Animal Crossing: New Horizons – US Version

Ho boy. I’m not sure where to begin. There is really a lot to say about the long awaited addition to the Animal Crossing family and to be fair, some of it is positive. To be honest, plenty of the criticism is deserved as well.
As a mother of four kids and a fan of the game myself (yep, I played it on the wii and fell in love. The ONLY video game I’ve ever truly been a fan of- what can I say? It helps me de-stress!), I’m not going to pull any punches when I say that the one island per Switch thing is ridiculous and could in fact damage future development and/or releases. This is a deal breaker for a lot of families. We went ahead and bought the game knowing this was an issue but were hoping to give it a try. After all, we shared City Folk just fine. But one of the main issues is that the person who starts the game sort of gets everything and takes over the development of the island while the other players are just kind of left in the dust for a while. Sure, they still gain points, manage their homes, get DIY plans, but everything they do comes slower, fewer, and is held up by the first player. They’re not really creating their own story- they’re following in the shadows of the story the first player started. I say that as the first player of our game and it stinks. I would have loved to have passed on some of the challenges and rewards to my kids to complete but instead I just felt rushed to get as much done as possible so they could progress as well.
Another interesting tidbit- and many won’t care about this but conservative parents might so I’m mentioning it for them- are the few LGBT references in the American or English version of the game. The Japanese version strangely doesn’t contain these references but they were included in the English version and this is notable to me. I firmly believe in equal rights but in what is very much a children’s game with talking animals, I fail to understand how it was necessary to include these references. Why do sexual preferences even need to play a part in a game such as this? Without warning, the creators have chosen to include references that feel out of place and a bit like pandering. I’m left scratching my head and wondering, “Why?” And if it was so important to include, why was it left out of other versions? Can’t we decide what we deem appropriate for our home and kids rather than having Nintendo make a blanket determination of our culture and then plopping something into the game that they won’t even include in their country’s version? It’s just an odd choice for this type of game. If this seems vague, search it out. The information about this is available. Another issue along these lines is the deletion of gender. I’m aware that there was a group of people that wanted non-binary options in the game, but it seems that gender pronouns have been erased entirely in only the US version. Players are referred to as “they” and “their” by the animals. This is probably my biggest gripe. There is a VERY small population of the US that identifies as completely non-binary. Of that group, it’s another small population that plays animal crossing, but any references to “she” and “he” have been replaced in the game with “they.” My entire family would prefer to have our pronouns of “she” or “he” used but, so far, this is not an option. It would be great if we could at least choose to have standard pronouns acknowledged rather than erasing the option entirely. An update would take care of this.
As far as some of the changes, like crafting your own tools, there is good and bad. It can be fun to get new plans for building and it adds an element of excitement as the game progresses. However, it can be incredibly tedious trying to constantly gather resources for the many tasks you will have thrown at you. And as the first player, you will be hogging resources the other players will need as well and there simply aren’t enough to go around at first. I quickly grew tired of having to gather, gather, gather for Nook’s demands when I really wanted to just explore the island. But much of your exploration largely depends on getting those things done.
Also, some islands start off with only about a quarter or less of the island available to build on. We stupidly chose one of those not realizing we wouldn’t have access to the rest of the island for a while. This meant we had to place four human player tents, two animal tents, the museum, and Nook’s nephews’ shop all in the same tiny area. Needless to say, some of us are relocating as soon as that becomes an option because we’re all horribly cramped into one space. Keep in mind, relocating is expensive. It becomes more expensive as the game progresses and you gain more control over the island’s design.
As for some of the positives, the graphics are lovely and pleasing. The island setting is fun and the water, the sounds, the scenery are awesome. This makes for delightful game play. They nailed the sound of rain, the distant rumble of thunder, the wind picking up in the afternoon- such fun elements!! Visiting other islands is a cool bonus even if it does get a bit tedious when four islands in a row are pretty much the same, but it’s a great way to pick up resources. The animal characters are more interactive, have more personality, and are fun to watch as they seem to do their own thing rather than walk around aimlessly. In spite of its flaws, there is something delightful and addictive about the game.
Some fun bonuses: tarantulas are a bit easier to catch, you can uproot trees and just transplant them whole from other islands if you eat fruit first, and you can bring harder to find flowers in crossbred colors from other islands and transplant them on your island (this is rare however!). Also, after acquiring shoots from other islands, you can grow bamboo on your own island. This is a fun bonus, however, so far, I’ve visited about about 8-10 other islands and haven’t seen another type of fruit other than my own and only came across bamboo once. My son has visited other islands about the same amount and has only seen one other type of fruit.
All in all, this game offers some pleasant entertainment and a nice escape from real life for a bit. I’m giving it sound 3 stars because the verdict is still out- I need to see how things develop before I decide if this was a fail or if it will unfold nicely over time. Overall, there is some disappointment and frustration, but the positives are worth noting so I can’t pan it. Hopefully, as time passes and updates are made available, we’ll be pleasantly surprised, but until then, I’m not going to gush about this game.

Edited 3/27: I’m going to add another half star to one star. Things are picking up and there are more fun bonuses we’ve discovered as a family as we’ve played. The other players still don’t have as many diy plans as the original player and they’ve missed out on some things because of their status in the game, but those things become less important as the game progresses. A few still cause issues but we’re hoping that will be fixed in the future. In the meantime, there are a lot of things that make this game worth playing and it’s easy to see the incredible work that was put into creating the game. So. . . For our family of six, we’re currently giving it 3.5 to 4 stars after one week of consistent game play.
Edited 4/21: Plan on having to spend a LOT of time to get the necessary DIY recipes to create furniture. The game is designed to absolutely need an online connection and to play with friends so you can get every type of fruit, flower, DIY recipe, etc. Count on months and months of consistent playing in order to unlock a few things to decorate your house unless you catalog with other players. Count on a lot of repeat DIY recipes you won’t need, few furniture options for long periods of time, and count on having to track down other players in online forums in order to catalog items or share resources because there is no other reliable method of getting what you need. I don’t like my kids playing with strangers or inviting strangers into our island (I didn’t in past AC versions and we did just fine) and I don’t have friends who are playing so this puts families like mine in a difficult situation. I appreciate that there were more options in past AC versions for people who didn’t want to do a lot of online play but it seems ACNH depends very much on online interaction and help. Hopefully some future updates will remedy this. In the the meantime, our score remains at around 3.5 to maybe 4 stars.

ok

From the adult single player perspective, this is the most involved version of Animal Crossing to date. Customization is virtually limitless and it introduces the option of terraforming the land itself. The ways you can build up your island stretch beyond the imagination. New Horizons introduces crafting, seasonal items and recipes, download-based events that last longer than one day so they really feel like holidays, and advanced character customization right from the beginning. I’ll break down the pros and cons at the end of my review.

I think there is some confusion, especially for people new to the series, regarding how multiplayer works.
Animal Crossing has always been a ONE town/island game, with the option for up to 3 more players to share that land, since the idea is that you’d be building your oasis together. Unfortunately the co-op in this version is lackluster, especially since the Switch is marketed as a more social console than others Nintendo has released in the past. The multiplayer in a single town is, plain and simple, not worth it. Like others have said, you can really only play follow the leader and collect things together. It kinda defeats the purpose of true multiplayer mode, which is much more comprehensive in the console-to-console visiting (as it has been in the past as well). The true fun in multiplayer for ACNH is in visiting other islands entirely, seeing how they have built and organized their land, and exchanging exclusive fruits and rare items with each other (not to mention hitting each other endlessly with nets). If you have multiple consoles in your house or have friends with their own Switch and copy of the game, you’ll find LOTS of enjoyment in the multiplayer.

PROS:
– Character customization is great. Skin tone is finally a choice, alongside many hairstyles and colors which become unlockable over time. Many basics are included right from the beginning and can be changed whenever you’d like.
– Able Sisters is a true boutique. Every day they have a large stock of clothing, including many color variants. You can also layer multiple facial accessories.
– Designing is a joy. The designer feature seems to “read” what shapes and colors you use and will round out sharp edges. This means any user-designed paths, stones, and clothing will blend in seamlessly with the soft graphics of the game. You can choose from different styles of clothing while you design, such as sweaters, robes, bowler hats, and beanies. Additionally, there is now an option for transparent patterns. No more having 4 different stepping stone designs for every season so the grass around your rocks will blend in with the natural grass. There is also a “face paint” option, which is very useful for equipping your character with eyebrows, freckles, etc.
– Nook Miles ticket islands are worthwhile to work for, and allow you access to more crafting resources that you may have exhausted out of your own island for the day. They also have a chance to spawn rare creatures, Bell rocks, foreign fruits, and hybrid flowers.
– The graphics have received a huge update. Everything in the game, including returning items, has a new model and looks better than ever. Wind rustles trees, flowers, and even items that have hanging bits, such as the clothing racks.
– Your storage system is automatically built into your home, and home design is streamlined into a drag and drop menu for easy decorating.
– Being able to put any item outdoors and build pathways has transformed the possibilities in this game. You can make so many things: trading booths, actual gardens, shop stands, playgrounds, cafes, spas, raffles, relay races, you name it. I’ve seen an incredible amount of creativity in the first week of release.
– You can choose where your new villagers will move, and move any building at any time, save for the plaza and Resident Services within it. There is a cost involved but it’s well worth it if you hate where something is placed.
– So far I have not yet reached the cap on constructing inclines and bridges. You can make a bunch.

CONS:
– Terraforming takes a bit to unlock and can be finicky to navigate. You may think you’re standing on the correct tile to place a path or build a cliff, but you’ll be pushed to another tile, have to erase, and try again. Understanding where you are in space is just a little more difficult because the layout of your island looks a lot less geometric than it did in the past, but overall that is still a positive. Just makes terraforming a bit harder.
– In the 3DS New Leaf: Welcome Amiibo version, scanning an Amiibo card would allow you to replace any resident villager with the one on your card, and they would move in the next day. In this version, scanning a card will put the villager in your campsite, but you must invite them to move in THREE times before they will agree. It just seems like a bit of work, since any random villager you find on a Nook Miles Island will move in the very next day after you ask them.
– This is my big one: Blathers’ museum, while changed drastically to be incredibly beautiful, no longer displays facts for donated creatures. Reading a sign will just give you the name of the creature and donor. To learn about a creature, you need to have it in your inventory and give it to Blathers under the request to learn more. This feels like a huge hit to the museum which is already lacking features. It seemed like they removed the one main reason to visit.
– No sign of my favorite NPCs, Katrina (fortune teller) and Brewster (cafe owner). Hopefully, though, there are plans to implement them at a later date, as the game receives regular updates.

Overall, this is a staple in any casual gamer’s collection, a great intro for anyone new to the series, and something pleasant to pick up whenever and wherever, regardless of whether you have countless hours or just a few minutes. Give it a try!

Bien

Been playing New Leaf and Wild World for years and figured when I got my switch it was time to get a copy of New Horizons.
It’s the best game in the series having fun new features, great gameplay, and many more things I could list that would make this far too long.
My only real ‘complaint’ is that the villagers don’t get mad at you anymore for annoying them. I always found it very funny. Now I can’t piss my villagers off at all and it’s taken away a bit of the funny aspect of the game. Other than that, it’s a wonderful game