animal crossing: new horizons review
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

5

Animal Crossing the most popular social simulation video game series. Katsuya Eguchi created it while Nintendo published and developed it. In Animal Crossing the player plays a human character who is the resident of a village inhabited by different anthropomorphic animals. The player is capable of performing different activities that include fossil hunting, fishing, etc. The open-ended game play makes the Animal Crossing social simulation video game series a popular game. The game uses the internal clock and calendar of the video game console for simulating the real passage of time.

In 2001, the first game of Animal Crossing series was released by Nintendo. Up till now a total number of 5 games have been released worldwide with one each for Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, and Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch. Animal Crossing series has been successful critically as well as commercially with sales of more than 30 million worldwide. This series also features 3 spin-off games which are: Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for smartphones, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Crossing: Amiibo Festival for Wii U.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the 5th game of the series of Animal Crossing. This life simulation video game is the latest game of the series. Nintendo is the developer and the maker of this amazing life simulation game. Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons on 20th March 2020 worldwide.

In New Horizons the player takes the role of a customizable character who moves to a deserted island after he purchased a package from Tom Nook. Tom Nook is a tanuki character who has been the part of every entry of the Animal Crossing series. The game takes place in real-time where the player explores the island in a nonlinear fashion, gathers and crafts different items, catches insects and fish and can develop the island in a community of anthropomorphic animals.

The game continues in open-ended fashion as the player explores the island and develops it into a community of anthropomorphic animals. As a player, you can collect different items to use as decorations. Like the spin-off game of 2017, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, this game also comprises of crafting system allowing the player to convert different items into furniture and tools and use them as decorations for exterior and interior spaces.

Customization in Animal Crossing

In this game, the player can customize the appearance of his character as he wants. Moreover, the game does not lock specific hairstyles and facial features to specific genders. The features that were introduced in the spin-off game of 2015 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which allows the players to select the skin color of the character, is also present in this game. New Horizons features a new in-game currency called Nook Miles that can be earned by completing different tasks. The player can also use this for purchasing various premium items.

The game allows the players to invite animals to live on their island. Moreover, it also allows the players to choose the place where the animal can construct his home. The weather of the game adjusts according to seasons of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, depending on the real-world location of the player. Well the feature of weather adjustments according to the real-world location of the player has been added for the first time in any Animal Crossing series game. Unlike other games of the Animal Crossing series, it also features windy weather expressed using the movement of the leaves of the trees.  

The game only allows one island per switch system. Animal Crossing: New Horizons also features local and online co-op gameplay allowing up to 4 players locally and 8 players online to occupy the island at any given time. There is a collaboration between Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but you cannot connect Animal Crossing: New Horizons directly with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Although the game does not support Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves but still, it supports amiibo cards and figures from the Animal Crossing series. One new feature to be added soon is the ability for Nintendo Switch Online users to recover their game’s data if their Switch is broken, lost or stolen.

Features of Animal Crossing: New Horizons

  • Allows the players to customize the character and his home
  • Players can decorate their landscape using furniture etc. for creating their island paradise
  • Features a new crafting system
  • The players can collect different items for the construction of different items like furniture, tools, etc.
  • Includes a wide array of relaxing activities which include fishing, interacting with exquisite NPCs, gardening, decorating, and much more
  • The deserted-island setting brings life to the classic Animal Crossing experiences in different ways.

Pros

  • The content is rated E so everyone can play it
  • Every detail is customizable
  • Day/Night cycle is synced to the internal clock of the Switch
  • Allows you to play online with your friends

Cons

  • Allows only one island per Switch system

Conclusion of Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the best life simulation for Nintendo Switch. New Horizons allows you to take the role of a customizable character who moves to a deserted island. It allows you to customize your character and decorate your home. You can also invite animals to your island and choose where they may build their house. The game also has a crafting system so you can collect items and craft them into furniture or other items.

The option of playing online with your friends is also a plus of this game. Even the weather of New Horizons is according to the real-world location of the player. Every detail of this game is customizable so that you can enjoy every bit of this game. With all the plus points this game also has one disadvantage. This is that it allows only one island per switch. Thus if you want to play with your siblings then you will have to purchase another Switch system.

We also suggest reading our review of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Sebastian Tyler
Writer for Tokyoreviews.com

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5 Comments

  1. […] Also read our review of Animal Crossing: New Horizons […]

  2. […] Some other games from Nintendo in 2020 to try out are The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. […]

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