Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Review Thread

[Deleted member 58401]

Sorry, but I feel like you could critique the review without being condescending toward Gita. She's been writing for games for some time now and she's definitely aware of Civ and SimCity. It doesn't preclude her from looking at games that are less overtly political through a sociopolitical lens. I know that's not most people's cup of tea and that's fine, but could we all still be respectful and not insinuate that she's high?

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Sure, but the colonialism part - as I mentioned - not my main gripe. I personally don't care, though it's a massive stretch to consider it colonialism. To be frank, I believe it's a little like making one of those horrible Holocaust comparisons. Nothing in Animal Crossing causes pain, disease, death, servitude, or disease. Colonialism was awful and it's legacy is everywhere we look and this is a game about animals hitting trees. One is real and serious, one is not. Basically: not at all the same (her definition of "colonialism" would fit the Moai of Easter Island, who plundered all their own resources and died off - resource raiding is not 1:1 with Colonialism), and Dita should not insult me or others by making such a stupid comparison in an already poorly-assembled review.

 

[Brazil]

Wait, it's not native 720? WTF?

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I have no idea.

 

[GlassEmpires]

Sure, but the colonialism part - as I mentioned - not my main gripe. I personally don't care, though it's a massive stretch to consider it colonialism. To be frank, I believe it's a little like making one of those horrible Holocaust comparisons. Nothing in Animal Crossing causes pain, disease, death, servitude, or disease. Colonialism was awful and it's legacy is everywhere we look and this is a game about animals hitting trees. One is real and serious, one is not. Basically: not at all the same (her definition of "colonialism" would fit the Moai of Easter Island, who plundered all their own resources and died off - resource raiding is not 1:1 with Colonialism), and Dita should not insult me or others by making such a stupid comparison in an already poorly-assembled review.

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re: the underlined, everywhere includes animal crossing new horizons where you are dropped off to establish a community on a foreign piece of land, kinda like a modern colonial effort.

and to the bolded: fuck off with that

 

[Raccoon]

Wait, it's not native 720? WTF?

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It's been confirmed native res in docked and handheld

 

[Deleted member 1238]

Imagine actually unironically comparing Animal Crossing to colonialism. The stretch is so big that it's actually funny.

 

[Deleted member 58401]

re: the underlined, everywhere includes animal crossing new horizons where you are dropped off to establish a community on a foreign piece of land, kinda like a modern colonial effort.

and to the bolded: fuck off with that

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Found Dita's account. Also, don't tell me to fuck off. Tell Dita to read the definition of colonialism. Because this ain't it. Tom Nook owns the fucking islands. He asks you to be there.

I'm dumbfounded that this is even a point of contention. It's literally not remotely related to colonialism. As a person who did his PhD thesis on colonialism and literature, she is conflating two separate things. Which misinforms all the idiots who read her piece and find it powerfully argued and compelling, and reduces the actual horrors of colonialism to taking fruit from an island that isn't yours.

 

[weemadarthur]

Found Dita's account. Also, don't tell me to fuck off. Tell Dita to read the definition of colonialism. Because this ain't it. Tom Nook owns the fucking islands. He asks you to be there.

I'm dumbfounded that this is even a point of contention. It's literally not remotely related to colonialism. As a person who did his PhD thesis on colonialism and literature, she is conflating two separate things. Which misinforms all the idiots who read her piece and find it powerfully argued and compelling, and reduces the actual horrors of colonialism to taking fruit from an island that isn't yours.

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How did Tom Nook come into possession of the islands?

 

[saladdays]

Tom Nook owns the fucking islands. He asks you to be there.

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That's it's own issue, but you're right. It's a very silly lighthearted game and putting this lens over it is very ridiculous

 

[Deleted member 58401]

How did Tom Nook come into possession of the islands?

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He traded a pile of cocaine for each one. It happened right before you ignored my broader point to cherry-pick this part.

 

[the7samurai]

The cuts don't seem like a big deal. No video game sequel should be required to have all of the exact same characters and locations. That doesn't even make sense.

 

[Pascal]

ANYWAY...Preload is done, I'm ready to jump into my first AC game. Is there anything I should know going in? Any villagers I should look out for?

 

[weemadarthur]

ANYWAY...Preload is done, I'm ready to jump into my first AC game. Is there anything I should know going in? Any villagers I should look out for?

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You should NOT look for villagers based on other people's recommendations, or do what you're told by randoms. Live the experience and make your own friends in your own town.

If you have organic questions that arise, like getting better tools when it seems others have them and you don't, then ask questions. Until then, just try out what's in there.

 

[iFirez]

I think all of us who have been playing AC for a long time... even those who only played NL will have favourite Villagers and such but I'm kind of excited to meet new Villagers that have never lived in one of my towns - plus the actual NEW NEW villagers who have been added in NH. For me seeing all the different styles of houses and interiors for all the different villagers is so much fun and you learn a lot about their personalities just by how they decorate their houses.

 

[Sandfox]

ANYWAY...Preload is done, I'm ready to jump into my first AC game. Is there anything I should know going in? Any villagers I should look out for?

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I would just go into it blind.

 

[saladdays]

ANYWAY...Preload is done, I'm ready to jump into my first AC game. Is there anything I should know going in? Any villagers I should look out for?

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Nah just enjoy the game naturally. Villagers come and go over a long period of time and there's none that are better than others. If you want, go look up the list of em and figure out what your favorite designs are, but keep in mind that maybe their personality won't vibe with you, or maybe you won't have special experiences with em the way you do for other villagers. I would say, figure out some things you wanna focus on since it's a time-sensitive game. Unless you cheat, if you miss out on seasonal bugs, fish, etc there's nothing you can really do until next season.

 

[Odeko]

How did Tom Nook come into possession of the islands?

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Presumably the same way any Japanese citizen comes to own a private island in Japan

I mean you can just buy the things: https://www.privateislandsonline.com/asia/japan/hatobanari-island#:~:text=

 

[Bufbaf]

As a big Waypoint (and Gita) fan, I agree the review is a bit.. overdoing an issue that I don't (or can't?) see. I also don't think it detracts in any way, and it's a perfectly valid opinion piece regardless.

 

[Kunka Kid]

You should NOT look for villagers based on other people's recommendations, or do what you're told by randoms. Live the experience and make your own friends in your own town.

If you have organic questions that arise, like getting better tools when it seems others have them and you don't, then ask questions. Until then, just try out what's in there.

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Totally agree. This game is meant to experienced organically. Just let the relaxing island life wash over you.

 

[srtrestre]

I would just go into it blind.

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This.

 

[Alexhex]

I mean colonialism and its impact is more than just the the murder/subjugation/otherwise mistreatment of people. Concerns over the environment, sustainability, nature as profit, who gets to own land and how is inextricably tied into the concept. Certainly a game that says "this is your island, take care of the community and nature here" while at the same time sending you to other, seperate islands--ones you never get to visit or have to think about again--where you can violently pillage to your hearts content for econmic gain evokes the comparison

 

[Deleted member 58401]

I mean colonialism and its impact is more than just the the murder/subjugation/otherwise mistreatment of people. Concerns over the environment, sustainability, nature as profit, who gets to own land and how is inextricably tied into the concept. Certainly a game that says "this is your island, take care of the community and nature here" while at the same time sending you to other, seperate islands--ones you never get to visit or have to think about again--where you can violently pillage to your hearts content for econmic gain evokes the comparison

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This is more capitalism to me. Because that's what we do to the land we "own" in our countries anyway. One legacy of colonialism is environmental destruction, for sure, but that's also the legacy of humanity in general, which makes the link to colonialism seem shoehorned in to fit a narrative the writer wanted to establish versus making a helpful point in a review. A personal essay or separate Vice opinion article on this would be fine, though I hope it would be better constructed/knowledgeable re: colonialism and the true horrors of its legacy.

 

[mantidor]

Imagine actually unironically comparing Animal Crossing to colonialism. The stretch is so big that it's actually funny.

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When New Leaf got really popular I always wondered when would PETA stepped in and attack the game, since to make money they easiest and less time-consuming way is to go to a far away island, cut all trees and pillage all the wild life for big bucks bells.

 

[ILikeFeet]

methinks some of yall are trolling

 

[eKongDiddy]

Do we know how many fish, bugs and fossils are there to catch?
Is swimming/diving back?

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I can't remember which one, but a review said 80 each for fish and bugs. I watched GameXplain, Nintendo Life, IGN, Gamespot, and Kotaku, so one of those.

 

[mantidor]

Reviews lack a lot of info compared to when New Leaf launched, did Nintendo purposefully hide these much details? We don't even know if Brewster is back.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

Time Magazine (no score):

New Horizons is chill. It lets you dip in and out without consequence. Every trip to your island is a delight, and every day you shape it a little bit more. Over the course of my days and weeks on my island, I had begun to change it into something I wanted. I could alter the flow of rivers, populate it with people I liked, and wander its forests at night looking for ghosts.

It was my choice. It was my island and, after two weeks of small gameplay sessions, I had come to feel responsible for it. I never again got gorked out on peaches and smashed all the island's rocks. I built a sustainable land in a game built for sustainable, long-term play. It felt nice. It felt chill. It felt like island life.

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British GQ (no score):

It's weird to say that New Horizons doesn't feel like a game at all. It's more of a service – an essential. Yes, it's fundamentally not that exciting when you think for more than a few moments about picking fruit or snagging bugs; yet it's the kind of thing you just expect to have included with every Nintendo Switch. Because once you've played it you sort of can't imagine not playing it. You'll struggle to imagine a morning, or evening, or afternoon when you haven't felt that persistent pull to escape to a better place. And a game like that has never come at a better time.

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[808s & Villainy]

methinks some of yall are trolling

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The sad part is, I don't think they are

 

[klier]

You should NOT look for villagers based on other people's recommendations, or do what you're told by randoms. Live the experience and make your own friends in your own town.

If you have organic questions that arise, like getting better tools when it seems others have them and you don't, then ask questions. Until then, just try out what's in there.

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I haven't played it since the GCN, and preloaded NH a month ago already.....so thanks for the advice. As of right now it all looks so overwhelming (yet awesome)

 

[Antony]

methinks some of yall are trolling

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Leave Gita (Dita?) alone!

Man, on one hand I can see how (however flimsily) that comparison could be drawn.
On the other hand though... it's fucking Animal Crossing.

I get it, these are rough times in a troubled world... but it's fucking Animal Crossing man.
To even come at a game like this, so full of whimsy and charm and be seeing colonialism is next-level stupidity.

 

[Starlightmuse]

Are you guys really unironically defending that stupid colonialism thing on that horrible Waypoint review? Like, if someone wants to know the definition of reaching, I'm sure this could appear in the dictionary.

 

[CenturionNami]

Are you guys really unironically defending that stupid colonialism thing on that horrible Waypoint review? Like, if someone wants to know the definition of reaching, I'm sure this could appear in the dictionary.

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"the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically."

Waypoint also said Monster Hunter reminded them of Trump's son's killing animals. They do some good work, but there reviews are usually silly.

 

[TrueSloth]

"the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically."

Waypoint also said Monster Hunter reminded them of Trump's son's killing animals. They do some good work, but there reviews are usually silly.

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Might as well call this game "My little colonist"

 

[Rozart]

"the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically."

Waypoint also said Monster Hunter reminded them of Trump's son's killing animals. They do some good work, but there reviews are usually silly.

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No way...hahaha

 

[Alexhex]

This is more capitalism to me. Because that's what we do to the land we "own" in our countries anyway. One legacy of colonialism is environmental destruction, for sure, but that's also the legacy of humanity in general, which makes the link to colonialism seem shoehorned in to fit a narrative the writer wanted to establish versus making a helpful point in a review. A personal essay or separate Vice opinion article on this would be fine, though I hope it would be better constructed/knowledgeable re: colonialism and the true horrors of its legacy.

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I'll agree with you there, to some extent; the definitions get murky and while there is an intersection between colonialism and capitalism, ideally you're a little more precise with your language

Part of the "problem," I think, is that a lot folks look at games like minecraft/terraria/factorio and have been discussing the way that these sims throw you into a terra nullius while encouraging you to shape the land according to your own values, and have noticed that this is sort of a "sanitized" colonialism, without the human cost associated. And that has kind of transmogrified into a sorthand that says "crafting games often inherently evoke colonialism." I don't believe it's unture but it's kind of a nuanced and complicated road to get there

And yeah, I don't know if this is somewhat irresponsible? Like I'm read on the matter, I've been around for the conversation about minecraft and when, god forbid, waypoint evoked the term in their monster hunter review, so I know when someone brings it up in the context of animal crossing we're using a sort of shorthand to discuss environmental sustainably and land ownership and whatnot rather than the historical human cost. But I think you are right in the sense that there maybe should be a conversation around whether or not it's necessary to always dive into the specifics of the history when using such a heavy term for folks who aren't caught up on The Discourse. Because it's clear that this kind of inside baseball analysis has left a lot of people frustrated and scratching their heads

 

[gig]

Is the eshop down rn? Can't get in and load my code on the Switch or the website.

 

[MayorTortimer]

I'm so excited for this new game and am so happy to see all of the positive reviews. To be honest, I assumed that it was going to hit 90-91 points, so it's great to know that my hype level was right on point haha. Escaping to this little island is going to be a really good mental reprieve starting Friday. It can't come soon enough!

 

[Raccoon]

baby's first exploitative colonialist simulator

 

[BlakeofT]

Is the eshop down rn? Can't get in and load my code on the Switch or the website.

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Yes. Hopefully it gets resolved before Friday! I believe that you can still download game updates. Not sure about whether or not you can play games online.

 

[TouchOfGray]

Is the eshop down rn? Can't get in and load my code on the Switch or the website.

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I was just on 30 seconds ago and pre-ordered the game with no trouble.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

i'm all for reviewing games from a more social and political perspective (and i wish way more publications did that instead of just listing a game's features and putting a score in the end), but i too think the colonialism angle is a bit ridiculous.

 

[Servbot24]

i'm all for reviewing games from a more social and political perspective (and i wish way more publications did that instead of just listing a game's features and putting a score in the end), but i too think the colonialism angle is a bit ridiculous.

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Most game reviewers (and most people) get their political views from scanning twitter now and then, so it's not a surprise that reviews with a political angle are so shallow.

 

[GamingRobioto]

I wasn't going to get this but I played quite a bit of New Leaf and enjoyed it and given I'm going to be at home (like many others) over the coming month I thought it was a perfect game to chill out to. It might be the game I can finally get my partner into.

I've watched zero preview footage so I'm excited to jump in blind and enjoy the relaxing ride.

 

[bossmonkey]

Is the eshop down rn? Can't get in and load my code on the Switch or the website.

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Yep it's down, ironically i just went to gamestop and converted my physical copy to digital now i can't even do the preload...

 

[saladdays]

Most game reviewers (and most people) get their political views from scanning twitter now and then, so it's not a surprise that reviews with a political angle are so shallow.

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It also doesn't help that the vast majority of games are pretty shallow narratively, politically, etc. It's not like film criticism.

 

[antispin]

Any benefits to pre-ordering?

 

[deepFlaw]

But I think you are right in the sense that there maybe should be a conversation around whether or not it's necessary to always dive into the specifics of the history when using such a heavy term for folks who aren't caught up on The Discourse. Because it's clear that this kind of inside baseball analysis has left a lot of people frustrated and scratching their heads.

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Not to go off on you specifically, but: maybe you should think about the possibility that Waypoint's review could be for Waypoint's readers, instead of for a bunch of people obsessed with Metacritic scores, half of which throw a tantrum anytime someone says something vaguely negative about a game?

I honestly don't know why review threads aren't way more strictly moderated; every time I peek into one of these, what people get away with is startling. Feels like the exact kind of gamer culture that shouldn't be encouraged more.

 

[delete12345]

Wait, it's not native 720? WTF?

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Requesting Digital Foundry's assistance for more technical specs breakdown.

But I'm pretty amazed how Animal Crossing and Doom are competing head-to-head with each other, even with the review scores.

Any benefits to pre-ordering?

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You can finally use your digital voucher to redeem this game.

 

[Servbot24]

You can finally use your digital voucher to redeem this game.

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Exactly what I"m doing with my final voucher :)

 

[antispin]

Requesting Digital Foundry's assistance for more technical specs breakdown.

But I'm pretty amazed how Animal Crossing and Doom are competing head-to-head with each other, even with the review scores.

You can finally use your digital voucher to redeem this game.

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LOL, funny cause I tried to redeem my vouchers... which I knew I'd already used up.

 

[Alexhex]

Not to go off on you specifically, but: maybe you should think about the possibility that Waypoint's review could be for Waypoint's readers, instead of for a bunch of people obsessed with Metacritic scores, half of which throw a tantrum anytime someone says something vaguely negative about a game?

I honestly don't know why review threads aren't way more strictly moderated; every time I peek into one of these, what people get away with is startling. Feels like the exact kind of gamer culture that shouldn't be encouraged more.

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oh no yeah bud, I 100% agree with you haha. Waypoint's writing is way more my style, I don't get anything out of the usual consumer reviews because I prefer even surface level analysis to just listing gameplay features and vague quality assessments of them. Really I'm just trying to extend an olive branch and figure out why folks react this way, even here, to extremely mild sociopolitical criticism. Like it's one thing to have a conversation around "hey is colonialism the exact right word for this?" and it's another thing to resent the idea to begin with; it looks to me like it's been mostly the latter here

But again, consumer reviews have a very curated typical mould (that may I remind everyone is no less shallow than anything in the waypoint review) so folks get conditioned to kind of lash out at anything that's a bit different