I understood this game would be stripped down, but they really stripped it down. And not in a good way.
It feels very grindy. Also not in a good way.
The animals are kind of boring, but that could be because everyone has the same exact dialog and actions and personality. They feel like needy objects always wanting more and more of the same objects than lil critters I grow somewhat attached to. So far, without spending anything the leaf tickets are flowing steadily, but I feel there's a point where I'll hit a climb where they'll become exceedingly necessary to continue. Like many free-to-play-with-microtransactions games.
At the least (or best?) it does make me pine for a new, full, true Animal Crossing game... which we'll probably see in the next four to five years. ouch...