Animal Crossing: New Horizons became hugely popular when it was released during the 2020 pandemic. It had been eight years since the previous title was released, and while the basics of the game were there, a lot felt missing on release day. This wasn’t just a small issue; it made the game feel less polished and like players got it in pieces instead of a fully finished product.

Although the staggered release of the last Animal Crossing game was somewhat accepted due to the unusual circumstances surrounding its launch, this shouldn’t be a model for future games. The global situation at the time covered what would normally have been strong criticism. The next Animal Crossing game can’t depend on such lucky timing. It needs to be a fully finished and polished game from the start and bring back popular features missing from New Horizons.

Animal Crossing Should Be Complete When It Releases

It Needs To Be Ready At Launch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a huge success, but that wasn't entirely because of its content. Even though the game won over millions of players, it still felt like it was missing a lot at launch, which was disappointing. This wasn't just about not having certain feature, but more about missing essential gameplay elements that players expected from the beginning. For example, Brewster's café, a favorite part of the series, and the fun gyroids, key elements of the Animal Crossing experience, were added later in updates instead of being included at launch.

The way the game was released in stages changed the experience significantly. Players received a complete game in pieces over time instead of getting a complete game all at once. The pandemic made the game's release feel more special, as many people turned to Animal Crossing for joy and escape during lockdown. However, this was a special case and can't be replicated for future games to launch. Just because New Horizons came out at a tough time when so many fans wanted a new entry doesn't mean it should be acceptable to have missing features in future releases.

The next Animal Crossing game should offer a fully finished experience right from the start, showcasing all the charm and gameplay elements that fans are eager for. While it's fine to roll out some minor updates or improvements later on, the main features that players expect should all be included at launch. This game needs to impress from day one, making it worth the price by providing a complete experience.

It's clear that this kind of thing is a lot to ask for, and the next Animal Crossing game may never be exactly what players want. However, it seems fair to expect a game that is complete upon release instead of one that's almost ready and gets updates over time. For what it was, New Horizons was still polished on day one, but missing features are hard to ignore.

What The Next Animal Crossing Should Have At Launch

There's A Lot An Animal Crossing Sequel Needs

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a huge hit, but valid criticisms about how it launched with missing content shouldn't be ignored, and the next game in the series needs to avoid making the same mistakes. In some cases, this means ensuring that important classic features missing at the launch of New Horizons return, but a great release will also depend on adding new improvements that were lacking or not fully developed in New Horizons.

It's important to bring back some of the classic features that fans love. Not having familiar characters like Resetti or a proper post office was strange in New Horizons. By reintroducing these favorites and fitting them into the new game's mechanics, long-time players will be happier, and the overall experience will improve. Adding these missing elements from the start would make the game feel more complete and show that the new version respects the Animal Crossing tradition.

Having every villager be extremely nice all the time also felt fake in New Horizons. In of personality, they were often all too similar, and past Animal Crossing games have featured more diverse personalities and dialogue. Villagers should feel like unique people, not like they just all want to be the player's friend.

Expanded Features That The Future Of Animal Crossing Needs

Forward Progress Is Also Important

Crafting and managing items are two areas that also seriously need improvements. The current system, which only allows one item to be crafted at a time, is frustrating. It would be much better to have options for bulk crafting, better inventory management (like a shared storage system for the island), and clearer information on where items are located. Also, it should be standard to buy multiple items at shops instead of having to purchase them one by one. On top of that, improving multiplayer features needs to be a priority.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons received 27 updates, with the last one released November 14, 2022.

Visiting friends' islands was a fun part of the game, but the lack of good co-op activities and complicated processes made the multiplayer experience less enjoyable. The next game should include minigames and more activities that players can work on together. It's strange that this wasn't a big focus for the game, especially when players couldn't visit each other. It's pretty standard to have multiple aspects in games like this.

New Horizons Was A Success, But That’s Not A Guarantee

The Next Game Has A Lot To Live Up To

Animal Crossing: New Horizons became extremely popular after it was released in March 2020, right when many people were in lockdown due to the pandemic. This was also the first game since the acclaimed entry New Leaf was released back in 2012, so hype from its fanbase had built up significantly.

Whenever it releases, the next Animal Crossing game needs to avoid making the same mistakes as before. The initial excitement during the release of New Horizons isn't easily replicable, and player expectations keep changing. If the game launches without key features that fans expect, it could disappoint a lot of players, especially those who were unsure about buying it in the first place thanks to the issues in the last game.

Animal Crossing was one of the best selling Switch games, with 45.85 million units sold.

The next Animal Crossing should be a complete and fun experience right from the start. Any issues at launch could hurt the game’s long-term success because some potential buyers will write the game off immediately. In other words, the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons shouldn’t make us ignore the valid points raised about its incomplete launch, and relying on the standard set by its meteoric launch shouldn’t be considered a formula for future success.