Even though Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Nintendo likely wants to get on these issues sooner than later.
Out with the old and in with the new? That seems to be the logic behind New Horizons. While the game has introduced tons of new elements to enhance the normal Animal Crossing gameplay, one of the main criticisms leveled against the 2020 release is that it doesn’t incorporate enough of the franchise's older content. Not only has this hindered Animal Crossing: New Horizon's nostalgia for returning players, but it’s had ramifications for its overall gameplay experience.
Luckily, Nintendo continues to breathe new life into Animal Crossing: New Horizons thanks to monthly updates and events, meaning there is ample opportunity for the developers improve the title and continue its success. But this will only be possible if the company takes time to hear what the fans are saying.
What New Horizons Needs To Improve Upon
Many of the NPCs that have been in past versions of Animal Crossing have yet to make an appearance in New Horizons. Granted, one could make the argument that these beloved characters have been replaced with new features. There’s no need for Shampoodle when customization is so huge in the game, after all. But some of choices not to include certain NPCs seem like a poor move.
For instance, Brewster and his coffee shop The Roost are nowhere to be found in the new game. In previous installments, players could grab a cup of coffee and even watch a concert at the Roost, though the addition did little to impact overall gameplay. Other NPC characters missing include Harriet, Lyle, Blanca, and Tortimer. Even the fortune teller, Katrina, is missing in action, along with all the mysterious elements she brought to the world of Animal Crossing. Re-introducing these NPCs into the Animal Crossing universe by having them make an appearance in New Horizons would help to not only keep up the interest of current players, but it may entice former Animal Crossing fans to pick up the latest game and get playing.
There are other elements that New Horizons could improve upon to maintains its popularity. One issue that should be resolved has to do with the longevity of tools. With no meter to track the wear and tear of the tools, they tend to break arbitrarily and without warning. It seems like every tool breaks within only a few uses – even the gold tools aren’t immune from breaking. Multiplayer mode has also been criticized for being restrictive. Visitors can wander around the island but can barely interact with it, and even more, the guests are linked to the host since the camera only follows the leader. This issue discourages players from interacting with each other, and if multiplayer is suffering, it won’t be long before the game’s popularity takes a nosedive.
There are various ways that Nintendo can improve upon Animal Crossing: New Horizons to ensure its continued popularity into the future, but the only question is whether or not they'll take fan demands to heart.
