So lockdown has been a thing for what seems like half my lifetime at this point. I still have to go to work as I work in the care sector and as such am considered a key worker. To combat the feeling of isolation (I live 45 miles away from my immediate family and about 35 miles from my best friend) I have thrown myself headfirst into my favourite pastime; gaming. The lockdown began on the 23rd of March here, 3 days after the most important game for most people in the last couple of months was released. I am of course talking about the behemoth that is, Animal Crossing New Horizons.
I have sunk about 4 million hours into meticulously planning out and specifically placing each of my island inhabitants (half of whom have been relocated because I had decided I wanted to be the only resident living on the main island), building a park for them to spend time in (which was very quickly moved during the great relocation of month two), planting of fauna (both indigenous and non, which was very quickly ripped up and sold because of the previously mentioned changes of heart), and finally trying to fill up my museum with all manner of fish, fossils (recently completed that one), bugs, and more recently; artwork. The art I feel is a fantastic addition to the museum but I can’t say I’m a fan of having to wait for Redd to show up when he finds the time.
I have spent quite some time trying to figure out how I feel about the overseer of my new island home. Is he a benevolent leader, lender, and friend to all of the anthropomorphised inhabitants of each player’s island paradise? Is he, as is more commonly believed, a tyrannical dictator who demands outrageous payments for little work on his end and extensive effort on your part (because let’s face it, unless you’re sharing an island with a friend or family member, every penny pumped into your island’s economy comes solely from your own pocket), is he in fact the kind of tanuki who would happily force his own children into working unacceptable hours manning one of your island’s only two retail spots? Personally I don’t think that it’s quite as black and white as that. Tom Nook is simply a tanuki who is trying to help you, the player, live your best life on your own humble slice of paradise.
The thing with Animal Crossing is that it is, at its heart, a social experience. The single player experience is fantastic and I can say pretty confidently that there are people out there who are only coping because of being able to interact with their islanders. However, where it really comes alive is when you fire it up and visit a friend’s island. My girlfriend and I, despite living together, have fully had dates visiting one another. We helped each other out with completing our fossil collections; she even likes to leave me little presents when she comes to visit. Now I know that sounds cute, but she I can assure you is evil. She has taken to whipping her shovel out and digging holes any and everywhere she can, and while she does so, she is laughing maniacally. At one point, she decided the best places for holes to be was hidden behind trees. I’ve had to resort to drastic measures and booted her from my island because it was beginning to get out of hand. Vandalism aside, it has been amazing having the opportunity to create this bond with her while playing.
More recently I have decided that my residents are in need of spiritual guidance and as luck would have it, a toga appeared in my Able Sisters store. I grew my hair out, threw on a beard and have since been walking around like Jesus in Galilee. I’ll be honest though, I thought that this stunt was going to wear thin very, very soon. I can happily say though that it has been a week since I decided to accept my divinity and it is still as hilarious a week later (although ask again in a week or so and I’ll tell you if I’m still cutting about claiming to be the messiah reborn digitally).
Gaming for me has always been an escape. An escape from reality for a few hours that has taken me everywhere from swinging between buildings in New York, to battling to save a princess from the king of the thieves, to becoming a champion at the top of the wrestling industry, to trekking through the nine realms while teaching my boy what it means to be a god. Animal Crossing has given me something different, it has helped me cope with being separated from the people I love, and has given me another reason to spend time with someone I love (despite her shovel skills).
JayblesPlaysGames 