I can understand why people love mobile games likeAnimal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the many HoYoverse titles, and an assortment of popular premium games likeBalatroandDead Cells. It’s a device that many people have with them at all times, even when performing the most menial and mind-numbing tasks. So, sneaking in a quick session while at work, on the bus, in the bath, or on the toilet is an appealing prospect.
However, for as long as I’ve had a phone, I’ve always hated gaming on it. It’s alow-effort unsatisfying experiencepeppered with egregious advertising, dull gameplay, and a plethora of bugs and glitches. Yet, I so desperately want to enjoy playing on my phone just like everyone else, especially as my time for gaming is growing more and more limited, and I’m frequently away from my consoles. Luckily,there is one game that has the potential to finally fix my feud with mobile gamingand set me on the ever-tempting path of being glued to my phone 24/7.
Mobile Games Have Never Been For Me
It’s Hard To See My Phone As A Gaming Machine
I’ve had a very tenuous relationship with mobile gamesever since I got my first smartphone. Of course, I’ve played my fair share of some of the biggest andbest mobile games available, with the likes ofTetris,2048, andSolitarehaving graced every phone I’ve ever had. However, when it comes to more console-like experiences, I’ve forever been in two minds. I bought and playedMedieval 2: Total War- one of my all-time favorite games - on my Google Pixel and enjoyed it. Similarly, I bought the wonderfulStardew Valleyand got stuck into its variousimpressive and hilarious updates.
I’ve sunk potentially hundreds of pounds into premium mobile experiences in the hopes of capturing what I love about gaming on my Switch.
I’ve sunk potentially hundreds of pounds into premium mobile experiences in the hopes of capturing what I love about gaming on my Switch. I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time on free games likeGenshin Impact,Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp,Juice Jam, and a smattering of strategy games. Unfortunately, absolutely none of them, the aforementionedTotal War,Stardew Valley, the plethora of premium titles, or any of the free games have stuck with me longer than a few days. Sometimes,I find myself dropping them after just one playthrough, even despite paying money for them.
It always felt wrong to play games on my phone, like it is a device that was never designed for that experience. Even with a controller, gaming on my phone never felt ideal. So, for a long time, I figured that mobile phones were better used for communication, endless doomscrolling, and the occasional round or two ofCandy Crushrather than gaming. However, considering I spend an unhealthy amount of time on my phone - time, I may add, that could be spent on my PlayStation playing real games - I have always wanted it to be so much more.
With The Release Of Animal Crossing Complete, Nintendo Should Release A Full Version Of Another Mobile Game
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is a brilliant way to sunset a live-service mobile game, and another Nintendo title could benefit from the same.
Naturally, I turned to thegreatest cozy mobile gameson offer, as I figured that getting snug under a blanket with my overly bright phone and a hot chocolate would be an enjoyable way to spend my time. After all, it’s what my fiancée does every time I switch onLord of the Rings. However, whether it was the constant ads or the fact thatplaying for prolonged periods of time on my phone doesn’t feel good for my handful of brain cells rattling around, I found this felt wrong somehow too.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Is Finally Worth Playing
It’s Dropped All Its Worst Features
While I’ve always struggled to get truly stuck into gaming on my phone,I have always had better success with premium experiences than free ones. The incessant ads and obvious need to spend real money in order to gain any form of enjoyment from it are the usual culprits for me giving up on a mobile game. More importantly, however, is that they don’t feel as substantial, acting as the equivalent of junk food, rarely giving me a memorable experience in the same way that traditional gaming does normally.
So,when I heard thatAnimal Crossing: Pocket Campwas going pay-to-play, I was genuinely overjoyed. Namely, it wasPocket Camp’snew changesthat excited me, especially the ditching of the microtransactions that had bogged the game down before. It was becoming the premium experience that everyone has been saying is alreadybetter thanNew Horizons. Of course, I’ve already explained at length that even premium games can’t get me into mobile gaming, and so, in theory, a pay-to-play version ofPocket Campshould be no different.
Checking in on villagers has always been the best part ofAnimal Crossinggames, and I’m sure I’d feel just as compelled to do so inPocket Campas I do inNew LeaforWild World.
However,I think it serves as the perfect gateway into mobile gaming thanks to its shorter play sessions and overall simplicity. Additionally, unlike other mobile games, there’s an active reason to keep coming back to it - beyond daily rewards and those other FOMO tactics that free-to-play mobile games employ. Checking in on villagers has always been thebest part ofAnimal Crossinggames, and I know I’d feel just as compelled to do so inPocket Campas I do inNew LeaforWild World.
I May Finally Start Gaming On My Phone Thanks To Pocket Camp
It’s Bringing A Console Experience To My Phone
Constantly checking in on a game that I’m actively enjoying and paid for will hopefully get me to see gaming on my phone in a different light. It’ll train my brain to see my phone as just as compelling a way to play video games as my Switch is. This has been difficult as my phone is capable of so much more, andgetting constant notifications from other apps while I’m gaming takes me out of the experience. Luckily, there are ways around that, such as turning my phone into a dumbphone, which has also been a positive change.
I’m also hopeful thatAnimal Crossing: Pocket Campcould change how publishers and developersmonetize mobile games. With such a large publisher turning their live service title into a one-time purchase, it could inspire others to do the same. While the free-to-play model shouldn’t go entirely,I do believe that to make phones a more viable gaming platform, then better premium experiences need to become the norm.
You’ll Want To Get Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete Around Launch, Or It’ll Cost You Twice As Much
Avoid paying double by following these steps for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete’s official launch on mobile devices in December.
There are several games on mobile that I’d love to try, likeBalatro,Dead Cells, andDeath Stranding. So far, I’ve avoided investing in them on my phone, but they’re just too expensive on other platforms. However,Pocket Campcould change all of that thanks to its gameplay loop. Anyone else struggling to get into mobile gaming who also happens to enjoyAnimal Crossingshould check outPocket Camp, as it’s a great way to relax the anxious brain, feel like something meaningful is being accomplished, and finally start seeing mobile phones as more than just a social media hellscape.
