E3 2019: ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons Ensures That No Animal Is An Island
One of the more surprising omissions from the E3 show floor this year was Animal Crossing on the Switch. Originally announced during a Nintendo Direct at the later part of last year, the only thing more disappointing than a demo being unavailable was that the game was being delayed into next year. During the Nintendo Treehouse game play overview however, it’s clear that the extra time is being put to good use as the newly titled New Horizons is introducing so many firsts to Nintendo’s life simulator.
Taking us out of the town and onto an island, our new villagers are being sold on this uninhabited land by the money grubbing Tom Nook. Like previous games in the series, players will explore their town, collect items and interact with neighboring animals as they work towards saving money to pay off their crippling debt.
Perhaps the biggest addition in New Horizons is how money can be saved and spent. Thanks to a new crafting system inspired by the mobile version, Pocket Camp, players can make their own furniture by collecting materials that would have otherwise disappeared in past games. For example, chopped trees can be used for wood to build materials when it would have just vanished before. As side quests are completed, a new currency called Nook Miles can be used to purchase premium items, giving us additional objectives to compete.
If the phrase “it takes a village” we’re taken literally, it would probably look like New Horizons, since you no longer have to take on this challenge alone. Past games allowed players to share towns at different times or visit through local or online multiplayer, but New Horizons allows up to eight players rummage through the same town at once. With new tools like the pole vault that lets villagers jump over water instead of wasting cumulative hours running to the closest bridge, movement is also looking like its receiving an unexpected, yet welcomed improvement. Aside from other humans, the animal NPC’s can be given invitations to move to your island, who can provide extra tasks to perform. Players can even choose where new animals will have their homes placed, so gone are the days where your favorite cherry tree is suddenly steamrolled one morning. Overall, it seems like the community aspect in both single and multiplayer formats are looking even better.
As March 20 slowly approaches, it’s looking like we’ll have plenty to discover when Animal Crossing: New Horizons is finally in our hands. The expanded multiplayer and single player mechanics, the focus on crafting over buying and streamlined movement are just some of the reasons why we’re looking forward to our island vacation. Let’s hope that this news is just the first of many more positive updates as we eagerly await 2020.
