Animal Crossing has been a slow burn. It is not the type of sport you marathon hours at a time. Its joys reveal themselves. It's a quirk of this premise: Animal Crossing is a life simulator that occurs in Animal Crossing Bells time. Even by these standards, the most recent entry in the series -- New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch -- starts out.

It has an entirely new assumption: rather than being the only individual moving into a town full of critters, you start out on a deserted island and create a community from scratch. Initially, it may feel a little too empty, especially for series veterans who are more accustomed to bustling small villages. However, the shift is for the best. It's also the primary Animal Crossing where I have felt truly in control.

There isn't much on your island to begin. You receive a tiny yellow tent, as do two other creature citizens that are computer-controlled. There is an airport for obtaining multiplayer options, and also a service tent for sale products and crafting things. Aside from the natural elements, that is it; initially, you can not even get large swaths of this island that are blocked by rivers or rivers. The target of the sport, free as it is, is to turn that blank slate of an island into something bigger and more intriguing.

You do so, well, pretty much by simply living your own life. You can catch bugs, go fishing, decorate your living space, collect wood and minerals, and chat away with your neighbors. As you do, you'll earn cash and points to enhance the island. At first, it may feel limiting, especially if you're not accustomed to the pace of Animal Crossing. Though, it calming once you acclimate. Small victories can feel enormous, such as the very first time you craft your own fishing pole out of twigs or when you use that rod to catch a fish which earns you thousands of bells. As soon as I paid off my first loan to be able to swap the starter out tent for a small home, I honestly couldn't wait to wake up in the morning.

Helping is a brand new progression system. At the start of the game, you'll get a brand new smartphone called a NookPhone. The most significant is called Nook Miles, and it is essentially a way to make points by performing Animal Crossing tasks that were ordinary. It'll feel familiar if you've ever played with with a game. You'll get miles for breaking a number of fishing rods, catching a number of fish, or just pulling on a number of weeds. These miles collect and can be redeemed for a variety of things. You can use them to pay off your initial loan (though following loans need to be paid in money ) as well as unlock items and DIY recipes. This installation makes it so it feels like you are inching forward in the sport when you're just doing stuff that is routine. And for players who are cheap Animal Crossing New Horizons Items intimidated by the wide-open nature of Animal Crossing, it provides you very specific tasks to work toward.