Before "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" came out, already the COVID-19 crisis was in full swing. Missouri State had already cancelled classes for the remainder of the semester and moved them online, cases were growing exponentially, and stay-at-home orders were beginning to be issued. In the midst of the growing crisis, my anxiety had been growing at an all-time high. Despite my attempts at using stoic practices to deflect my worries (see my other articles if you're curious about this in particular), the whole world around me seemed to be crumbling. During this time of trouble, I often joked that I would be okay as long as I could make it to Animal Crossing's release date, which was Friday, March 20th.
Little did I know just how true this would be.
"Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is, first and foremost, one of the finest games on the Nintendo Switch I have yet played. For the unenlightened, the game centers around you, a villager who has moved to a deserted island, making yourself comfortable and building the best island life you can. You're surrounded by equal parts charming and adorable "villagers", who all appear to be animals of various types. Like previous games in the series, the game doesn't have much of a goal per se. Rather, the only real "goal" is how you, the player, will spend your time on the island you've been given and what you will do to improve it.
Two of my villagers, Patty (left) and Scoot (right) sing together under the night sky.Personal Photo
The game is graphically stunning, perhaps the best Nintendo Switch has to offer, and it pays off in making all of the villagers and environments even more charming than ever before. It became incredibly easy for me to lose myself- and lose the world of crisis we're dealing with- and just focus on building this island. Me and my two roommates have been playing the game nonstop since it released and have had a blast visiting each other's islands, seeing what their stores have for sale or investigating how they've configured their island.
Animal Crossing doesn't have fast-paced action or a particularly compelling story. It's a simple game, with simple features- you can fish, catch bugs, shop for clothes, plant trees or flowers, decorate your house- all seemingly mundane tasks, but they pay off in this game in satisfying ways. Making your home as comfy as possible or donating fossils to the museum carries personal achievement, not necessarily rewarded mechanically, but is satisfying nonetheless.
My character explores the island museum to find a troubling display in the fossil section.Personal Photo
You've probably seen all sorts of discourse about "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" all over your social media timelines and wondered what the heck it was all about. After all, isn't there far more important things to be talking about right now? But I would retort that this game is precisely what we as a society need at this very moment; a game in which troubles are few, exploration is rewarded, and socializing is both common and rewarded. Is there no better polar opposite to the current state of affairs we are experiencing?
Animal Crossing gives us a chance to do all the things we can't do ourselves right now, and gives us one heck of a distraction, too. Though I get the feeling this game would be just as great without a worldwide pandemic, it just so happens that this is perhaps the best time we could hope for to run around an island, sell some fruit, explore a gorgeous museum, and listen to your villagers sing together on a moonlit night. Give the game a shot if you can. You'll find it well worth it.
