My game of the month for March is one that was originally due to come out in 2019, but got pushed back. Quite a heck of a coincidence, considering what is going on in the world right now. This game might just offer the escape that many people need right now.
Also, I have an honourable mention for another game I have been playing this month, which happens to have a post apocalypse setting…
First, my honourable mention for March is DEAD OR SCHOOL, which was released for the Nintendo Switch earlier this month. Humans have been forced to live underground after losing a war against mutants. One girl, Hisako, dreams of going up to the surface and going to school, and will fight through the mutants to do so.
DEAD OR SCHOOL may not be the prettiest looking game, but it is keeping me invested as Hisako battles her way through the hack and slash RPG.
The game I want to highlight this month, however, is a bit more sedate than slaying mutants.
It probably won’t come as any surprise to discover that my game of the month for March is none other than Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
New Horizons has players starting a new life on a deserted island, which is a change from the usual villages of previous entries in the series. It will be a slow start at first, as tends to be the case with Animal Crossing, but more time spent with the game means more activities becoming available.
This entry implement a crafting system into the game, meaning that there are plenty of DIY Recipes to discover so you can craft your own items and furniture.
You can even shape your entire island in whatever way you want, so perhaps you could recreate a favourite video game setting or something.
One of the main draws of the Animal Crossing series is its colourful cast of characters, and you’ll be meeting all sorts of potential residents as you play. There’ll be some familiar faces, too, such as Tom Nook, K.K. Slider and Isabelle.
Go online, and you can visit other players’ islands, or have them come to yours. Sharing gifts, competing, and enjoying the company of others in a way that can be done for those who are self-isolating means there are plenty of experiences that can be shared.
The seasons are reflected in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and you get seasonal events, too. You also have the option to choose whether your island is in the northern or southern hemisphere, and the seasons will reflect that as a result.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons comes at a time when plenty of people in the world need an escape from what is going on in the world. Definitely well worth investing some time in if you own a Switch.
Rory Muses 