ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS | GAME REVIEW

Animal Crossing: New Horizons may be exactly what the world needs right now. Although that may seem a little hyperbolic, couldn’t we all do with an island vacation?

If you’re unfamiliar with Nintendo’s Animal Crossing series, the general idea is that you build up your own town, collecting items, keeping plants alive and generally doing whatever you like. It’s all tied to a real-life system too, so there’ll be a certain amount you’ll want to play in a day. New Horizons shakes things up by having you form your community on a deserted island. You have much more control over the island than you ever did before, choosing where to place houses and even being able to shape rivers and cliffs later down the line.

There are plenty of smaller changes that make gameplay a lot more streamlined too, such as finally being able to customise your character from the get go. One of the bigger additions is the introduction of Nook Miles – a currency which can be earned by simply playing the game and doing various tasks each day, giving Animal Crossing a bit more direction than just seeing what happens day by day.

However, it’s the day by day living that really brings out the true joy of Animal Crossing. Fishing, digging for fossils and catching bugs becomes addictive fast, and you’re sure to be playing it a couple of days a week for the next year, easily. It helps that charm can be found absolutely everywhere you look, with the sort of positive energy that Nintendo is best at delivering.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced title, then its easygoing nature might not be for you, but otherwise this is an essential title for the Nintendo Switch, perhaps even an essential game full stop. With the popularity of the series reaching feverous heights since the game’s release, now is the perfect time for newcomers to get started.

For more info about this game, click here. 

words GEORGE FOSTER