Animal Crossing: New Horizons Feels Like a New Game

This article probably feels a bit late doesn’t it? Well, truth be told, even though the 2.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been out a while, I wanted to play it for a bit, let it settle in my routine and in my mind, and just feel it out. After doing so for a while, I’ve come to the conclusion that even though I’m unhappy that Nintendo won’t be giving any more updates to the game, I’m satisfied with where New Horizons ended up.

I have played Animal Crossing: New Horizons pretty faithfully since the game was released. When the update that added diving and artwork came out, I felt like it added some necessary mechanics, but the game didn’t feel complete. As a long-time fan of the franchise, even after the 2.0 update, I can still see things that I would consider to be missing, such as Nook’s Cranny upgrades or certain familiar special characters. Overall though, the game itself is in a good place.

The storage upgrades are a much-needed boon for people like myself who enjoy hoarding clothes and crafting materials. The cooking mechanics, coupled with the new produce items, give me a reason to fish for things that I normally would toss back, like the Horse Mackerel. I can only imagine that Nintendo has scattered around some cooking recipes for the next year, at least spring and summer, so that fans have a little more mileage with it too.

Going to do the group stretching every day is like a strange part of my routine that I can’t seem to grow tired of. Even though the mini-game is the same every day, I’m enjoying seeing who comes out to join me to stretch. Some days it is the Nooklings, while other days it might be the Dodos or the Able Sisters. Of course, it is also fun to see the special characters join in too.

Getting coffee with Brewster feels like a morning ritual as well. Granted, I don’t play New Horizons daily. Instead, I play multiple days at a time thanks to knowing all about time travel. Regardless, the daily routine of visiting Brewster, much like the stretching, just feels like a relaxing addition to my in-game day.

Katrina is one of my favorite special characters from Animal Crossing’s history, so going to visit her first to get a fortune is a delight. That coupled with Kapp’n’s islands is an enjoyable combination, even if I don’t get a rare or special island. I grew a little bit tired of the standard mystery islands, and I’m sure eventually I’ll get tired of these too, but I have found some really great stuff on good luck days.

Overall, Animal Crossing: New Horizons feels as complete as it ever has in terms of content. While there are some things that I wish the developers had added, nothing really feels like it is missing other than the Nook’s Cranny upgrades, and that’s mostly because I remember previous games having several different iterations. Outside of that, New Horizons is like a nice, relaxing, gentle time away from the chaos of the world.

With the Happy Home Paradise DLC, even my creative side can have its time to unwind and relax. I don’t always have time to decorate when I play, and truthfully I haven’t even scratched the surface of the DLC itself. However, playing gives me a chance to put together furniture and items that I don’t have space to use in my characters’ homes.

If you haven’t played New Horizons in a while and are feeling on the fence about returning, I’d greatly recommend it. Even starting over and experiencing everything from the beginning might help revitalize your love of the game. I’m considering starting over once I’ve seen everything the update has to offer to see if experiencing it all from scratch changes my thoughts on the game as a whole.

For now, though, I’m loving my time with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and I think that the 2.0 update definitely makes it feel brand new. I hope that Nintendo has more on the horizon (pun intended) for the franchise, but until then I’m satisfied.