Animal Crossing: New Leaf

It's amazing how such a seemingly simple game can be so damn awesome.

I have New Leaf and am loving it! It's definitely an all-around upgrade for the series.

A good review, but I think a 10 is generous. I love Animal Crossing, but I always feel the games don't rise to their full potential. New Leaf is easily the most ambition title in the series, but I still have problems with it.

• All my villagers ask me to do in terms of "quests" is get them a piece of fruit or take something to a different animal. I've kinda stopped talking to them because I'm tired of this (perhaps the result of this being my third time through with the series, old tropes wear thin over time).
  
• The endlessly repeating dialogue of the shop NPCs is still tedious as ever.
  
• Interface feels clunky in a lot of ways and I also feel like my inventory is too small.
  

The pace is off too. Been playing for a over a week and still don't have a watering can. I feel they've staggered the release of the tools too much to try to draw out the opening days. I know the end goal is to keep the player occupied for the duration - that's what Animal Crossing is about after all - but they've slowed down the front end to the point where I haven't quite been hooked yet. I'm running out of steam already because the game is feeding me new tools too slowly. I would love to get started on my fruit grove for instance, but alas, I have no axe. Would be great to get going with a garden, too. But again, where's the watering can? And I have no slingshot to shoot down those enticing presents. Knocked one down with my net once, but that was a unique circumstance. It's an excellent little game with unending charms, but alas it still frustrates me with its design choices.

Still, they've made progress. Being the mayor with the ability to modify the town is genius, and they've done a good job of filling the calendar with activities. In nine days of play I've had a bug hunt, had a visit from the fortune teller, talked to that NPC who sells carpets, and been to a birthday party. Not bad considering events were few and far between back in the GameCube days! Love that your house can be modified in more ways too (that you can't have multiple modifications done at once though is another frustrating attempt to draw things out).

Number ratings are always tricky business. I prefer talking about the good and the bad, and I feel the bad is very minor compared to the overwhelming amount of good content and the large step forward for the franchise.

Yeah, I understand. It's a tough business messing with number assignments, and ultimately people often get too worked up over them. As I said - good review.

Thank you! Hope you're enjoying the game.

@Jacob - You're doing it all wrong, I got a watering can on my first day. Keep talking to Isabelle on the first day and she will give you small tasks in the form of a tutorial. Doing this can get you a fishing rod and a watering can.

Totally agree with this review Javier and I genuinely think that it deserves a 10. Whilst it starts off relatively slow, I'm finding myself getting hooked and I can't wait till I unlock some of the new stuff. The first game I played was City Folk and this is even a HUGE improvement over that.

( Edited 18.06.2013 01:56 by Mush )

@Jacob - You're doing it all wrong, I got a watering can on my first day. Keep talking to Isabelle on the first day and she will give you small tasks in the form of a tutorial. Doing this can get you a fishing rod and a watering can.

She told me to water some plants, but didn't offer me a watering can. I've spoken to her quite frequently too, considering I've gotten my building permit and built a new bridge, so don't really know how I missed out on the free can! I suppose I didn't really bother with her much on the first day -- having done this move into a new town thing several times, the last thing I wanted was a tutorial. Either way, my frustration with the tool selection remains, and haven't had any other options from Nook. Still only have a fishing rod, net, and shovel. Enough to get to work, sure, but still missing crucial pieces.

As for this being a huge improvement over City Folk though, I think this its fair to say this is the first Animal Crossing since the original to really break new ground. City Folk was merely an iterative release over Wild World which was itself mostly just an evolution of the GameCube version (hence why a great deal of the press slated City Folk for being stale). Big credit is due to New Leaf for finally mixing up the formula in significant ways; I just think they've made missteps with the pacing, and have had some oversights in fixing other problem areas.

You're right, should not have gotten a 10...should have gotten an 11!  It's an amazing game experience and everyone single one of your gripes is invalid.  I love the fetch quests, I got watering can fast cause I traveled to other towns day one, I love the way the game unpeels like a fresh onion.

GOTY thus far!  Bravo for the perfect score on the perfect game!

anybody got japan,best buy,U.S or eroupe dlc's?

( Edited 25.11.2013 00:48 by Acnlpro )

One of the top games I've played on 3DS!