Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is the Perfect Relaxation Game Everyone Could Use Right Now

by Christianna Tran ’20

Nintendo has recently released their fifth rendition of their popular  game series, Animal Crossing. This game, titled “New Horizons,” came out March 20 and has since become wildly popular- some mentioning how it is the perfect quarantine game. The game is available on Nintendo Switch and is a life simulation where the player is put on an island with other animal neighbors. The player can choose to do whatever they please and has a goal of creating a great new town for themselves.

As someone who has been a fan of the Animal Crossing series since I was a child, I was quite concerned with the idea of “New Horizons,” especially since the game differs largely from the previous renditions. However, I am pleasantly surprised with this most recent game as it has drastically improved almost every aspect of the previous games.

The gameplay has been widened wonderfully. This rendition features players completely starting from scratch, with players now meant to start their towns in the middle of nature rather than a previously started town. This means that the player has a lot more to do, such as working up to getting buildings such as shops and the museum which were all previously given to the players in past games. “New Horizons”has also made it so items have to be crafted instead of bought, which adds a whole new element to the game and makes everything seem worth more and the grinding to get the best items more meaningful. Nintendo has also added a wide variety of more goals that players can work towards achieving than there were in previous games.

The graphics have been completely renewed and the game is absolutely stunning. The lighting and clarity have been vastly improved without ruining the classic Animal Crossing iconic style. The museum that has been featured in all the previous games is now much more detailed, displaying strong animation of all sorts of insects, fish, and fossils the player gets and donates.  

Even the small details Nintendo has added to the game has made it even more worthwhile. For instance, animal villagers which previously would be shown endlessly walking around town, will now be seen running, playing, sitting, and interacting with the atmosphere. Another example includes how players now have more customization than ever to create their characters and town exactly how they please.

Ultimately, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” is an amazingly fun and entertaining game that almost anyone can get into and quickly attached to. During this time of quarantine it is the perfect light hearted and wholesome game we need.

Grade: A+