I was a little skeptical to pick up Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but once a friend showed me the trailer and the new things they added to this installment, my desire got the best of me and I bought it. Right away I got pretty consumed by it, because it’s hard to explain but something about this game is just addicting. Animal Crossing is just one of those games, where you either like it or you hate it. I’ll admit it right now, it’s not a game for everyone, but for a casual, relaxed and simple game, Animal Crossing does the job.
Story: 1.5/10
There isn’t really a story for this game aside from the beginning, but this isn’t really the kind of game that needs one. The basis of the story is that your character is moving into a new town, but once you get there, the townsfolk mistake you for the new mayor that was supposed to be on the train (if you’re the first person to play on that game cartridge). Instantly, you become mayor of the town and begin taking some steps to making your town better. About two days after you start playing, the person who was supposed to mayor sends you a letter saying he isn’t interested in being mayor anymore and you stay as mayor (Luckily they’re cool with you stealing their job and don’t report you to the cops for impersonating a government official).
Score: 8/10
The music in this game fits the it well, but what really caught my attention was all the songs you receive from K.K. With a song in just about every genre, you will enjoy a good amount of his songs.
Characters/ Character Development: 4.5/10
There are very many different types of animals that can live in your town. Some, you’re going to like a lot and some will leave you wishing your axe could be used for more than just cutting down trees.
Graphics: 8.5/10
For a 3DS game, the graphics in this game do look very well rounded and smooth, and although nothing looks striking in the third dimension, it isn’t an eyesore either.
Difficulty: 6.5/10 (0 being the easiest, 10 being the hardest)
The only really difficult part of this game comes from trying to find a specific piece of furniture/clothing you’re looking for. Unless you’ve got a buddy that has what you’re looking for, you pretty much have to keep your fingers crossed that it will randomly be in one of the shops.
Organization/Clarity: 9/10
Your objectives are pretty clearly set up for you. You’ll usually get simple tasks, such as delivering a package to a villager in your town. Your inventory can be nicely arranged in your carrying pockets and a good amount of space is given to you in your closet space at home.
Fun: 5.5/10
Don’t get me wrong, this game is very fun and collecting every piece of your favorite furniture set and styling your character is all very rewarding, but at a certain point this game will become an obligation. What I mean by an obligation is that you may not want to play it every day, but because the way the game is set up in real time, it will cause your town to become littered with weeds and your townsfolk to move away if you neglect your town. Because of this fact, it discourages you from ‘picking it back up’ at a later date.
Recommended For-
- · Younger Kids
- · Fans of the Animal Crossing Series
- · People looking for a simple relaxing game that is still fun.