This isn't a review. I'm just going to put that here, because honestly? I haven't played my copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf in a couple of weeks now and so I don't know if a review is really the thing I need right now.
This is just going to be some thoughts on the game...
I love this game, but only to varying degrees. I find I tend to go hot and cold on it from day-to-day - some days I am all over it and just can't get enough of fishing, catching bugs, and digging up fossils. Other days I really couldn't care less what new deal Tommy or Timmy are flogging or whether the raccoon that is in charge of my home loans thinks I ought to try getting a bigger house.
This game is quite addictive, and I find many of the small details ridiculously charming - Cap'n singing me his cute little sea shanties as he takes me over to the island, or how the villagers tilt their heads to the side and look puzzled whenever they ask you a question. But there's a dark side to this game - particularly if you haven't played it for a long time and then go back to check how things are going. The last time I hopped into my little town to check out the streetpass houses (streetpass: 3DS jargon for when my little console communicates with someone else's), I received a letter to find that one of my favourite villagers had skipped town while I'd been gone, and then was accused of not liking half the villagers because I hadn't talked to them in awhile. It felt like some strange high school drama and that made me want to play it less, interestingly.
So, I guess, in this game - if you're playing it regularly, then the addiction can be awesome. If you're not, it just makes you feel bad if you pick it up again. Which do you choose?
This post was brought to you by my viewing of the Zero Punctuation review of this game, found here. Please note: Yahtzee (the game reviewer) is extremely funny, but does curse and make extremely lewd comparisons in his reviews. I find it hilarious, but you may not. You have been warned!
Wow Bethi, that's a great point. Games that punish you for infrequent play are not as enjoyable as games that reward you for frequent play, if that makes any sense. I'm really impressed by how much you appreciate the little things in the game that make it special.
ReplyDeleteWell, I play games that are generally aimed at children, and I guess I have a mindset that if I don't want to keep playing, then why would kids want to? Being punished for not playing just makes me feel like I'm not good enough to play the game, or something, and that doesn't make me feel very good!
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