When I was a child, I desperately wanted to play an Animal Crossing game, but I didn't have any Nintendo products like a Switch or 3D; naturally, one of the first things I ed when I got a phone was Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. I played the game every day for the better part of a few years as a free-to-play player, but eventually moved on to other things and deleted the app to make room for different games.

Years later, I heard about the release of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete. After not touching the game in quite some time, it was very nostalgic to see the mobile game back in the spotlight. I was looking for a mobile game to play in my spare time since I travel a lot, so the game being moved offline was a huge bonus for me. I ed it the night it went live, and I've been obsessed ever since.

Experiencing Pocket Camp Complete As A Returning Player

Pocket Camp Complete Is So Much Better Than The Original Game

I have quite a unique perspective on the new game. Although I can recall the first game and what it was like to play in the early days, there's lots of content that I'm either learning for the first time or rediscovering. I've been waiting to Pocket Camp Complete since I saw purchase the game at a discounted price since I ed it before January 31, 2025.

Before any gameplay elements, Pocket Camp Complete is why I finally cleared out my phone's storage. I thought that the size it's stated to be on the app store, under 300 MB, seemed suspiciously small, and I soon realized I was right to think that, as the data required for the game to run came to 2.13 GB. Though I'm sure this probably isn't a widespread issue, that's my warning to anyone who hoards mobile games.

It was just as I ed when I finally got into the game. I regret never backing up my old save, but I also enjoyed experiencing everything for the first time again. I loving Apollo, so seeing him again in the tutorial was excellent. He hasn't left my camp since I started adding more animals to it. I also found it hilarious that Filbert told me he was scared of what he'd do without me within literal seconds of meeting him. I missed this game's charm and am glad to be playing it again.

When I first ed the app, I was completely free-to-play, so I've also been exploring many areas that were originally locked behind hip plans. The camp caretaker feature is probably the most convenient thing in the game, with how they complete the tasks players haven't, yet still present them with rewards. Also, since the game is offline, having an animal friend following me around makes the atmosphere feel less lonely. Every time I make an update to my avatar's appearance, I find myself immediately updating my camper card.

Pocket Camp Complete Has All The Item Themes From The Past Game - There's So Much To Choose From

The New Pocket Camp Release Is Perfect For Dres Your Avatar

Compared to the currency of the previous game, Pocket Camp Complete is much more generous when it comes to currency. I always have a surplus of leaf tokens, which is a vast difference compared to how I feel I always needed more leaf tickets. Because of this, I was able to immediately auto-trek a map that I started when I played the first Pocket Camp but never got to finish. Since then, I've been able to appoint my favorite animal, Shino, as my camp caretaker and made us cute matching outfits using the Complete Catalog!

I knew that crafting a unique outfit and decorating my camp would be my first major order of business - I love deg and have spent more time in character customization screens than I care to it. When I first played Pocket Camp years ago, my favorite outfit set was the pieces found in the Gothic fortune cookie. However, with access to items from over the entire 7 years of release, I was able to make something much more to my tastes. I've spent much time collecting complete tickets to make the perfect outfits.

The easiest way to obtain complete tickets is by sending out Gulliver's Ship. Since Leaf tokens are pretty easy to get, players can quickly accumulate them within a few hours by skipping wait times and unlocking as many souvenirs as possible.

It feels wrong to complain about anything in this game since it's pretty much paradise compared to its predecessor, but one minor issue I have is that I wish there was an easier way to find specific items in the Complete Catalogs. There are two, one for items and one for fortune cookies. I've browsed the different sections for hours, and though I did enjoy that, it felt quite tedious to scroll back through the catalog to find something again. I got the majority of my items from the collection, which contains just under 2,000 items.

Gardening, Fishing, And Bug Catching Has Always Been Addicting In Pocket Camp

Pocket Camp Complete is The Ultimate Cozy Game

Anyone who has played a video game with me knows I'm sold if a game includes fishing. I have no idea what draws me to fishing specifically, but I have many more hours in "A Short Hike" than the creators ever intended for someone to play, with the pure intent of catching all the different types of fish. Pocket Camp is no different, and I adore how I can fish infinitely without using any resources. The Fishing Tourney has just begun, so I'm predicting that I'm about to get sucked into the game even further.

Players should use the warehouse feature to store their items if they want to hang onto them, as it's very easy for them to fill up their inventories by doing something like fishing or catching bugs for a short while.

Bug catching pretty much uses the same mechanic, but I don't spend as much time doing that. I forgot how quickly you had to tap the screen to catch them, though, so it was a shock when the first bug I tried to catch flew away. Something I never thought I'd find myself enjoying was the gardening mechanic - I not particularly caring for flowers in the first game. Yet, I completed all of Jingle's garden tasks within a few days. It's gotten to the point where I've properly started planting non-event flowers and playing around with cross-pollination.

I'm finding myself a lot more invested in it since, with constantly having leaf tokens on hand, I'm able to skip any waiting time. From my viewpoint, AC: Pocket Camp Complete is definitely worth playing and removes everything that would annoy players in the original game, leaving a purely enjoyable experience. If I had to make any significant complaint, it would be that it does feel a lot easier now, to the point where there's little challenge, but this was the intention. It's fantastic for downtime and otherwise relaxing.

I think Nintendo's choice to switch the Animal Crossing mobile game to offline without subscription features was ultimately the best thing. I agree with many players that Pocket Camp Complete is simply so much better than Pocket Camp, and it certainly has the same feel as when I first played the original game as a child before it introduced "Pocket Camp Club." I feel very lucky to have been able to experience Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp at two of its arguably highest points.

Source: Nintendo Mobile/Youtube