Tents, Wasps, and DIYs! Oh My! An Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

In 2001, the original Animal Crossing game debuted exclusively in Japan on the Nintendo 64. Later, it was enhanced and released in North America on Nintendo GameCube in 2002. Animal Crossing as a series is a life-simulation game that takes the players into a new civilization filled with animal villagers. Players have various ways of getting things done in their town, whenever they would like.

Animal Crossing, AC: Wild World, AC: City Folk, and AC: New Leaf has charmed gamers from around the world with its unique escapism of everyday life. The game attracts players of every single age and the open-world feeling gives them the freedom to do multiple things at different paces. Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides unique and familiar experiences that charm new and veteran players within the community. 

In the first few moments of the game, players are introduced to Timmy and Tommy Nook, Tom Nook’s little nephews who take over the family business. Players receive an island getaway package to inhabit a deserted island along with a few villagers. The island they arrive at comes with their own tent, fruit and the resident service tent. Soon, they make a thriving community with a museum and a town hall! To unlock certain features, the players must build different structures or plan where their new villagers will be living. 

The new DIY experience on New Horizons is completely new for everyone. Tools like the infamous net and fishing pole can be bought from Timmy Nook or crafted.  Crafting makes players more resourceful with things they pick up, like sticks or a can that the player fished from the water. Tools break as you use them, another element that pushes players to be more resourceful. The game also gives more customization than ever before, such as a whole variety of skin tones, and the “facepaint” feature can also give players some freckles or generic face paint. It’s reported that there is a usable wheelchair in the game as well! 

Nintendo did a wonderful job of combining their new online play with Animal Crossing. With Dodo Airlines, visiting friends in-game has never been easier! Players get to visit each other’s islands with local or online play. It’s a lot less glitchy than other multiplayer Nintendo games, which definitely makes the game worth the wait.

The new design studio for the artistic villagers gives the option of making different kinds of shirts, dresses and hats. Social media has recently been blowing up with codes for different paintings and outfits. There’s more customization with the furniture, such as the colors or even the sheets on the bed.

The addition of the old characters such as Isabelle a little bit later in the game makes it nostalgic for veteran players. Players are discovering new things every day, such as hybrid flowers to make new colors. The fellow villagers players meet are more interactive with the environment. The villagers may see a tarantula or give the player a medicine recipe if the player is stung by a wasp. Players can also catch them doing various activities, from singing to eating a donut. 

AC: New Horizons offers players tons of errands to do. Tom Nook definitely keeps them busy from building bridges to paying off a home loan. Blathers’ museum is a gorgeous masterpiece in video game architecture. Every addition to the museum is displayed flawlessly. The Abel Sisters store is still charming, with loads of cool features such as the fitting room, which lets you try a whole new outfit.

This game is literally for everyone. Even Tommy Wiseau, the infamous director of “The Room,” tweeted a screenshot of his in-game character. The music is very soft and therapeutic, which helps the player escape into the world. It came out at an interesting time due to the global pandemic and the resulting lockdowns, which gave many players the chance to really get involved with their island. New players in fact have said that this game has consumed them during the lockdown. Players have been going on dates, recreating their wedding, and even having work meetings on the game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons quickly became a classic on the Switch for its captivating appeal of bringing inexperienced and veteran players together to a new experience.