After a long hard day of work, you just want to go home and forget about life’s issues. Sitting there with a nice hot meal with a warm cup of tea to wash it down and without a care in the world would certainly be a pleasurable experience after a long day of work. Imagine yourself in a world free of stress. Hmm...that is life…that is a dream…that is paradise…that is Animal Crossing Wild World. This adaptation to the Gamecube version is similar in many aspects to that version. Wild World is a fictitious town that is brought to life with its many activities, daily nuances, and social upbringings. While Animal Crossing doesn’t throw you into a huge metropolitan city with its noisy highways, many attractions, and bustling night life, it does bring a small close knit society into perspective. Instead, you will be spending your time in a beautiful, quiet, and nature oriented town. Free from stress that is derived from the corporate world, you spend your day care free, with activities like fishing or simply a nice chit chat with a next door neighbor. I don’t know about you, but that sounds good to me.
In a dark stormy night, you are riding in a cab in hopes of reaching your next destination. Finding your way to a new home, with friendly faces and a brand new experience, the game is able to emphasize the feeling of getting out on your own.. Before reaching the town, the cab driver will ask you to state your name and where you plan to go. This is the point in time, where you can become creative. Ever thought of naming a place? Well here is the opportunity for you to strut your creative genius.
Animal Crossing is the ultimate chill game. What I mean by that is the game simply doesn’t offer much of a challenge. It is the type of game where you don’t have to worry about tense boss battles or other tense moments during other games. But instead, you can just pick it up and play anytime you want, which makes it quite accessible to everyone. There are simply a plethora of activities to do, which consist of many daily activities, but with an added twist and incentive. These daily activities are spread throughout normal time. Animal Crossing uses the same calendar year as us, so some special events will only be on certain days.
The premise of Animal Crossing is simple. It is a simulation type game that reflects daily life, but not mirrors it to the exact image. For one you will have plenty of time on your hands rather than spend most of your day at work. In Wild World, you start off by owning a beat down old house. Even with the rusty look, the house still has to be paid off, which is problematic since you’re the new kid on the block. But soon, the local store owner will offer you a temporary job to get you started in your new life. Once you pay off your debt, you can enhance your housing situation further.
The activities come far and wide. There are simply tons of things to do. Whether you want to just sit at the tip of the river, and try to catch your next fish or running simple errands for your lovely neighbors, there is never a dull moment. Doing these activities is not without its rewards either. Being the town’s errand boy can net you some nice rewards. Furthermore, it enhances your relationship with your fellow neighbors. Typically, these errands are your run of the mill delivery, but lending a helping hand will always brings good karma. Or you can simply walk around town to pluck the weeds from the ground out of good conscious that your town is nice and tidy.
Certainly all societies need a monetary policy to ensure economic growth and incentives to life. Wild World is no different, as earning money will allow you to buy goods and pay off your mortgage. A good way to earn some good hard cash is through selling things to Tom Nook. Oranges are always ripe and delicious for the pickings and it makes you a quick buck. After earning some cash, the next agenda would be to pay off your mortgage or buy furniture to decorate your home. I mean what good is a house if it is empty? By buying furniture, you can design the way the interior of your house to your liking. And you can even earn points from your intellectual designs. After a while, your house starts to shape up like a dream home.
Despite having such a vast array of activities to do, the game isn’t able to retain its feeling of freshness for an extended period of time. Wild World is best played in short bursts. For an extended period of playing time, Wild World does become a bit senile. The game’s unique approach to living is fun, but there are only so many errands and so many times you can go fishing before it becomes tedious. And to make matters worse, the town isn’t all that big, so it restricts the amount of exploration. However, the game’s concept is able to let the player enjoy this game weeks down the road through its accessibility. Sure, there are probably going to be a lot of weeds and pests in your town, but nothing that can’t be fixed. The simple, easy to pick up type gameplay is what makes Wild World so attractive, and in a way it isn’t necessary for the game to throw a ton of material at you immediately, but instead feed you crumbs bit by bit, as you beg for more.
The native tongue in Wild World is actually quite charming. With the option to choose Animalese, the game is able to portray its own unique culture. The music on the other hand was able to emphasize a soothing feeling with its melodic beats. With some solid sounds, the game also provided a pleasant sight. With its unique art direction and colorful backgrounds, the game was certainly a sight to behold. Furthermore, the game ran exceptionally well.
With its many activities, town-like atmosphere, and overall sense of social concept, Wild World brings plenty to the table. While the game is more of a pick up and play in short bursts type game, there is still plenty to enjoy. Whether it be collecting items, or decorating your own home, this game allows for some intuitive designs and stress free atmosphere. Animal Crossing Wild World is the perfect game to play after a long day of work or weeks of cramming for that midterm. Regardless of what stresses your life brings, you can lose yourself in the world of Animal Crossing, and for a minute you will enter a world that feels like paradise. Even with some of its issues, it is hard not to recommend a game with such a unique approach to life.
