AC is tied to IRL time so unless you alter your system's date and time settings to 'Time Travel' you can be limited on activities in AC. However, I think the biggest plus for me is the in-game time speed.
Although those early licenses are easy to get and you get the points to unlock them fairly quickly at the start. The shop will refuse to sell you a pick-ax without a mining license, same with a farming license, fishing, hunting, and logging. However early game most of what you can do is limited without these licenses. They are mostly dangerous when they sneak up on you.Ī lot of the game progression is tied to these 'licenses' which you unlock with a point system doing various activities (very similar to Nook Miles in New Horizons). They also hold still with a telegraphed animation showing that they are about to attack, easy to dodge as long as you keep an eye on them. You don't have a lot of health (can eat foods to fix that) but the hostile animals aren't too difficult to kite.
There is a combat system but it is very simple and easy to deal with. The others are correct about it being a mix of AC & Stardew, but I also think it has a hint of My Time at Portia vibes to it (in regards to crafting that is).