A Permanent Getaway
Few things are more relaxing than a vacation. Traveling to an exotic location to get some much needed rest is a luxury that is looked forward to by many. Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch offers a fantastic island getaway for you, two animal neighbors and the benefactors of your island adventure, The Nook family led by none other than real estate mogul Tom Nook. It has been 7 years since the release of the last installment, Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the 3DS and fans could not be more ecstatic. It is also coincidentally a cultural phenomenon, as real-life social interaction is restricted across the globe as of this writing, making the sense of community this game offers even more comforting. Putting such an event aside, however, the latest installment of Animal Crossing proves to be a rewarding, heartwarming experience whose pacing puts even the most user-friendly “games as a service” model to shame.
Author’s Note:
It has occurred to me that many elements of the game become inconsistent by using an exploit known as “Time Traveling.” While certainly an option to the impatient player, this review was written without the use of the exploit.
A Modest Quest
After choosing your deserted island’s layout, you are presented your tent by the Nook family to place wherever you see fit on the island. Soon after your neighbors will come to you asking for the same favor, marking the beginning of your lovely community. The game is paced by real-world days and relies on the internal clock of the Switch to make progress on various undertakings to develop your new home. These include everything from a Museum to a Town Hall and even a house of your own, which are pushed forward after giving necessary items to Tom Nook.
Getting your town up and running will start with small things at first that don’t tax your flimsy DIY tools very much. While the difficulty never becomes too harsh, you will learn to never set out to do business unprepared. Whether it be collecting materials for furniture to furnish new homes for potential neighbors or collecting various forms of wildlife or fossils for your local museum, or even finding materials for some sweet decor of your own, you get out what you put in. From your villagers giving you materials to help out your diligence to being the person of honor at the opening ceremonies for the various establishments you will open, the gratitude expressed by your community is a heartwarming thing to behold. This is amplified by the individual personalities of your neighbors, all of which come with their own unique flavor despite conforming to a fixed amount of personality types.
A Community Building Adventure
While the focus of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is ultimately the improvement of your own homeland, it is far from the only one you will visit. Exploration is encouraged in the form of Nook Miles tickets, an airline ticket that will fly you to a randomly chosen area that is full of resources. These islands can net you some exotic fruits or flowers that are not native to your own. These islands are also the key to building your community. Upon them you may encounter potential villagers on their own deserted islands who will be more than happy to make the move to your island if given the offer.
As your town grows, so will your options to expand the community to the rest of your island. Building bridges across lakes and streams, using a ladder to climb up cliffs and seeing the new wildlife appear in your town as a result of planting new and exotic flowers and fruit-bearing trees is a fun and rewarding experience. These elements come together to create a palpable sense of progression which is doubled down upon with the acquisition of Nook Miles, an additional currency to the cash-equivalent Bells that are rewarded by completing various tasks. Most of these acquisitions come in tiers that reward progressively more miles for these tasks, such as having multiple types of fruit or flowers on your island, and are integral for going on Island Adventures and increasing inventory space. Everything unfolds naturally as you play which makes every days’ hard work feel extra rewarding.
The Host With The Most
Multiplayer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a fun and exciting experience. Whether it be online or local multiplayer, it is always exciting to find out what a friend has done with their dwellings. The open-ended nature of the game combined with the random nature of shops, villagers and island layouts will always entice you to share in another players’ experience. Interacting with each other is a great experience as well using the Best Friend system to prevent potential harassment. Without status as a Best Friend, visitors will not be able to alter your island in any profound way such as digging holes or chopping down trees with an axe, which keeps you safe when opening the airport gates to unfamiliar faces and those met online. As a Best Friend, however, you are free to interact with a friends’ island in any way you choose giving the potential for awesome collaborative island designs.
Alongside these real-time elements you have other interactions such as mailing letters and presents to each other, posting messages on each others’ community boards, and the comments made by your neighbors about visitors you’ve had. The immersion brought by these interactive mechanics are game-altering and leave lasting effects on your experience, making the multiplayer a friendly social experience like no other. The ability to create your own clothes and customize individual tools and furniture only adds to this charm.
That Warm, Fuzzy Feeling
Animal Crossing: New Horizons proves it is the full life simulator package. Crafting, collecting, terraforming and connecting with friends and neighbors is incredibly fun and rewarding. The various engaging mechanisms are vast, as encountering new insects, finding new hybrid flowers, watching trees grow to bear fruit and then inviting friends over to share in the fun is an amazing experience. The game is also paced perfectly, making each day you turn the game on packed with things to look forward to. This pace is executed perfectly as the game never truly cuts you off from progression due to the many forms of it that exist. Combined with the multiplayer, there is always something to be done around your island for the eager villager. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a must-play for any Switch owner, sporting a vast amount of content, compelling immersion and some of the most friendly social elements in gaming. When you get the chance, pick it up.
