Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the game we all need right now

Who would’ve thought that in a time like this, Tom Nook would be our saviour?

Life is on hold. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the lockdown.

The government has stepped up their Coronavirus aid efforts, to help pay most people’s wages. Pubs, bars, restaurants and practically all recreational locations have closed. 

It can feel lonely. The distance between friends and family can put pressure on your mental health.

But what if I said there is a place you can escape to for a short period every day?

What if I said you could disappear to an island, with simple tasks and not a single ruddy virus to worry about?

What if I said that the answer to your anxieties was being in perpetual debt to a financially astute raccoon? 

This is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and my God has it come at a perfect time for us all.

I was about to name my island “Penisland,” but made a joint decision (a.k.a Laura strongly suggested) that I name it “Puparadise,” in memory of the fact we bloody love dogs and I’m not 18 anymore.

Settling into the daily check-in cycle of an AC game has been a therapeutic experience for me - accompanied by the chilled out soundtrack you expect from the series and an amazing visual feast of bright colours.

The production value of this game isn’t immediately obvious to players, as it’s cartoonish visuals and a nice acoustic guitar playing you along. But in the small moments, it all comes together beautifully. 

Like as you get closer to the beach on your island, the musical score slowly fades out as the relaxing sounds of the sea begins to gradually get louder - making a moment like jumping on a hammock and watching the waves rolling in a one-of-a-kind experience you’ve probably never had in a game before.

Gameplay is incredibly flexible unlike anything you’ve ever played as well - with a medley of Minecraft-style material gathering and crafting and an undercurrent of moments where you just put the controller down and enjoy. It’s simplistic, but in the best way possible

Most titles have a linear structure - even when they’re non-linear free-roaming titles, they give you clear instructions and a timeframe to achieve them in. That is all absolutely necessary for other games, but not for Animal Crossing. 

For the big AC, you can play as much or as little as you want, and you still have an amazing time escaping from real-life. 

Whether you are investing a lot of time into grinding and making your island the paradise you want (my girlfriend has certainly caught this bug), or fell into the calming routine of checking into the game for around an hour a day before you start working (that’s me), you are welcomed with an enjoyable experience all the same.

At any other point, this would have still been an amazing game - the true definition of “accessible” gaming, where there is no wrong way to play it. 

But now that we are on lockdown across the globe, Animal Crossing has become more than a good game - it’s become an important experience.

It’s a utility for maintaining some sanity in this new world, and it will certainly keep us going for the next few months.