Over Thanksgiving break, the creators of the popular Nintendo game series, “Animal Crossing,” released a new mobile game, and it is super addictive (I could barely put down my phone to write this review).
The game has many of the staples of past Animal Crossing iterations, like picking fruit, fishing and collecting bugs. However, the developers created a mobile-friendly game that is like a fast-paced version of “Animal Crossing: New Leaf.”
Rather than being the mayor of a small town, players are tasked with creating a campsite – but not just any campsite. This campsite will be the go-to hangout for all your animal friends and acquaintances. It will be the best campsite ever to be camped upon.
By increasing relationship levels with animals around the campground, you can eventually host them at your campsite. These campers net the player rewards which can be used to build furniture and amenities to attract new animal friends.
As an avid Animal Crossing player, this game seems too fast-paced at times. But, most mobile games have that quality. Its fast-paced nature was beneficial after a couple of days of grinding for the in-game currency called “bells.”
Since I was used to past, slower-paced Animal Crossing games, I had no problem waiting for new reward opportunities. Yet, players that are new to the Animal Crossing saga might fall victim to in-game purchases.
Micro-purchases may be small (as the term implies), but they add up. Those new to playing this game could easily rack-up huge sums on their parents’ credit card statements.
Keith Sarver, junior at the University, never played Animal Crossing games religiously. However, he’s already found himself making a couple micro-purchases.
“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I already bought the two cheap launch starter packs,” Sarver said. “It was only $5, though. I’m thinking about getting the $21 one though, because that’s a lot of ‘dollarydoos.’”
Mobile games can be addictive – so be warned. It’s easy to justify small purchases, so don’t beat yourself up about spending a couple of dollars in a free-to-play game. Just don’t give in to the impulse to have the best digital campground through loads of real-life money.
Other than that concern, the game has been a joy to play. The graphics are great and enhance the Animal Crossing aesthetic.
Since the trees resemble real-life trees during fall, one can assume Pocket Camp will have the same seasonal rotation as past games. This might provide new opportunities for collectibles, since new species might appear during other seasons.
Many think Animal Crossing is a game for children, but I’d recommend this new app to everyone. It is visually pleasing, has very intuitive game-play and is easily a contender for the best app of 2017.
