Chapter 4 - Animal Crossing

I'm always a little worried when a perfect stranger starts to talk to me on the bus.

After all, there is no way to know if the guy is not going to turn out to be the biggest jerk, and usually if he is, he will make sure that everyone in the bus hears what he has to tell you. But here, it's a little different, I'm the new guy in town and that guy just wants to give me directions it seems. Fair enough I could use a bit of help.

As soon as I arrive, I get a job. How weird, I've spent month at a time without getting anything and here I barely had to give my name and that Tom Nook gave me a job.

He must be a hell of a guy. Ok so, he starts by offering me a house, great! of course he only loans me the money, right, nothing is completely free in this world. So he asks me to do a bunch of stuff, all pretty tedious to be fair, but that's work for you. After a while he cuts me loose, ok, I'm supposed to do whatever I want then? But I guess I need to pay that loan back first.

I go around, meeting the neighbours, speaking about the weather, anything, sending cards, fishing, arranging the gardens, picking up stuff and selling it to Nook. There are tons of stuff to do in this town. So... Why is everything so god-damn boring?

My god, I'm bored to my wits' end. how many time can you catch a fish, a bug, a fossil and feel the smallest sense of reward and achievement? I never did that back in the World, Video game Land is not making a strong case for those activities either. At least, there's the neighbourhood right? Well, I would say that they seem awfully interested in making me do a bunch a chores and in exchange they all give me junk.

What am I supposed to DO? Build up my house? It's almost more expansive and time consuming than in real life! Collect furniture? Do you hear how ridiculous this sounds? No, this is just not possible. I've never felt so much at work than here. This town is not the friendly little village it tries to pass as. It's purgatory dressed up in baby clothes. And why the hell is this place tracking time like that? Big Brother seems less intrusive in some regards. It never stops, it never stops... If you forget to do you chores, the village is suddenly assaulted by weed that you need to pluck out. No other villager seems interested in helping you, no, it's your burden.

When you moved there, you were unknowingly asigned the role of janitor, of factotum. The irony of having an entire game built around the glorious role of factotum would have made Buckowski smile no doubt. To bad I cannot drown my sorrow in sex and alchool in Animal Crossing as well...