Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Island Vacation We All Need
This week, Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on Nintendo Switch, and there may have been no better time for that to happen. The corona virus has caused most things to shut down for an indefinite amount of time. Most people are only leaving the house to go on walks or buy groceries. We have never experienced something like this before and it’s weird and scary. More than any other time, I, and many others, just needed an escape. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is that escape.
Animal Crossing holds a very special place in my heart. Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the previous entry in the series, got me through many rough times a few years ago. When reality is harsh and heavy it is always good to have a place free of all that. You don’t have to worry about life in Animal Crossing. Your biggest worry is paying off a no interest loan that has no deadline.
At first glance, this series seems boring, directionless, even tedious. As you play, that notion quickly changes. What was once boring is now relaxing. What was once directionless is now open and free. What was once tedious, well can still be tedious, but still fun in its own way. There is never the pressure real life loves to surround us with.
I needed a world where I could be free from all that is happening around me. It has been a hard few weeks and there is no end in sight. For good or bad, I often use video games as a way to distract myself, and right now we all need a distraction. There is not much we can do anymore, so why not enter a world where you can do what you want?
If you can’t see friends in real life, you can see them in Animal Crossing. Friends can visit your town, and you can hang out, fish, catch bugs, whatever you decide. I’ve even seen people who are going on dates (and in one case proposing) in New Horizons. Maybe your plans were all cancelled, but you can make new ones in the game. You can’t go on a real vacation right now, so why not go on your island vacation in Animal Crossing?
Picture from:
https://nintendoeverything.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons-update-out-now-version-1-1-1/
