I was thinking of how Animal Crossing gives you access to a persistent offline world to explore, but without any real people to interact with. In my opinion, there’s a good few reasons why you should play offline as well as online; and there are even occasions when it’s better to play on your own. So, lets take a look at these ten reasons why you should consider offline play, with an emphasis on Animal Crossing:
1. In your own AC village there is no bad language, nor racism or other stupidity.
2. There is far greater world control – this includes control over your house, your environment and of course what goes on when you’re not there. In the case of Animal Crossing things do develop and change, but that’s part of the experience and it is still fundamentally the same.
3. No noobs or experienced players – only you at your own level.
4. No stealing, hacking attacking or otherwise Pking during play. What happens is really in your control, and that’s the appeal.
5. The village can be developed as you like, and noone will disturb it – except that XXX Tom Nook!
6. We all have our ‘quirks’ – in your online village there isn’t anyone to see them unless you allow them into your space. Watch that they don’t steal anything though!
7. If you’re a girl, you can play without being harassed to death by teenage males giving you a/s/l every five minutes.
8. Peace is a rarity with online play, what with random texts of people selling things, voice chat and people saying rather odd things. In your own village of collections and cleaning up, you have full peace.
9. After reading this, would you really want to open your game to this?
10. You have your objectives – no one will hinder – or help. The will have will mould to you. 1up.com has a brilliant feature on it.
Overall, the level of control you have with your own village in Animal Crossing makes it something that you really should not miss if you have a DS and Nintendo would be stupid not to bring it to the Wii. Enjoy!