Animal Crossing: New Horizons seems to be another smash hit for Nintendo. Not only has the game been long awaited by fans since the Switch’s release, but social distancing as a result the COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of people at home hoping to escape the troubles of the real world.
However, if you aren’t a long time fan of the franchise, the appeal of the game may be lost to you. What exactly is the point? What are you trying to do? How do you beat the game?
None of those questions really have answers, and that is the real goal of the game. Animal Crossing is another franchise in a long line of super chill, relaxed games. The experience is more designed for easing tension than overcoming challenges.
If that seems boring, you would be surprised. There is a ton of content in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and the game can quickly become a time sink (just like the other games in the franchise). Here are some of the main activities and “goals” of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Design Your Home (And A Whole Island)
While each game has had their own unique spin on activities, the overall premise of Animal Crossing has always been the same. You are the new resident in a town filled with lovable animal neighbors. In the case of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you are actually on a whole new island.
You are also the only human in the game.
At the start of each game, you have a rinky-dink house that the mysterious Tom Nook provides, as a loan to pay him back for it. More on that in a minute.
Throughout the game, you can make your house larger, get new flooring and walls, and collect all kinds of furniture to decorate your house with. This is the prime motivator throughout the series.
In the case of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can also reshape the island to make it whatever you want it to be. The game really opens up the interior designer and city planner in all of us.
Pay Your Debts (And Get Some More)
As alluded to above, when you first get your house in Animal Crossing games, there is also a crushing amount of debt associated with it. Sure, there’s no interest or any payback date, but the task is still daunting. Not to mention, every time you pay off your debt, you wake up to a bigger house that Tom Nook kindly upgraded for you. Oh, and guess what, you owe him even more now.
That formula still exists in New Horizons, but the scope of the game is greatly increased. With the whole island in your control, there is an impicit challenge to customize it and tweak it until it becomes your ideal tropical paradise.
The way you do that is also largely the same. You pay off your debt by earning bells, which you get by collecting bugs, fruit, and fishing. It’s a very calm and relaxing way to handle your quasi-feudal existence under Tom Nook.
You can also get flush wit cash by farming specific types of insects or finding rare fish. The game is already fun, but it is a heck of a lot more fun when your swimming in bells.
Collect EVERYTHING
So you know those fish you catch to earn bells? Well there’s like a million of them. And those bugs? Yeah, like a billion. There are also tons of fossils, furniture items, and lots of characters you have to get on your island.
Needless to say, there are a lot of things to do, and almost every activity has some form of collection element to it. It’s a great feature because it lets players pick what interests them and allows them to invest fully in that. It is also a waking nightmare for completionists.
Bond With Friends (Real And Virtual)
There are tons of animal friends to add on Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In fact, these adorable neighbors were the whole point of the series for a long time. The last few installments have added a real social element. New Horizons takes the game to a whole new place, and allows players to visit other islands and explore together.
Players are hosting virtual birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, and even just casual hangout sessions. On the extreme end of things, protesters in Hong Kong have even been sharing their stories of oppression, and the Chinese government responded by discontinuing the sale of the game in the country.
It’s an amazing thing in and of itself, but it is made all the more necessary by the strange circumstances the world finds itself in as of late.
Give It A Try
While the game isn’t always for everyone, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become a cultural event. It represents the need for connection in troubled times, and it also highlights humanity’s escapist nature in the face of adversity.
The game may seem like it is for children, but relaxing escapes aren’t just for kids. Sometimes it is nice just to let everything go for a bit and go fishing with a penguin.
If you haven’t played the game yet, maybe now is the perfect opportunity to do so. Fair warning, though, once you get hooked, the desire to keep playing never goes away.
