Everyone talks about it, everyone wants it, but no one can explain the reason for its success. What is special about Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Why did this Nintendo IP suddenly become so famous?
What will a twenty year old (if not thirty year old) player find interesting in a "game" that has as its setting a small island where our neighbors are cute little animals with a funny little voice? Why does my father come into my room while I have the Switch in my hand yelling at me "Amerigo, but still with these games ... but you are struggling!"?
The answer is very simple: evasion… the most sincere desire to escape from the stress and difficulties of everyday life. Maybe yes, someone prefers to let off steam by tearing apart demons on Doom Eternal but alternatively nothing prevents us from purchasing the vacation package̶d̶a̶ ̶q̶u̶e̶l̶l̶o̶ ̶s̶p̶i̶e̶t̶a̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶o̶z̶z̶i̶n̶o̶ from that raccoon by Tom Nook. Or why not both titles? I assure you that alternating the brutal Doomslayer's kills with watering flowers and chopping wood is something magnificent.
No more chatter in this four-handed review, Benedetta and I will tell you about our experience with Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
The dream of a desert island
When you finally have in your hands a physical or digital copy (or both if your name is Federico and you are a dear reader) of New Horizon, we first know Mirco and Marco, which will allow us to buy a ticket for our island. We decide if the island is located in thenorthern hemisphere o southern, causing that the local time adapts to the real time.
We will arrive at our new home via a seaplane from the Dodo Airlines and we will become the spokesman of the village, initially staying in a modest camping tend; it will be up to us to decide whether to change residence or not. The spokesperson has the job (willy-nilly) to help Tom nook to make the island more hospitable and attractive for new travelers.
Tom Nook is not the only inhabitant of the island: few inhabitants roam those desolate lands, and the sons of Tom, Mirco and Marco, have taken the reins of the island trade, settling first in the tent of the Service center and then in one Bottega which, of course, it will be up to us to build. But how can we contribute to the development of our paradise earth? As has always been done in Animal Crossing, the very simple mechanism behind it all: accumulating resources, selling them to pay the debt (always very high!) of our house, or handing them over to Nook for the construction of new buildings.
At the beginning, for the collection we will have only a net and the fishing rod: we must therefore arm ourselves with patience and time, going back and forth between the blue sea, at sunset, at dawn, and the Service Center!
Let's build our city… step by step
New Horizons is not a reinterpretation without innovation of the titles that have followed one another over the years on the contrary, there are many differences and the news of this Animal Crossing. The interface of the Nook Phone leaves you ecstatic: very simple, colorful, with rounded corners, allows you to access the map of the island, call the seaplane, use a laboratory, take photographs and above all keep under control the Nook miles.
Miles are another payment instrument right on the island; by exchanging it we can get unique items, coupons for other islands, pay the tent fee at the beginning. Miles can be earned by doing "Big steps", such as for example arriving on the island or fishing for the first time, but also "little steps" daily (plant five flowers, catch three insects!).
The news is not limited to this: the real experience will begin when we can reach every part of our island, connecting the banks of the river through a sweaty bridge.
In the Service Center it is also possible to craft objects through Nook's workbench: however, it is necessary to have "projects", which can be bought from Mirco, or found by the sea, sent by unknown benefactors.
Would you like to visit my island?
Surely you too, like us, were enthusiastic about the possibility of share the multiplayer experience with your friends. And with a little ingenuity we didn't expect this feature to be possible only by having a subscription Switch online, which on the other hand allows the use of online multiplayer for any game.
However, we tried this mode anyway, which has no major problems: it can be done through one "Best friends list" o through codes, you just need to know the name of the destination island. A chat on the Nook Phone allows you to talk to visitors, but clearly being in game it is difficult to manage while accompanying your friends around our village.
A pleasant discovery, however, was that of being able to travel to procedural islands through Tom Nook coupons (2000 miles each!) to obtain resources that maybe they are in short supply on our island and above all to meet new characters who could move to our paradise.
The payment of many items can be made both with stars and with miles: for example, to get the basic items, we can craft them at Service center, we can buy them from Mirco or, if we go to a procedural island, buy them from the captain for 100 miles each.
Unexpected instead of these main and indispensable objects are destroyed after a certain number of uses because they are fragile; however, they can be enhanced once they have all been obtained, once we are able to obtain minerals to make, for example, a fragile net, a net. Apart from that, the amount of obtainable and collectible items is amazing: "flying" packages they always give us various furnishings, chairs, sofas, mirrors fall from the trees and in the Bottega we will find a "Object of the day".
Unfortunately, among the things we didn't expect is the AI of the characters anchored to the past: few lines, basic interactions, characterization of the characters not adequate to the infinite possibilities that New Horizon offers. And humor that has always characterized our avatar becomes redundant and tired a bit 'to the penny "I caught a sea bass but I did not hurt"!
A single console… a single island
We were surprised how the new part of the community was totally unaware that it has always been possible, for a single console, create a single island / city and above all that the second character, since you have to share that little piece of heaven, it is absolutely not as relevant as the first user.
Not being the spokesperson will not have the same interactions with Tom Nook, it will not be able to advance history, start renovations, decide where to place the shops, in the first phase the bridge. In short, will live an experience in half, with the "only" possibility of fishing, collecting, collecting, crafting, until the first user will make our island a more alive center.
In fact, coexistence is often difficult: resources run out (for example apples, minerals, stone, clay) not allowing everyone to complete their projects and reach the set goals. And therefore patience and flexibility are required, a skill that not everyone has after waiting for the title for eight years (excluding Poket Camp and Happy Home Designer).
Animal Crossing aesthetics, technical sector and music
Aesthetically, New Horizons inherits the characteristic chibi style of previous titles naturally evolving to the current generation technical standards. So more defined textures and models, greater variety and quality of animations and attention to detail. Also noteworthy is the work on the user interface.
It must also be said that we are talking about a real sandbox where we can place objects, buildings and dig the ground. All this with a day night cycle and a dynamic climate.
In our experience we have never encountered bugs or technical errors with the exception of the already fixed "trick" that allowed to duplicate objects. Of course, if you plan to live the Animal Crossing experience by using "tricks", perhaps you are not in tune with the mood of the game.
Two words also on the audio sector: the pleasant music transmit a feeling of light-heartedness in full harmony with the game. Some of these will enter your head like that of Mirco and Marco's shop. Funny, funny the little voices of the villagers.
Benedetta's final judgment
On Sakhalin I lived, or rather I am living, a life as a second player, thus precluding myself from the possibility of actively contributing to the progression of my island. But I can't resist mine daily break: fishing, running back and forth, discovering how new possibilities and new species are revealed every day to capture, furnishing my home.
New Horizon is the unmissable title of the moment, unmissable especially in this context, where we cannot and must not go out; thus offers us the opportunity to spend a few hours a day somewhere else, on a distant and quiet island.
IlCirox final judgment
My seven days on Ciroxland Island proved to be a relaxing and great experience to alternate between my forays into the Persona 5: Royal Palace and the ruthless demons on Doom Eternal.
In short, Animal Crossing is a bit like when you come home from work and, exhausted, you throw yourself on the sofa not to think about anything, completely turning off your brain.
About home: the possibility of being able to virtually visit our friends' islands and interact with them is a great way to exorcise the current isolation due to the epidemic emergency. Having said that it seems like something ephemeral but I guarantee you that it has helped a lot.
Objectively it is an excellent product from every point of view that inherits and expands all aspects of the saga that began in 2001. I recommend it to everyone, both enthusiasts and newbies.
