Animal Crossing is well known for its relaxing atmosphere, soundtrack, friendly environment, adorable animal characters and countless hours of gameplay and fun for gamers of all ages.
New Horizons starts off with the player being introduced to the Nook twins, Timmy and Tommy.
After creating the character and choosing an island, the player and two other animal companions are transported to the island where they are given a tent and choose where the tent can be placed on the island.
After putting up the tent and getting settled in, the player can then choose what to name their island, which can be shared when playing with others online.
Once the first day is over and everyone gets settled in, the player has freedom to do what they wish throughout their island and can be given tasks by Tom Nook, owner of Nook Inc. who manages the island the player is on and the uncle of the Nook Twins.
The game plays the same as previous Animal Crossing titles in that the gameplay is open ended and the player can venture around the island and take part in various activities such as communicating with members of the island, cutting down trees for wood, planting and watering plants, collecting fruits for food and to sell, fishing, catching bugs and various other activities.
New Horizons will also have seasonal events that players can participate in the coming months.
Specific materials that are collected such as wood and stone can be used to craft useful items such as fishing poles, shovels and axes in Tom Nook’s tent.
Any item collected on the island can also be sold to Timmy Nook for bells, which are the in-game currency used for any sort of purchase.
New Horizons also introduces a new currency called Nook Miles, a currency introduced by Tom Nook as a different “payment plan” where depending on what actions the player does on the island whether it be collecting a certain number of items, cutting down a tree, fishing or even taking a photo, the player will earn Nook Miles which can be used to either purchase more pristine items from the shop or even make payments towards your getaway package from the beginning of the game and can even be used on Nook Miles tickets to go on a mystery tour.
Nook Miles are very easy to come across and just like with bells, will stack up easily as the player continues doing activities.
Nook Miles can be collected through the app on the players mobile phone which is given to them by Tom in the beginning of the game.
Apps that are also on the phone include a list of DIY recipes, the players passport, a camera where the photos taken can be shared on social medias and an app where players can make their own unique custom T-shirt designs.
DIY’s are crafting recipes the player can obtain which gives them a list of items that can be crafted along with what materials are needed to craft them such as axes, shovels and fishing poles or simply decorations for the player’s house.
Other recipes’ can be obtained by purchasing them in-game or obtaining a message in a bottle washed up to the shore every day.
Just like previous Animal Crossing games, the time played in the game is in real time, meaning if it is 7:00 AM on March 20 in real life, it is the same date and time in-game depending on what date, region and time zone is set up on the Switch.
Because of this, some actions cannot be done during that game day so the player will have to wait for the next day for it to happen.
For example, Tom Nook offered the player a house to upgrade from their tent and he says that the house will not be built until tomorrow, so the player will have to wait until the next day in real life for the house to be built.
The player can also collect wildlife on the island which can be brought to Tom who will eventually contact Blathers and players who donate wildlife or other items such as fossils to Blathers will display them in a museum on the island.
The game also has online multiplayer where players can visit their friends’ islands.
New Horizons is the perfect game to get at this time for players looking for a relaxing experience.
