Animal Crossing: New Horizons (First Impressions)

Animal Crossing is finally here! The wait felt like forever but it is finally over and it couldn’t have come at a better time. While the world feels like it’s falling apart around us more and more everyday, this game promises to give us the escape from reality we so desperately need. The question is, does it deliver?

The first picture.

I’ve played a handful of hours in the game so far, which for a game like this doesn’t even scratch the surface so unlike with other games I have reviewed this will be an ongoing discussion. I wanted to use this post to collect my thoughts right out of the gate and let you in on my experiences just starting out on the Island of Rona (you can name your island whatever you want!).

The first thing I noticed was how gorgeous this game is, Animal Crossing has always had a cute/adorable art style and in this latest entry they took it to the next level. The same basic art style is here but layered on top are cute simple graphics and text that are absolutely perfect. The amount of detail in things like the icons on your NookPhone all the way down to the perfect little loading icons you’ll see down in the corners is astounding and makes the entire experience feel like you’re hooked up to an IV of pure happiness. The sound design is another similar experience to the graphics and is wonderfully crafted to make you feel good no matter what you do.

My first hours were filled with fishing, bug catching, stick gathering, and item crafting. I enjoyed every minute of it even down to the most mundane tasks because it felt like I was slowly chipping away at something bigger. I basically had to force myself to take a break and sleep because I was getting so invested in it! The game is exactly what I needed right now and I can really see myself playing this on a daily basis for a long time to come.

Unlike most games, the goal of this game is to make you feel relaxed and happy. There isn’t much to get in your way and you are largely left to your own devices after a small initial tutorial. The way to win the game is by just having fun and being creative. With Covid-19 keeping us all locked inside our houses this game comes at the perfect time to distract ourselves and give us something wholesome to focus on and share with each other.

I am planning on posting on-going updates for this game rather than a normal review because of how big the game is. I most likely will have a review at some point but I definitely want to make more posts about this for holiday updates and the like. If that interests you then consider following either on WordPress or through email and social media. If you got the game leave a comment or reach out to me I want to talk to you about it, maybe we can be friends?

Thanks for reading!