Review Roundup: Animal Crossing: New Horizons – pure Animal Crossing goodness

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After having the chance to play a bit of Animal Crossing: New Horizons at PAX East earlier this month, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to try the game out when it releases on March 20.

Now, reviews are starting to release for the latest Nintendo title, and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief – everyone seems to love it. After various letdowns over the past year or so with many of the big-name games, this is definitely a shining light in such tumultuous times.

Without further ado, let’s dive into this review roundup and look at what reviewers are saying about Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is pure Animal Crossing goodness

If you were worried that the latest Animal Crossing title would try to do too much or change the core experience, worry not, as the general reception has all been positive. This is Animal Crossing. Yes, there are new features like crafting and having the option to terraform your little island, but AC vets will feel right at home at their new island getaway.

Also, reviewers have noted that it can feel a bit lonely starting off, but the payoff will most certainly be worth it. Unlike previous titles where you move to a village already populated by a myriad of cute villagers, New Horizons starts you off with only two animal neighbors. It’s not until you start improving the area that other villagers will start showing up. The Verge notes that you “can catch bugs, go fishing, decorate your living space, collect wood and minerals, and chat away with your neighbors. As you do, you’ll earn points and cash to improve the island.”

Sounds perfect, I can’t wait.

The new AC title is not only beautiful but adds some interesting new features

Having played the demo and watching literally every piece of media on the game, I already knew it was going to look beautiful, but it’s always nice to get that confirmation from actual review units of the game.

As for new features, New Horizons has a variety of new ways to play and enjoy the game while still keeping the core mechanics the same as past titles. VentureBeat echoes these thoughts, saying, “That structure is back, but with New Horizons, Nintendo has added to and refined the Animal Crossing formula. And the result is more gripping than ever.”

New parts of this equation include crafting, something not previously available in the series, as well as a new mechanic called Miles. Basically, this feature will give gamers different goals to strive towards, while also highlighting different mechanics in the game. For someone like Kevin, who has never played an Animal Crossing title, this will be an extremely helpful addition, as it gives structure to a game that is (mostly) without.

Something else worth mentioning, in regards to the beauty of Animal Crossing. Nintendo went all-in with the Museum, an area where you can donate things like fish, bugs, and fossils and is by far one of the things I’m most excited for. Destructoid agrees, calling the museum “stunning.”

New Horizons’ multiplayer system is, by far, the lowest point for the title

We’ve talked about it before, and reviewers are confirming what we already knew – multiplayer in the title is a bit of a letdown. So, to catch you up to speed – there can only be one island per Nintendo Switch account, per Animal Crossing account. This means that if you are in a household where multiple people want to play, they will be forced to play on your island. On top of that, the first person to log into the game is referred to as the Resident Representative and with that comes additional stipulations.

Ars Technica goes into a bit more detail, explaining that “only the Resident Representative can build some of the biggest updates for each island, from a new series of bridges and incline ramps (designed to let players move more quickly through the series’ largest villages yet) to sillier customizations like the town’s flag and song.”

That said, Wccftech notes that online multiplayer is nice, saying, “Multiplayer with multiple Switch systems is great and allows you to play in other people’s towns, buy from their shops, fish with them, etc.”

Final thoughts

This is a bit different than many of our review roundups for games, but Animal Crossing isn’t your typical game. Objectives are loose at best, your main enemy is the fight against weeds in your garden, and Tom Nook has your soul, but is actually really chill about.

If you are one of the many that will be practicing social distancing over the next handful of weeks, Animal Crossing will be a welcome reprieve and honestly, probably pretty helpful for your mental health, as well.

Hey, Nintendo, if you read this – think you could hook ya boi up with early access? Figured it was worth asking. Love ya.

What do you think? Excited to play the latest title in the Animal Crossing series? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• I’ve already started saying my tearful goodbyes to my friends in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
• This Animal Crossing SoundCloud station is the first stop in your descent to madness
• Here’s everything we know about the Xbox Series X
• Stardew Valley on iOS may be the best way to enjoy the farming simulator

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here for more.