A New Leaf

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the latest instalment in Nintendo's somewhat bizarre Animal Crossing series. It's been out in Europe since June, and even longer in Japan and the US.

 

This game has been talked about in depth by a number of bloggers, reviewers and columnists. Therefore, it is hard to carve out a new niche in speaking about this game. The strange concept - that you are the human mayor of a village populated by anthropomorphic animals - is the main focus of most the talk about this game. The biggest talking point about Animal Crossing is that it has no "point". There is no goal, no endgame. There is no way to lose or win at all. There isn't really much of a story or many of the other aspects that we expect from a "video game".

So why is it any good?

That is the question I am going to try and answer in this post. Why is Animal Crossing any good, as a video game or a concept. Naturally, this is a fairly subjective question. What is "good" to me isn't necessarily "good" to anyone else. So, take this as you will.

The first reason I think AC:NL is any good, is because it appeals to the same aspect of a gamer that makes you want to go after achievements in normal games. The same part of you that might want to complete a game to get alternate costumes, or endings. Basically, the whole game is trying to achieve trophies. These come in the form of your home, your clothes and your village. The actual amount of effort expended in getting many of these goals is quite small: most items are relatively inexpensive and the game does little to prevent you from getting very rich in just a few days. in addition, aside from a little celebratory dance or a meaningless "ceremony", there is almost no tangible reward in getting a new piece of furniture or a landmark for your town. The biggest obstacle the game throws at you is time: much of what the game requires will take a certain number of real-life days.

Thing is though, I think that is half the reason it is so addicting. You kind of expect a big pay off at the end of every self-set goal. When one fails to materialise, the game happily provides any number of alternate objectives, so you tend to set yourself a new goal. In the same vein as Minecraft, the game gives you extremely wide parameters and then pretty much says “go ahead”. It gives you just enough guidance then stops holding your hand. It is kind of like the games you played as a child, you set your own rules and therefore your own victories. You only “win” when you say you did, and no one challenges you if you say you do.

 

What AC has that a game like Minecraft doesn't, in my opinion, is the type of charm.The game is extraordinarily charming. While Minecraft is not devoid of charming moments, it primarily offers you adventure, AC flows in the Harvest Moon style and entices you to keep coming back because of how unbelievably cute the game is. The villagers, an assortment of cutesy bears, foxes and the like, all have just enough personality to keep them interesting. They don't do much, but they do just enough to make you want to see more. You feel attached, and genuinely happy when they give you a gift, and genuinely sad when you disappoint them by not keeping an appointment.

 

The game sort of tells you how to play, but doesn't really punish you if you choose to break those rules. There is nothing to stop you from living in a vulgar village, full of holes and weeds. With villagers who swear (because you taught them those words) at the start and end of every encounter. The grass can wear away, and all the flowers wilt. This is the worst AC can offer you, the closest to “game over” you can get. Even this is a valid play style, and the only person who suffers is you, since you might lock yourself out of some improvements.

I guess what I think is good about this game is pretty simple. It boils down to a single sentence: Animal Crossing New Leaf is a charming experience that has just enough rules to not be pointless. You very much set your own goals, and the only person who decides if you “won” or “lost” is you. The way you feel walking through the hedgerows of your town will tell you how you are doing.

 

 

I think that is pretty nice, personally.