Summary
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave players unprecedented freedom to design their own towns, but the building space felt limited, hindering their creativity.
- The next Animal Crossing game should address this limitation by offering more space for players to build and expand their towns, as well as more options for non-residential buildings.
- Giving players more building space could mean they can house more villagers too, resulting in a more robust Animal Crossing experience.
While Nintendo has not shared anything about the next chapter in the Animal Crossing series, it probably looms somewhere on the horizon. Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the franchise to new heights, which led to one of the biggest games the Switch has ever seen. Because of that success, the franchise will likely never look the same again. Even though the next game may not make it to the Switch, there is a strong chance it becomes a major selling point for whatever console Nintendo makes next, especially if the studio increases the building size.
Animal Crossing is all about giving players the freedom to design the towns of their dreams filled with cute animal characters. Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave fans countless tools to accomplish that, which helped give the entire concept a whole new feel. It almost felt like players had unparalleled freedom to design what they wanted; however, it was also still a bit limited. Increasing the build size could fix that, and maybe even lead to a few extra benefits.
The Next Animal Crossing Should Really Take the Concept to the Next Level
New Horizon's Building Space Felt Limited
Animal Crossing: New Horizons vastly increased player freedom by giving them a deserted island to call home. They were given the tools to design the island to their liking and were able to sort of dictate who moved into it. To accomplish this, Nintendo tossed in an in-depth crafting system, hundreds of items to collect, and all the life sim features fans have come to expect. This let players truly build almost anything they could imagine, which was a first for the series and one of the main reasons it became such a hit. However, it also still felt a bit limited.
Even with all the freedom New Horizons gave players, they were still held back by the building space available. Players could only build ten bridges, ten inclines, four non-residential buildings, and 11 different houses, including their own. Additionally, the islands were only so big, and players only had access to three levels of cliffs. While some players may never notice these limitations, some felt like it hampered their building abilities. Other diehard fans also noticed that this prevented some fan-favorite Animal Crossing shopkeepers from setting up shop. That could all be fixed with a simple increase.
The Next Animal Crossing Can Shed New Horizons' Limitations
It will probably be a while before the next Animal Crossing hits store shelves, but when it does, it definitely needs to give players more space to play with. Not only should the islands themselves have more available land, but players should also be able to fill their towns with even more villagers. Even if it may get a bit crowded after a while, it is their town, after all, so they should be able to make it as big or small as they want. As long as the system can handle it, this increased building space could lead to sprawling metropolises filled with some of the best villagers the game has to offer.
Along with letting players add more villagers to the game, they should also be able to play around with even more non-residential buildings. Specifically, many of the traveling traders should be able to set up shop on these islands if they want. This could give these islands a large variety of stores, including multiple clothing stores, a permanent barber, and the return of other stores like Kicks or the Gardening Store from Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Giving players more options is almost always a good thing, so Nintendo should just open the next game up a bit more.
Of course, the next Animal Crossing will only be able to go as far as the hardware lets it. Already, the Nintendo Switch has been showing its age with the likes of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Because of that, the next Animal Crossing will probably not be able to give players limitless freedom unless it launches on whatever console comes next. Hopefully, that is just around the corner.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- March 20, 2020
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Expansions
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise
WHERE TO PLAY
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.
Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
- Franchise
- Animal Crossing
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- How Long To Beat
- 100 Hours
