Release date: March 20, 2020
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Social simulation
Rating: E (everyone ages 6+)
Approximate length: 100+ hours
Nintendo’s long-running Animal Crossing series revolves around a human working to build a life in a village of talking animals. The latest entry, New Horizons, serves as a glowing endorsement of both the economic and social aspects of capitalism. Although the game is targeted primarily at children, it’s also hugely popular with adults and is designed to appeal to people of all ages.
At the game’s outset, you book a ticket to an uninhabited island with Nook Inc., a large corporation that operates a travel agency, among other ventures. Upon arriving on the island, you find a picturesque combination of beaches, rivers, and forests; the environment is rife with natural resources but initially is borderline hostile to human (and anthropomorphic animal) life. On your first night, you and two animal companions pitch tents on the beach, excited to begin your new lives. . . .
