Hardly any other current game stands in stark contrast to the current situation on earth. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the world is more than okay.
Unlike in reality, where there are hard cuts in personal freedom to fight the corona virus, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” rules almost limitless freedom. Because the game has no end, no fixed goals, no requirements that have to be followed.
Rip-off
Instead, as a self-made villager (or as a villager) you come to a lonely island, on which no village can be seen at first. You have to build that first. And when building houses and recruiting new residents, raccoon Tom Nook actively helps – and collects money even more diligently. The animal businessman Sternis wants to see the currency in “Animal Crossing” for every expansion of his own house or other facilities such as bridges.
The “goal” of the game, if you will, is to build the most beautiful village possible. With bridges, ramps, paths, fences and lots of self-made objects that prettify the landscape. There are also furniture for your own house, outfits and much more. Hardly any other game has so many customization options.
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Himself is the villager
Furniture can be bought, but most of it has to be made by hand. You get the necessary raw materials by chopping wood or digging under rocks (clay, stones and iron ore). But in order to be able to produce something, handicraft instructions are required. These can be found in the washed-up message in a bottle or obtained from the animal inhabitants. The crafting system is completely new and extends the well-known gameplay of the series enormously.
In addition, different fish and insects appear at certain times or seasons – the game runs in real time – which you can catch with fishing nets and then display in a wonderfully designed museum. There is even a prehistoric tract in which fossilized skeletons of dinosaurs can be seen little by little when the appropriate fossils are found from the ground.
Some players will have to get used to the rather slow pace “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. But the game is probably a bit too slow in the beginning. Because it takes several real days to get the most important tools. Except for fishing and insect hunting, you simply have too little to do in the first few days.
Prefer short game sessions
However, the game is not designed to spend many hours a day on it. Instead, you should travel to the island once or more a day, mine resources, talk to the animals, do some fishing, visit the shop and inspect the inventory.
After all, the Nook miles provide a bit of orientation. It is a kind of secondary game currency that also acts as an achievement. An example: With a corresponding number of fish caught, you will be rewarded with miles, which in turn can be exchanged for handicraft instructions and other upgrades. Probably the most sensible investment: a larger inventory. Because in “Animal Crossing” the inventory cannot be big enough.
Conclusion
With “New Horizons” Nintendo delivers the largest, most beautiful and most extensive “Animal Crossing” ever. The debut on the Nintendo Switch offers new mechanics, finally a contemporary look and a wonderful form of deceleration. And that is exactly what is perfect in times of the corona virus.
