The Undeniable Charm of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo’s feel good new hit explored
Listen: the world is obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Can you blame us? It has done insane sales numbers, especially in the age of self-quarantine and social distancing. It has already outsold the entire lifetime of the last two entries, and it’s barely been out!
I’m not surprised that this game is doing well. It’s another first party Nintendo title, polished to almost perfection. It’s yet another title in a series that has migrated from gaming systems to smart phones and back again with staggering success. I think the most obvious reason for New Horizons’ victories is the age we’ve found ourselves in. As we are stuck at home thinking about going to all the places that we have to avoid, it feels very good to dive into the digital charm of the newest game in the ‘cute animal-town’ franchise.
If my Facebook feed is any indication, New Horizons has captured every corner of the gaming community. My friends from high school, casual gamers, the hardcore people. When I put out feelers for turnip prices (oh those turnips) on Facebook, I got about a dozen replies. Even all these months after release, people can’t stop playing. They were mostly people I haven’t interacted with since high school. New Horizons just has that power. The question is though: what makes it so great?
I’m not going to take a lot of time talking about what Animal Crossing: New Horizons is. All that you need to know is that it’s a life sim where you build up a deserted island, hanging out with NPCs, foraging, and upgrading and filling up your home with new and better stuff. Its slow pace lends itself to short play sessions: a few minutes to check the shops, find the money rock, and catch a couple of fish. The fact that my wife and I have been playing New Horizons mostly non-stop points to exactly how effective this central loop is. We both look forward to seeing what new stuff pops up for sale; as we keep adding new rooms to our house, we grow ever hungerer (?) to fill it with themed items.
Talking about the house makes me think about my favorite thing about this game (and perhaps where a large chunk of it’s charm comes from) is the fact that you can really make this world your own. You can shape the island for the first time in the series; expanding rivers, carving cliffs, demolishing barriers. Couple that with the robust design system and you have the ability to make your digital world to reflect exactly how you want it to look like and feel like.
I think that the music also plays a huge part in this game’s charm. Cute and catchy tunes populate your island and appear when you speak to characters; I’m a big fan of the Animal Crossing main theme, and my wife and I will catch each other humming it as we putt around the house. They are ear worms for sure.
A slow pace, wonderful music, and a world you can make your own. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The minute to minute game play and the hilarious dialogue and events also play a huge part as well. Everyone has a favorite villager (or one they can’t stand).
I can’t help but smile when I play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. That’s charm. That’s Animal Crossing.
