Animal Crossing: New Horizons

- Reviewed on Switch -

Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on March 20th, 2020. 

Serving as Nintendo's fifth game in the Animal Crossing series, Animal Crossing: New Horizons takes everything players loved from the previous installments and makes it ten times better!

With more villagers, items, collectibles, and places to explore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the definition of long-term enjoyment, with its plethora of features and achievements. 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The main plot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is about the new player(s) purchasing a getaway package from the well-known Animal Crossing character, Tom Nook. 

This getaway package shortly becomes a great endeavor for the player, as the island you travel to, is all yours for the taking. 

You will select a premade layout for your island and then the true game begins!

Tom Nook will provide the player with a plethora of tasks to introduce the game mechanics, and surprisingly the mechanics aren't that bad at all!

Gameplay controls are very smooth, and the animation is great for its own style. There's little to complain about with the controls, until you get to the Island Designer App portion and the controls can get a little frustrating as there aren't any animation skips.

Once an animation begins, you can't cancel it and have to watch the entire thing. This goes for repetitive dialog from the main portions of the game, such as the museum and the PC in town hall. 

These animations that you must go through aren't a big gripe to some, but for me, who played this game sixty plus days straight (as of writing this blog post), it can get tiresome. 

The story of Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn't too memorable, as it really only consists of learning tasks and then celebrating the end of the "story" with a performance by K.K. Slider.


There is an astronomical number of potential villagers to have visit and / or live on your custom island!

As of writing this blog post, there are approximately 488 possible villagers. Only ten of these 488 can live on your island at a time, which to me, seemed fair enough, due to the generous space provided from the start. 

Earlier I mentioned the Island Designer App, which is a given reward for completing most tasks, however, there are more apps for your Animal Crossing: New Horizons phone that will undoubtedly come in handy for your enjoyment! 

These NookPhone apps include...

    - Camera
    - Nook Miles
    - DIY Recipes
    - Map
    - Call Islander
    - Custom Designs
    - Passport
    - Rescue Services
    - Island Designer
    - Nook Shopping
    - Best-Friends List
    - Bugs and Fish

Nook Miles are your essential achievements, and can / will reward you with said Nook Miles points, for you to redeem for DIY Recipes, Clothing, Exterior Items, etc. 

DIY Recipes are the main feature (in my opinion), as they are the gateway for decorating your island and / or house. 

I found it very addicting and satisfying collecting these recipes from villagers and shops, as the missing items I needed for such recipes, kept me playing longer and kept me invested in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. 

That's what I'm so impressed by with Nintendo, as they made Animal Crossing: New Horizons so addicting, and the longevity is up there with other hits such as Minecraft, for keeping players coming back and playing hours at a time!

The collectibles in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is another great example of keeping players coming back, as the fossils, bugs, fish, and more, can be donated to the museum for display and / or kept for your own decor plans. 

You can travel to other islands for more recipes and items not found naturally on your pre-made island (such as certain fruit), and even travel to other human players' islands and play online together.

Besides the hassle of running around and finding your villagers (for Nook Miles and such), and the annoying unskippable (repetitive) dialogue, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an amazing title with few flaws that can / will keep players stress-free and enjoying the wonders of your own tropical island paradise! 

Pros: 

    - Endless Longevity
    - Relaxing Music / Atmosphere
    - Collectibles
    - Great Customization
    - Plethora of Villagers / Personalities

Cons:

    - Finding Villagers around Island
    - Annoying Animations and Repetitive Dialogue

My Rating for Animal Crossing: New Horizons (on Switch):

5 / 5


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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.



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