For many players, myself included, Animal Crossing: New Horizons hit at just the right time—when the world needed a safe, cozy means of escapism during the COVID-19 pandemic—and I'll forever be grateful that it could provide that sense of security during such an uncertain time. Being able to connect with friends and strangers alike in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to spread positivity and foster community in a time when the world needed it made the game one of the most impactful experiences in the franchise to me. However, looking at it more critically now that New Horizons is well in the rear-view mirror, it's clear that the game was lightning in a bottle, and I don't think one feature would be as well received in the next game.
As someone who has been playing Animal Crossing since I took out my first loan from Tom Nook on the GameCube, I've long touted that the brilliance of the series is in the way it offers a simple, cozy experience with secrets to find as you peel back its layers throughout its real-time day cycle. The crafting mechanics added in Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave me a similar sense of discovery when I first landed on my island, and I enjoyed receiving new recipes from my Villagers and players I connected with. But I'm not sure I'd have that same experience again if the next Animal Crossing game brought crafting back, and as time went on, I felt that the charm of why I fell in love with the franchise was ultimately buried by the feature in New Horizons.
An Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition Would Only Need One Feature to Be a Big Hit
A potential Switch 2 Edition for Animal Crossing: New Horizons could see the game succeed all over again so long as it adds a much-needed key feature.
Crafting Was a Fun Experiment in New Horizons, But Doesn't Feel Like Animal Crossing to Me
The Simplicity of a Cozy Village Life is the Star of the Animal Crossing Series
Before the cozy genre really blew up within the indie game sphere, Animal Crossing was the perfect game to curl up with on a rainy weekend afternoon. I remember before the release of Wild World made the series much more portable, I would drag my GameCube around when visiting relatives for the holidays because I didn't want to miss out on rare NPCs like Jingle visiting my town. While other kids at my school were hyping up GTA 3 and all of the crazy, violent things they were doing in that game, I would boast about the rare fish I had caught in Animal Crossing that weekend, or how I had befriended the curmudgeonly squirrel Static.
The simplicity of Animal Crossing's daily check-in, alongside the occasional stumbling upon rare interactions or events, was what hooked me on the franchise. However, I still welcomed changes to the formula when warranted, such as the added emphasis of Wild World's sky thanks to the DS' second screen, or visiting the city in City Folk regularly to learn a new emote from Dr. Shrunk or pine for the expensive items for sale at GracieGrace. With New Horizons, though, I never felt like I could take the game at the same relaxed pace because everything was a constant pursuit of materials needed to craft the next tool or furniture item I needed.
New Horizons' Crafting System Distracted from What I Love About Animal Crossing
While the addition of crafting made sense for New Horizons' premise of building a new community on a deserted island, I would prefer it remain a one-off gimmick in the larger franchise. The living, breathing town full of quirky Villager personalities of past Animal Crossing games took a backseat to the survival gameplay that the game's crafting system brought with it. I'm generally a fan of crafting in other life-sim games, such as Graveyard Keeper and My Time at Portia, but that's not the reason I play Animal Crossing.
Instead of spending my time solving the beef between Rosie and Ankha on my all-cat Villager island, it felt like I was constantly scavenging for materials to craft tools that were breaking or trying to keep up with all the new furniture recipes I was receiving. Rather than enhancing the experience of building relationships with my animal neighbors, they simply became a source for new recipes that I would spend the rest of my daily check-in time crafting before getting bored and logging off. While the inclusion of these tasks helped keep me busy during the height of lockdown when New Horizons was released in 2020, I think it ultimately contributed to my burnout with the game after only a few months of playing.
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Nintendo should consider a page out of PlayStation's playbook for the next Animal Crossing: a fresh start without losing it all.
If Crafting is Here to Stay, An Understated Approach Might Be Better for Animal Crossing's Future
I'm hopeful that the rumors of an Animal Crossing game set in a city are true, because it sounds like it could basically be City Folk 2.0 — which is, in my opinion, the most underrated entry in the series. It's also a promising sign that the franchise may be moving on from crafting as it moves away from the deserted island theme and into a more urban setting. While I would want the emphasis on crafting toned down for sure, I wouldn't be opposed to it remaining in some small capacity, since I do think it can have its place within the series.
Rather than needing to craft tools or furniture, however, I would want crafting to be much more optional. For example, I like how custom clothing designs and patterns are worked into the game, with players having the option to create their own or simply download ones they like from other players via their NookPhone.
Something like this could work with craftable furniture, with a dedicated Animal Crossing marketplace for players to purchase pre-crafted items if they don't feel like taking the time or resources to craft their own. This way, I can still connect with other players to access unique furniture items, but can also spend more of my time simply enjoying the company of my Villagers, fishing, or wandering around my town to soak up the cozy vibes without feeling like I'm missing out on a crucial gameplay mechanic.
Rumors suggest that a new Animal Crossing game won't be arriving until 2026 at the earliest.
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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
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
