Almost every Nintendo fan is eagerly awaiting Animal Crossing: New Leaf’s release date of June 9th. It’s been 5 years since the last entry in the series, has it been worth the wait? Find out in our review!
As a child I loved being able to go to the store and buy what I wanted in game. But now as an adult with an actual job I look at the amount of money I have in real life as the amount of my life I traded to get it. All of these jaded thoughts I have as an adult are applied to this mundane task of patrolling the beach for marine life in New Leaf which just adds to the disillusionment.
While there are new characters, furniture and clothing in New Leaf, ultimately the gameplay is the same. Dig up fossils, catch fish, sell them, spend your money on things you don’t need, make small talk with a few characters you don’t really care about. It all feels like a cruel joke by Nintendo. Like the cute plush version of grown-up life. Nintendo has spent years creating a children’s allegory for adult life. Wake up, do the same job you did yesterday, make small talk with your co-workers, spend your money trying to cheer yourself up, over and over again with the occasional holiday sprinkled in.
I give Animal Crossing: New Leaf a 7/10. While the gameplay is technically flawless, the aimless nature of the game isn’t so much “relaxing” as “why bother”. A great game for those under 14, but for those older, there just isn’t enough to do.
Score: 7 / 10
