Below, you’ll find our audio News Brief for Monday, April 27th, 2020.
Out With the Old: a Review of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Here at Polygon, our schedules have been burst wide open in the name of safety and social distancing, there has never been a greater time to pick up a new game to play. This makes Nintendo’s release of their new title Animal Crossing: New Horizons incredibly timely. There’s never been a better time than now for you to explore your own personal island getaway.
It’s been eight years since Animal Crossing: New Leaf came out, which gave developers ample time (and an entirely new platform, re: the Nintendo Switch) to make this masterpiece of a game.
Starting with the most dramatic change, the visuals of this game are unprecedented. This is the first HD Animal Crossing game and it’s obvious designers explored as much of this new creative space that they could. Everything from the bugs and fish you catch, the details on the leaves that flutter in the wind, to the overhauled clothes for the player characters seems incredibly intentional. The art style is definitely all Animal Crossing, but the game feels inexplicably fresh.
As for the mechanics, everything is identical, save for the addition of the “Nook Phone,” which is the new hub for upgrades like custom designs, an in-game camera and the social menu to meet up with friends, among other things. With the controls being the same, it makes jumping into gameplay a breeze.
Even at only a week in, I’ve made substantial progress. I’ve already upgraded my house, unlocked the museum through donations and have gotten the opportunity to explore other islands and expand my resources and critter collection. Even though there is a “grinding” element, so to speak, where I dedicate a decent amount of time to collecting said resources and critters, the game never feels like it drags on. There’s a great sense of accomplishment, even when it’s small.
In times like these, anxiety is running high and escapes from the outside world are scarce. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is that solace we’ve all been looking for.
*Disclaimer
I am not actually affiliated with Polygon.com
Coronavirus update: Entering fourth week of quarantine, Wuhan officials begin round-up for specialized quarantined centers.
As the death toll passed 1,000, a senior Chinese official has ordered Wuhan authorities to gather up infected citizens for quarantine at designated hospitals, according to the New York Times.
The rate that the virus is spreading has been cause of concern, but some experts suggest that the hysteria surrounding the pace of the outbreak is unwarranted. David Heymann, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that much of what the general public knows about the virus is speculation and to be mindful of the fact that limited evidence is available at this time. “They aren’t truth — they’re just one step in trying to better understand this outbreak.”
To combat the potential spread of the virus, travel to various parts of China is being discouraged, especially to the epicenter city of Wuhan “for their own good,” says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.
Shuang also made a point that foreign journalists specifically should follow all protocol given by authorities and limit their reporting for the sake of “preventative health measures and [to] avoid cross infection.”
Although China is limiting the reach of foriegn journalists, the central propaganda department has sent more than 300 journalists as part of what they are deeming a “prevention-and control” campaign.
Some Chinese citizens are concerned about the censorship and regulation of the Chinese press. Posts celebrating the arrival of foregin journalists were forced to be edited, with previous comments being deleted and new ones being disabled. News outlets have also been advised on the specific way they cover the virus.
Journalists at the Xinhua news agency, for example, have been told to keep their coverage of the virus positive, according to internal instructions seen by The New York Times. They were ordered not to continue mentioning the fact that the World Health Organization had declared a global health emergency and not to cover every infection discovered overseas.
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I’m Finn Burk, and I like stuff. I like information. This site is a compilation of both those put together, where I give you the things you should probably know about from all corners of the universe. Whether it’s local news, political updates, or anything else, my job is to put it here just for you.
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The Burk Bulletin 