copy of Wild World (the DS version) a while back, but was never able to fully commit to it with the threat of a newer, better version on the horizon. Still, I played enough to get the gist. Plus I was big into Harvest Moon 64 back in the day, so I knew this was the type of game I could really like.
My verdict? Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a wonderful, wonderful game. One that I’m convinced will be in rotation on my 3DS for a long time. I’m obsessed. And at least in this initial honeymoon phase, am really excited to kick back and hop into the game whenever I can. But why? How do I explain the experience of the game to someone else?
How DO you describe Animal Crossing to someone who’s never played it? This is something I’ve had to do multiple times in the lead up to and in the wake of my acquisition of the game. I noticed that before I got New Leaf, I would explain the game by listing what you can do in it. You can walk around, go shopping, arrange your furniture, fish, catch bugs, chat with the villagers, hang out. I would say this with the qualifier that I hadn’t played it yet, so there was probably more to it I wasn’t aware of just yet.
Now, after having played the game, my answer sounds pretty much the same, but without the disclaimer. I can go into a little more detail than before about the activities, and I can add a few to the list (digging up fossils, designing your own patterns, donating to the museum collection—there’s actually a ton to do, and more things opening up every time I play) but yes, that is basically the game. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Like most things, it’s not so much about what is executed, it’s about how.
The word charming comes up a lot in reading about Animal Crossing, and that word is certainly apt. The game exudes charm at every turn. I think a lot of the appeal, at least initially, is this charm. Everything the characters say and do is funny or quirky in unexpected ways. And I can’t put my finger on why, but I’ve grown quite attached to my neighbors. I actually want to stop and chat with them, just to say hi.
Beneath the look and design, there are simple but addictive mechanics that keep me coming back. I really enjoy trying to catch elusive fish, or sneaking up on skittish bugs. And since it’s a living breathing world that happens in real-time, I always feel like there’s something different happening, something new to do. New residents move in, day and night bring out different wildlife, each new day the shops stock new different goods. The other day, for instance, it was summer solstice. So all the residents were chatting about that, and daylight in-game lasted all day. How fun!
Video games have always been a retreat. Kind of a mini-vacation from the mundane of day to day living. When you go on vacation, sometimes you go to a theme park and ride roller coasters and walk through haunted houses, other times you go to a beach and just sit there. Maybe get a massage, maybe not. If games are vacations, Animal Crossing is like the latter.
It’s just a nice place to visit. Great for short bursts to do whatever. Catch a few fish, start a new public works project, shake down some fruit from trees. And, I’ve barely scratched the surface, and I feel there is so much more to explore and discover. In trying to explain what the game is about, I don’t know that I’ve done it justice. It’s hard to explain what is fun about a game where everything you do sounds silly or mundane. But I suppose describing a game where you run around as a plumber squashing walking mushroom men and travelling through pipes sounds pretty silly too.
Perhaps, there are no words in the English language that more accurately or succinctly describe Animal Crossing than “animal crossing.” And perhaps you just have to experience it for yourself to truly understand its magic. But I whole-heartedly recommend you give it go. It’s certainly won me over!