# POLL---Be Honest: How do you REALLY feel about New Horizons?



## bcmii (Apr 15, 2021)

I feel like a lot of people around here aren't completely honest and/or stay quiet about their feelings about the game because they don't want to upset others and start any drama. I thought it would be interesting to see how people really feel about the game. Since this is entirely anonymous, I want you to vote completely honestly.


I thought it'd be interesting to see the results.

*EDIT TO CLARIFY: First option refers to all games in general, not just Animal Crossing.*


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## Moritz (Apr 15, 2021)

Can we have an option between its the best game I've ever played and just being okay?

Like it's the best animal crossing game I've ever played (played them all apart from amiibo festival) but I wouldn't say its the best game I've ever played in my life either.

Or did you specifically mean best animal crossing?


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## bcmii (Apr 15, 2021)

Moritz said:


> Can we have an option between its the best game I've ever played and just being okay?
> 
> Like it's the best animal crossing game I've ever played (played them all apart from amiibo festival) but I wouldn't say its the best game I've ever played in my life either.
> 
> Or did you specifically mean best animal crossing?


Ah, sorry. It won't let me edit the options anymore now that someone has voted. I guess you would best fit in the second option. I suppose the first option could be interpreted either way--I was more thinking about all games in general, not just Animal Crossing on the first one.


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## Moritz (Apr 15, 2021)

bcmii said:


> Since this is entirely anonymous


Its not anonymous 
I can see who voted for what by clicking on the number of people who voted it


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## Corrie (Apr 15, 2021)

I'm going with "it's okay." Like it's fun, it's an Animal Crossing game! But with all the issues I have with it, those issues just burn in the back of my mind while I play. It doesn't feel like an AC game too much with the QoL features missing. The entire vibe is off as I don't actually want to "live" on the island and talk to my villagers like I did in the previous titles. 

The terraforming is good though and has been what's kept me playing. Without it... I dunno.


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## bcmii (Apr 15, 2021)

Moritz said:


> Its not anonymous
> I can see who voted for what by clicking on the number of people who voted it


Hmm...Maybe I can change that. Thanks for the heads up.


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## DinosaurDumpster (Apr 15, 2021)

It's an okay game. Just as good as the other games I have played. Definitely not my first pick of the best games, but i still absolutely love it at the same time.


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## Nefarious (Apr 15, 2021)

Need an option for "It's a great game in it's current state, but am always up for seeing more added" and "it's just as good as previous games".

Every installment has pros and cons between each other and New Horizons is no different. I still love New Horizons despite some of it's faults that I acknowledge it has.


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## ForgottenT (Apr 15, 2021)

It needs a *lot* of work, but it already shredded the charm every AC game have had up to this point, I’m just playing it as a cut down version of HHD, but at least the entire island can be decorated, so it got that going for it I suppose.
It’s a worse AC game than New Leaf, it’s a worse designing game than Happy Home Designer, and Nintendo gives all of their love and attention to Pocket Camp while New Horizons is sitting here feeling like a pay 2 test alpha game.
New Horizons does have potential, but I’m not holding my breath.


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## Dunquixote (Apr 15, 2021)

I think the game is really good but needs a lot of work. I’ve done my best after the first several  updates to keep my expectations low, but even so, I still feel like they could have done more with this game. This game has the potential to be better than it is. I do love this game a lot, but it is not my favorite.

Please do not attack me for being too greedy. I really do not like how people cannot seem to discuss their opinions (regardless which side) in a constructive manner without being bashed for it. I do not like how the people that make constructive criticism are being lumped into “nitpicker” and “too greedy” group.  I understand how annoying constant complaining is but I think constructive criticism makes good discussion and should be separated from complaining with no purpose other than for attention or to aggravate others or to complain about something irrelevant to the topic like an appreciation thread.

It’s great to me that there are players that like the game as it is and don’t see shortcomings and there is nothing wrong with there being players that are disappointed. Not everyone is going to support every little decision Nintendo makes with AC or in general. 

I am one of the players that is enjoying the game as it is and appreciate the improvements from the previous games. but still think it could be better. For a new game of the series and past acnh’s one year anniversary, I am a bit alarmed by how much is still missing (whether it is “new” stuff or old stuff like npcs and buildings). I still feel like a lot of the stuff brought to us by the updates are miscellaneous knick knacks and clothes.  

This is just my opinion. Not looking to fight. I understand not everyone feels the same way.


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## Rosch (Apr 15, 2021)

I'll reserve my full judgment of the game until Nintendo is done supporting it. But I'd like to echo that New Horizons is indeed a great game in it's current state. It's not the best in the series, but still a great game nonetheless.

But that doesn't mean I don't care about it's flaws. I want most of the cut content back, and this game needs improvement. Currently, it may not have everything I was hoping for, but this is the first game in the series that I've played daily for over a year, and it's the game with the most hours I've spent it in my entire life (beating Tomodachi Life). I keep going back to it. It keeps me engaged. And  I still enjoy it. That's what's important to me.


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## Firesquids (Apr 15, 2021)

I need an option between the bottom two. (perfect thanks! lol)
I think New Leaf was still better over all, but I'm sure they'll keep adding to NH. I think it could definitely be better. A lot of little things frustrate me about the game and there's a lot that I feel like should have been implemented in the series by this point. That being said I've spent almost 2000 hours playing NH so I must like it lol


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## oak (Apr 15, 2021)

I picked "it's okay but could use a little work" but I would use the word "good" rather then okay. I just didn't want to call it super amazing cause that's too strong. I have thoroughly enjoyed the game but can also see that if you're not much of a decorator, New Horizons is limited activity wise.


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## bcmii (Apr 15, 2021)

oak said:


> I picked "it's okay but could use a little work" but I would use the word "good" rather then okay. I just didn't want to call it super amazing cause that's too strong. I have thoroughly enjoyed the game but can also see that if you're not much of a decorator, New Horizons is limited activity wise.


 Yeah, I didn't mean to keep it like that, but I can't edit it now.


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## a potato (Apr 15, 2021)

I mean, it’s definitely good, but it’s not my favorite. I don’t have any feelings against it, I just prefer the atmosphere of New Leaf. I think there are some questionable omissions, too, but I don’t think they negatively impact the game. As we have seen, the game is great without them.


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## BalloonFight (Apr 15, 2021)

I think it will eventually be the decisive AC game... but it's not quite there yet. I personally prefer it slightly to NL now with the recent additions. I don't think it's quite the definitive AC yet as there's an obvious strong argument for NL. Nintendo could EASILY turn that around at any point by giving us just a handful of obvious things they need to add (expanded shop, gracie, more furniture sets etc), but time will tell. 

I do think that if your first AC game was ACNH, it would be semi hard to go back to the other AC games for first playthroughs simply because the freedom for designing your island is so incredibly massive in NH. Also as mentioned previously, I have WAY more time in ACNH than the other AC's (Wild World coming the next closest), so I guess it's fairly obvious what my personal favorite is (...although quarantine definitely helped hours wise).


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## Moritz (Apr 15, 2021)

Firesquids said:


> I need an option between the bottom two. (perfect thanks! lol)


Did you still have the original 3 options showing?
I was a bit confused when you said the bottom 2 as that places it between it needs work and it sucks. Which didn't line up with your 2000 hours XD
So that would make more sense haha


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## azurill (Apr 15, 2021)

I really enjoy playing New Horizons it’s why I ended up getting a second island. It does have some faults and things I would love to be added eventually but even if they are not I will still enjoy NH. I love that villagers don’t move unless they ask and island hopping is a fun way to find villagers. I do like crafting and terraforming.

 As much as I love this game it can use some updates. Hoping we can get some new buildings , a Nook’s cranny upgrade with the future from NL ,  the return of some NPC’s.  It would be nice to have villager visits come back Bulk crafting and bulk buying would be nice but don’t think that’s going to happen.


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## Nefarious (Apr 15, 2021)

Rosch said:


> I'll reserve my full judgment of the game until Nintendo is done supporting it. But I'd like to echo that New Horizons is indeed a great game in it's current state. It's not the best in the series, but still a great game nonetheless.
> 
> Sure, it may not have everything I was hoping for, but this is the first game in the series that I've played daily for over a year, and it's the game with the most hours I've spent it in my entire life (beating Tomodachi Life). I keep going back to it. It keeps me engaged. And  I still enjoy it. That's what's important to me.



Same here, I think my full judgement will wait till they've stop supporting the game. Still think it's a great game for what it currently is, I'd say it's pretty on par with what New Leaf started as, before the Welcome Amiibo update.


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## VanitasFan26 (Apr 15, 2021)

Its a good game, but yeah it does need some work.  I am somewhere in the middle. While I think there is things in the game that do way better and it does do really good from past AC games there is still other stuff that sets it back from being a perfect game. Here's the thing I remember way back in the day on the GameCube you would used to have 2 towns on each memory card. When I saw New Horizons I was hoping to make multiple islands but instead it has the one island per switch which did annoy me very much. 

There is alot of issues that bother me like the online is not all that good. All you do is just shop on their island, and sure you can interact with their villagers, and of course have a fun time hanging out. There is literally no modes. I know when the Dream Suite came out last year in August 2020 I barely use Dodo airlines anymore. Its 2021 and we still have to deal with the constant load screens. I mean why can't it just be you can still do stuff on your island, while someone else is coming or leaving? 

Then there is the villager dialogue. Villagers seem to only talk about themselves depending on their personality and they would prattle on the same topics about what you are wearing, who visited your island, reminding the player what they did yesterday, and of course always asking you same questions about being inside villagers homes or just asking about other player's hobbies. This can be cute at first, but it gets tiring to hear them say it everyday. Now sure the argument can be made that villagers do same more unique things when they are inside the shops, museum, and when they are in events. While that is all cool it still doesn't make them interesting. New Leaf villagers used to come to your home when they ask you to and sometimes they would ask you to pay hide and seek. That is no longer a thing in New Horizons. Villagers need to have more life to them than just repeat the same topics over and over again. 

The Crafting and DIY are good additions to the game but the way it was executed and how it was handled after 1 year later it really doesn't hold up too well. The constant grind for looking for DIYS is RNG and the crafting takes a long time just to get items you really want. If Nintendo would've took inspiration from Minecraft and Stardew Valley maybe the Crafting would've been better.

As far as the shops  I am just going to say this New Horizons compared to past AC games in terms of upgrades has the least amount of shop upgrades. You can upgrade the shop 5 times to reach to the full potential. Even in New leaf when you got the final shop upgrade you had Leif joined in and then Gracie Grace was up in the top floor. It was by the best thing we've ever seen. Why is that the Nook Shop in New Horizons has only one upgrade? There should be a new upgrade where it adds new items that we never seen before. I get that in past updates the nook shop would always display items that are limited time which is a good idea but the problem is that the variant you have is a different color and the only to get that said variant that has a different color is to trade with someone else. In past AC games the nook shop was always your go to whenever you wanted new furniture and it always was refreshing whenever new stuff was added even in the full upgraded shop there is so much stuff to get and you can see what they have. This one in New Horizions just doesn't do much. There needs to be more variety and a reason to keep shopping at the Nook shop.  

Lastly is the Nook Mile Shop. Its probably the most underdeveloped thing in this game. One year has passed and the nook miles shop has barely seen any sort of upgrades to it. Yeah sure in the updates you can use Nook Miles to get new Reactions but thats just it. The items remain the same ever since you first started playing. There is no way to customize the items you just got from the Nook Mile shop. You have to ask someone else if they have say a Green Streetlamp for example.. but you only have the black version on your island. What bothers me is that when you catalog these items, you cannot buy them at the Nook Mile shop. Its available on the Nook Shopping Catalog but its "not for sale" so whats the point? You might as well just trade these items in for different colors which can be tedious to do. The point is the Nook Miles could've been better if the game actually added new items to the Nook Mile shop that encourages you to earn them more all the time when doing tasks everyday when you play the game. I would've loved it if there was like new features added that you have to get nook miles to unlock it. Remember in the beginning you had to spend a lot of Nook Miles for your Tool Ring, Hairstyles, and Pocket Size? To me that felt rewarding and you felt accomplished for unlocking them. After one year of playing there is barely anything new added to the Nook Mile shop*.* 

With that said I will mentioned what I do like about the game. The graphics on this game are some of the most impressive I've ever seen on a Switch game. The way the flowers move, the trees, and anything else in the wind is just really nice. There are really small details where you can put a Fan inside your home and you can see how different objects affect based on the direction the wind from the fan is coming from. The sounds of the bugs were well done, the water waves were really great, and the wind is a helpful mechanic whenever you're looking for Balloon gifts. The way you control your character is really responsive and you can run all over your island. Everything from using tools, shopping, swimming/diving, and basically storing items have felt more fleshed out compared to past AC games. There is more pocket storage, you can store more things in your home more than ever, and there is Nook Mile tasks to do whenever you want to feel accomplished. By far the best thing about this game is the customization and terraforming. You can customize certain furniture and items from crafting, have a lot of custom patterns or objects on your island from someone else who designed it using the Kiosk, and of course the one thing that stood out the most is terraforming. Making your island the way you want and how you want it to be has never been so expressive and giving you the freedom to do whatever you want. 

So yeah thats my brutally honest thoughts on what I think on Animal Crossing New Horizons as a whole.


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## Lavamaize (Apr 15, 2021)

Overall, I think it is an awesome game, but still needs a bit more content in the game!


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## KayDee (Apr 15, 2021)

As it is right now, I think it’s my favorite out of the series but I’m also not opposed to them adding in the features/items that everyone has been requesting, which would tip it closer to one of the best games ever for me.


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## rainadash (Apr 15, 2021)

I liked decorating as a side activity in past games. It seems to have become the main activity in New Horizons and unfortunately  I can't enjoy the game as much because of the big lack of other activities from previous games. I've tried to really engage in terraforming and landscaping my island, but I just get bored and exhausted.


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## VanitasFan26 (Apr 15, 2021)

SoraFan23 said:


> Its a good game, but yeah it does need some work.  I am somewhere in the middle. While I think there is things in the game that do way better and it does do really good from past AC games there is still other stuff that sets it back from being a perfect game. Here's the thing I remember way back in the day on the GameCube you would used to have 2 towns on each memory card. When I saw New Horizons I was hoping to make multiple islands but instead it has the one island per switch which did annoy me very much.
> 
> There is alot of issues that bother me like the online is not all that good. All you do is just shop on their island, and sure you can interact with their villagers, and of course have a fun time hanging out. There is literally no modes. I know when the Dream Suite came out last year in August 2020 I barely use Dodo airlines anymore. Its 2021 and we still have to deal with the constant load screens. I mean why can't it just be you can still do stuff on your island, while someone else is coming or leaving?
> 
> ...


TLTR: Animal Crossing New Horizons is a good game, but it needs work and to improve on a lot of things. The graphics, gameplay, and customization were the only things I truly liked about the game. The rest however like the villager dialogue, crafting/diys, shop upgrades, nook mile shop and the online are the things that really hold it back for me.


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## Fruitcup (Apr 15, 2021)

I love it, I made it through a whole year without taking major breaks which is something I've never done before in any other AC game. I've already sunk more hours into this game than all other combined. The only thing I miss is more villager dialogue but I've never really been one to talk to my villagers much anyway.


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## Moritz (Apr 15, 2021)

Fruitcup said:


> I love it, I made it through a whole year without taking major breaks which is something I've never done before in any other AC game. I've already sunk more hours into this game than all other combined. The only thing I miss is more villager dialogue but I've never really been one to talk to my villagers much anyway.


With that last part, ironically villagers have a lot of dialogue. But they tend to only say the same few things the first few times you talk to them

So the less chatty players will find less reason to talk to them, and the more chatty the player, the more reasons they have to keep talking.

Its a little confusing why they say the same few lines for the first 2 or 3 of the day.


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## Fruitcup (Apr 15, 2021)

Moritz said:


> With that last part, ironically villagers have a lot of dialogue. But they tend to only say the same few things the first few times you talk to them
> 
> So the less chatty players will find less reason to talk to them, and the more chatty the player, the more reasons they have to keep talking.
> 
> Its a little confusing why they say the same few lines for the first 2 or 3 of the day.


Ohhhh, I didn't know that! Since they usually make comments of talking too much I leave them alone lol I'll have to give it a shot


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## Moritz (Apr 15, 2021)

Fruitcup said:


> Ohhhh, I didn't know that! Since they usually make comments of talking too much I leave them alone lol I'll have to give it a shot


Its not quite the same thing as the line is exclusive to nights with shooting stars (I assume) but I've spoken to kidd like 15 times tonight (I like to talk to them a bit tooo much haha) and got rewarded with dialogue I've never heard before as far as I recall and I've played since launch 



You can also get fun ones from being near items or things like a plane having gone by from a visitor

And im sure you've noticed but since any villager can talk to any other villager, duplicate personalities can also lead to new dialogue. So if you've never had 2 jocks before, doing so will get you conversations you've never seen.

The personality sub types have different dialogue behind it so like raymond will have stuff that colton will just never say even though they're both smug.

So yeah, the game has a lot of dialogue, but if you only talk to them a couple times a day, you might never see the bulk of it which is a shame.


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## KayDee (Apr 15, 2021)

Moritz said:


> Its not quite the same thing as the line is exclusive to nights with shooting stars (I assume) but I've spoken to kidd like 15 times tonight (I like to talk to them a bit tooo much haha) and got rewarded with dialogue I've never heard before as far as I recall and I've played since launch
> View attachment 369266View attachment 369267View attachment 369269View attachment 369270
> 
> You can also get fun ones from being near items or things like a plane having gone by from a visitor
> ...


This is why I don’t get when people say that villagers in this game are lifeless or robotic. A lot of the dialogue in this game is contextual as opposed to the previous games wherein they’re pretty much canned dialogue unless there’s an event going on, which is a lot more repetitive. The game actually rewards you for taking the time to talk to your villagers. Add the fact that they do a lot more activities now like read a book, use furniture, even fall asleep while on their phone. But I guess Rosie from Gamecube is more interesting since she can call you ugly.


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## LuchaSloth (Apr 15, 2021)

Any game that I've put 500+ hours into is obviously a great game in my opinion. It has its flaws...but, it's definitely my most played game of the entire past year. So...how could I reasonably say it's not great? It is.


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## ZekkoXCX (Apr 15, 2021)

kinda boring and without the charm other games had but i still have high hopes on what updates they could give to us this year


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## PugLovex (Apr 15, 2021)

the voting was a little hard, i wanted to choose "it's okay, but it could use some work" but i was hesitant because i feel like it sounded that i thought the game was just ok (i still voted it though)

i love new horizons, i love the new features, npcs, etc. BUT! i'd really like the older npcs, the old features, etc. i really miss going to the island, club LOL, the roost, the police station, and more. i wish there was a little more to do, but hoping it comes with future updates!


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## peachycrossing9 (Apr 15, 2021)

I love ACNH, it's my favourite game they have released so far. But like everyone else is saying it still needs a lot of work and there is a good chunk of content missing. 
The game got me through some rough stuff last year, and is my escape from the real world when things aren't great. I don't just play it for the content. I play it because it genuinely makes me happy. I have put 1,000 plus hours into this game, so yes I do love it and I try not to complain about what's wrong with it, because it just gets repetitive since so many other people have most likely already bet me too it.

I look forward to whatever Nintendo has in store for this game. I hope they bring in some of the NPC's that are missing and add in more furniture.


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## Livia (Apr 15, 2021)

To me it’s the best game I’ve played. About a year ago I would’ve said the sims 4 was the best game, but I can’t play it anymore because of several reasons, so now NH is the best. I mean I love this game so much that I bought a second switch and copy of the game.

This is probably very unpopular, but I would’ve still been happy if NH didn’t have any updates and remained the the way it released. Of course I also love the updates though and because I never played NL,  most of the content like diving and Leif and the holidays are completely new and exciting to me.


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## Aaryana (Apr 15, 2021)

I like the game a lot but it’s not the best game ever. It’s better than just “okay” though. I guess the options don’t fit great for me. I only played New Leaf and New Horizons. There are some things from NL that I miss (running over flowers to destroy them, Tortimer) and some things that I like a lot better in NH (villagers don’t leave unless you say ok). Overall, I think it’s a great game and I look forward to future content (hopefully).


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## psiJordan (Apr 15, 2021)

I love this game!
even though there’s some stuff missing, it has still provided me with so much joy and excitement over the past year and that’s what really matters


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## Autumn247 (Apr 15, 2021)

I love it, but there are some things it's missing.  I wish there was a Nooks Cranny upgrade, I wish Brewster's Cafe was there, and I kind of liked when the villagers were a little meaner like in Wild World, they kind of had more personality then


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## SarasalandMick (Apr 15, 2021)

bcmii said:


> I feel like a lot of people around here aren't completely honest and/or stay quiet about their feelings about the game because they don't want to upset others and start any drama. I thought it would be interesting to see how people really feel about the game. Since this is entirely anonymous, I want you to vote completely honestly.
> 
> 
> I thought it'd be interesting to see the results.
> ...



I personally love it. I was always a huge fan of the decoration side of the Animal Crossing games, and I love that this game in the series gave us the option to decorate outdoors too.


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## Valeris (Apr 16, 2021)

The quality of life changes this game offers are bar none the best in the series. Villagers not moving out without your okay, for example is huge. You can feasibly leave the game for extended periods of time and come back knowing they'll still be there. Where it falters is the content; the caveat is that's something that is being made up for albeit slowly. When we get increased villager dialogues, Brewster, and the like the game will top all previous iterations. Until then, New Leaf despite lacking the multitude of quality of life changes New Horizons offers is just the better game.


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## WaileaNoRei (Apr 16, 2021)

Honestly, it is the best game I have ever played. Like I feel ridiculous even saying it but it was like I have been looking for this exact game forever and finally found it. I have not played an animal crossing game before, but I have played a variety of video games from duck hunt and the Mario games of course, to the Sims, which I spent a ton of time on, and several generations of Pokémon. I have even tried out a variety of mobile games.

I loved the game as it was last may and honestly was skeptical when I heard they were adding diving in, because I was worried it would be too much to do and make the game too busy. (I did end up loving the addition of diving though)

I know I am somewhat of an outlier, but I just truly am this happy with the game. I like getting the updates, some of them I am more interested in and some less, but I don’t need anything more added to help me love the game. I don’t think it is even possible actually

that doesn’t mean I don’t like or appreciate new content, or that I dislike people who do want more updates to add things they feel are lacking (as long as they don’t expect me to consider it lacking)! People I like and respect very much on this forum have a variety of opinion on what they do and don’t want to be added in future updates, and i think that is why it is an interesting place to hang out.

People engage with the gameplay in different and various creative ways, and have a different experiences and connections with the franchise. I can appreciate where people are coming from and understand why they feel the way they do. As long as they respect my opinion

so yeah, I think we have a lot of updates ahead, and I am looking forward to them - I can’t wait! But nothing more is needed for me to complete my enjoyment of the game (even the only thing I really really want - more villager spots).

I think acnh if going to be the game I compare all other to for a very long time - if I ever get around to playing other games again...


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## LambdaDelta (Apr 16, 2021)

unfinished game that I've put almost as many hours into in just over a year as I did with new leaf across like 7+

it's pretty good


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## S.J. (Apr 16, 2021)

I am surprised to see the results, and that so many people feel ACNH is just 'OK'! It is completely OK that you feel that way, I am just surprised because I love it and think it's great and while any improvements or new items are welcome, I'm pretty happy with it the way that it is.

However, I also haven't played New Leaf or other previous games, so I am fortunate to not have the disappointment of comparing ACNH to previous games.

I did play AC Pocket Camp (which can be expensive), so I do like the ACNH is stand alone. But, when I _eventually_ realised that no new items would be added to ACNH, I was disappointed.

ACPC continuously introduces new items (microtransactions that aren't so micro) that are themed, and great to mix and match. Because ACNH doesn't have the introduction of new items, I would have liked to see an extended catalogue, particularly variations of major furniture styles. It feels like there's only a handful of beds, sofas, tables etc. to choose from.

I also would like if things were slightly more customisable. For example, the fence recipes you can buy with Nook miles could be colour customised and would be such a simple way to add more colour variety and creative options to the game. Your picket fence is now a white picket fence. 

I like that I can use Amiibos. I love the new ACNH characters (Megan ❤). I like that your villagers can't choose to leave without your confirmation, because that would definitely break my heart! I'm also happy with the Designer, the choices of bridges and inclines and the terraforming tool. I think they're all OK. 

Overall, I love ACNH though.


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## JellyBeans (Apr 16, 2021)

I think my answer would probably be a combination of some of these options because I do love this game and I wouldn't have put as much time into it as I have if I didn't, but I am absolutely always open to new possibilities and developments and there are certainly areas where this game is lacking in comparison to previous games.


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## Moritz (Apr 16, 2021)

No1MableFan! said:


> I am surprised to see the results, and that so many people feel ACNH is just 'OK'! It is completely OK that you feel that way, I am just surprised because I love it and think it's great and while any improvements or new items are welcome, I'm pretty happy with it the way that it is.


I think the results are overall positive.
We have 50% who deem it to be am amazing game and better than the others in the series.
55% saying its on par with or better than the rest.

And if you take "okay but could use a little work" to be a generally positive statement like I do, then 85% of people are at least mostly happy with the game.

It seems only around 5% are unhappy with the game and I don't think that's too bad a number.

Of course the poll results are open to change and interpretation. So my reading could be way off


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## S.J. (Apr 16, 2021)

Moritz said:


> I think the results are overall positive.
> We have 50% who deem it to be am amazing game and better than the others in the series.
> 55% saying its on par with or better than the rest.
> 
> ...


Oh, maybe it's my interpretation! I took "okay but could use a little work" to mean they thought the game was just so-so (more of a negative connotation), where I guess I am a bit overly-enthusiastic about it!


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## cocoacat (Apr 16, 2021)

I picked 'it's okay' because I feel like it's missing some things to make it complete... at the same time, it's my current favorite game and I have so many hours played that it speaks for itself. I think it's amazing... the world and the gameplay is great... just needs a bit more work to make it perfect. (Namely, more npcs/shops and filling out different item themes/sets.)

I'm definitely happy with the game overall.


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## _Donut_ (Apr 16, 2021)

Amazing while there was so much to do (completing the museum, collecting items, unlocking new shops, etc.) but I do have to say that after I was done completely terraforming my island, almost completed the entire museum and finished decorating my house, I found myself playing less during the week compared to last year when I was really addicted and had to play first thing in the morning and late in bed, that feeling has kinda faded a little for me. So, I'm excited what nintendo has in store for us in terms of new content


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## buny (Apr 16, 2021)

i don't know what to vote on this poll to be honest. I think it's a really good game, i'm enjoying it a lot, but i think it needs a lot of the older things added as well, and in general it doesn't feel as cozy and community focused as past AC titles for some reason. But saying "it's an okay game" i feel doesn't express me, cause I wouldn't spend so much time on a game i think is just "okay" that doesn't sit right with me XD but i also don't think it's "super amazing"... I don't know, i think i haven't cleared my thoughts on this game. Maybe it's because of the great potential it has that it feels like it doesn't quite reach its goals. Like, i love the graphics and all the decorating and customization with terraforming and placing items and furniture outside added so much to the game, but it feels like something's missing from the villagers and general atmosphere of the game. I think we need more stores, and more things to do and unlock probably to feel a little more like we're doing something more other than shape up the island on the surface, i want to feel like i have a bigger impact on the actual community if that makes any sense ( i felt that way in the beginning during the "story" part). I don't know how to express it but i feel like the game doesn't make you feel immersed in it as much and as long as the other games did. And im not one to be a victim of nostalgia cause i started playing AC less than 2 years ago as an adult, so the way i feel is not affected by nostalgia 

i love the game and it hurts me to say that I don't feel as immersed as i did with WW and NL, but it's okay, I still enjoy it a lot and im looking forward to what they plan in the future

edit: in the end i went with "it's okay, but could use a little work", as i see it can be taken in a positive way. I think "i really enjoy it but it has some issues" would summarize my thoughts more accurately


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## Croconaw (Apr 16, 2021)

I had to think a bit about what to vote on the poll. It’s hard to say how I honestly feel about this game. This game was amazing. I got it a few days after release because it was sold out literally everywhere, and I had to resort to purchasing it online. It’s a great game, but of course, there are things that can be improved on just like any other game. Nothing in life is perfect, and Nintendo can’t cater to everyone’s needs because what everyone wants in this game is different. To please everybody, Nintendo would have to create nearly 100 different versions of this game, which is unrealistic. I think Animal Crossing is meant to be a stress reliever, and this game seems to be the most stressful out of it’s predecessors. It adds crafting and terraforming, while it is cool, it seems too much like Minecraft. It just doesn’t have the relaxing feel that other games have. It’s a fun game, but my honest opinion is that Nintendo may have tried a bit too hard on this one.


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## Chris (Apr 16, 2021)

I think it's the best game in the franchise to date, but _Animal Crossing_ is not my favourite game series. I favour RPGs and hack'n'slash over simulation games.


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## Alienfish (Apr 16, 2021)

> I'm going to be honest...it sucks.



Basically what your option says. Honestly, only reason I got a Switch and NH was I knew I was gonna be home a lot because rona. And sure, it was fun at first but after playing thru every season and getting my villagers I wanted it really annoyed me that they did this update thing and sold the first half of the game for full price and it's still missing so much. Honestly I'd gladly get 3ds again and boot up a copy of New Leaf if I can find it. I dropped the game completely earlier this year and honestly one of the best choices I'ver ever made.


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## Beanz (Apr 16, 2021)

I love this game and I choose to play it over any other Animal Crossing game I own, but I feel like it's missing that Animal Crossing feel other games had. I love all the new features like how villagers can't move out without telling you, how you can set up plots for them so they don't move in somewhere random and how you can pick up trees to move them somewhere else opposed to just cutting them down like in older games. The graphics are amazing, when the trailer and E3 2019 came out I didn't like the graphics very much but now I do. The game definitely has some flaws and could use more updates so that's why I put "I still like it put it could use a ton of work." There is a lot of missing content like the old NPCs, old furniture/clothing, gyroids, I also want new stuff added to the game too. I started playing New Leaf after a year it came out in the US, I don't think I would necessarily call myself an old player because I wasn't able to experience older games when they were the newest and latest title of the series but I feel like items and NPCs from the older titles and not just from New Leaf are what older players want. Other than items and NPCS, multiplayer sucks. There should be something in the game to make multiplayer more engaging like minigames. If I were Nintendo I think I would've delayed New Horizons again even though most people would've been mad. I feel like it's kind of unfair to the playerbase that they just release update after update adding very small things and I feel like Nintendo just doesn't want to deal with this game anymore sometimes.


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## daringred_ (Apr 16, 2021)

originally voted "it's okay but could use a little work" but just changed it to "i still like it, but it could use a TON of work".

NH is a _very_ pretty game, and i love the QOL updates it made from NL. (expanded inventory, no random move-outs, deciding where houses go.) but that's... really it for me. i'm not a decorator or a designer. i will design my rooms once and they will stay like that. my landscape is near identical to when i first arrived. imo, NH strayed from an AC game in the sense that it feels largely like just another decorating sim instead of a life sim that's character driven like all the other games. the few new bigger features they added (terraformimg, exterior decorating, crafting) mean nothing to me, and maybe that wouldn't be such an issue if they'd added anything else new and significant. farming was a neat idea, even if i don't really have room, but it (as of now) started and stopped with pumpkins_ 6 months ago_.

it had a lot of potential to be on par with, or even better, than NL. in its current state, however, it's still neither for me. it's just an okay game -- i've still sunk hours into it because i love my villagers -- and i wouldn't recommend buying it at full price to anyone. for me, it's just missing too much even after a year since release. (which doesn't leave me hopeful.) i've been playing NL in tandem with it recently because it's just missing too much AC charm and, QOL changes aside, NL still hooks me more even after 7 years and 2 towns.


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## justina (Apr 16, 2021)

I voted that it’s a super amazing game but not my favorite. If I wasn’t in quarantine during the release I really may have enjoyed it more. Since I was stuck at home w/ not much to do I feel like I progressed in the game way faster than I would have in other AC games. Or course it’s missing a lot of stuff that was in NL, but I’ve really enjoyed the game for what it is.


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## LaceAndForest (Apr 16, 2021)

The biggest downside to NH in my opinion is that it didn't really used what was already there in the previous games and added over it (villagers personnalities, nice NPCs like Brewster Shampooddle or the love-triangle Pelicans ahaha, flea-market days, hide and seek...). It certainly kept a lot of it and gave them a "make over" (Daisy Mae, Flick and CJ, most of the events...) but to me a lot of the charm has been cropped. I loved feeling that the village was alive and some stuffs were actually happening "out of my control" (gossips and arguments between villagers and NPCs). Maybe I've been too much playing this game almost like a RPG, i dont know, but all those things really gave it an extra spice.

I still love NH very very much because the other big thing i love in AC is the atmosphere. Hearing the cicadas in summer, listening to the waves, looking at the stars, hearing the sounds of the steps when it rains etc. And NH is absolutely breathtaking for that in my opinion. Really love the terraforming too cause it makes us able to create places we'd love to be, add extra rivers, ponds or even big lakes.

Without being a huge decoration fan, i like the fact that we can place stuffs outside, it helps making the place feel alive with hanging cloth lines, tables etc... But this extra life isn't as cool as having actual life in the village - with what i mentionned in the first part. It's like just having a superficial life versus a more organic one. It also makes us having too much choice in a way. In that sense i'm going to repeat what @Croconaw said, it can make some people quite stressed (especially with the terraforming addition). Having so many different things to do is not that relaxing if you have trouble chosing or if you want to try absolutely everything...

In general i really like the game and mostly use it as my "daily walk to the park" and "gardening without getting my real life hands and flat dirty" hahaha. Can't wait to see what the next updates will be


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## Starfish10 (Apr 16, 2021)

Out of all the video games I’ve played in my life (which actually has not been very many), I think New Horizons is my favorite so far (or maybe tied with Pokemon Pearl, which, funnily enough, is also considered a heavily divisive game for that series)! I just keep thinking back to ten year old me playing Wild World. If she had been handed a switch and New Horizons, her mind would have been absolutely BLOWN! So when I play NH, I feel like that ten year old kid again, and I just get so happy. It’s been a great experience so far, and I’ve really loved the game.


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## Shawna (Apr 16, 2021)

*"I still like it, but it could use a TON of work."*


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## maria110 (Apr 16, 2021)

I chose "It's the best game I've ever played!" but to be honest, it's the only game I've ever played.   I've been playing nearly a year and I still like it although I wish it would continue to improve.


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## sushicatlikesart (Apr 16, 2021)

I love this game, but like others have said, it needs some work. There's quite a few things missing, with Brewster, villager dialogue, furniture sets, other npcs, etc.


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## VelveteenCat (Apr 16, 2021)

I chose the second option, it's an amazing game but not my favorite - by favorite I peronally am referring to all games that exist, not just AC games. NH is the only AC game I have played so perhaps my expactations going in were different from people who have had a lot of experience with and attachment to past games, but since I don't know what features are missing, I personally am not missing them. I like my villagers a lot and decorating an island is very fun. The only minor complaint I have would be that sometimes all available customization options are a bit too colorful for me and I would like to have a bigger selection of items or at least variants of items to go with a darker theme.


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## eggie_ (Apr 16, 2021)

i like new horizons a lot, but like, it definitely doesnt deliver the same experience as past games. new horizons is just a *different* game with different gameplay goals. I think previous games have focused solely on lifesim, whereas new horizons focuses solely on design, and i would say NH has about a 70/30 split between design/lifesim. I think thats where a lot of the discontentedness with the game comes from tbh. if you've been playing a lifesim series since your childhood and a new game in the series comes out thats not as lifesim, its kind of like.... oh. okay. alright then lol

but yeah i still think new horizons is great. just different and not always what i look for in animal crossing - i love the quality of life improvements that we have gotten, but i still find myself going back to older games just because i prefer the design to lifesim split more in those titles.


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## Bluebellie (Apr 16, 2021)

I love that we can terraform the outside. I’ve definitely have played it more hours than new leaf and wild world. I’m still entertained and will continue to play new horizons, however, I feel like I enjoyed the gameplay better in new leaf. Of coarse I wouldn’t be able to go back to new leaf now because of the graphics and inability to move buildings.
I’m not sure if I enjoyed it more because of the villager interactions, or maybe it was all that extra furniture.


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## cornimer (Apr 16, 2021)

When it first came out I really liked it, but I got tired of it after about two months (for comparison I played past AC games daily for over two _years_ each). It sadly just feels kind of empty to me. I'm really not that into design, and it feels like there's a heavy focus on that while the elements I love from previous games have been cast aside a bit. It just doesn't have the charm/character/community-feel of older games for me, and goodness the villager dialogue is so repetitive and bland


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## windloft (Apr 16, 2021)

i really adore the game as is, but it definitely needs a lot more content. i'm not necessarily a fan of them releasing content updates in such sparse timeframes, but with the world going through what it's going through and such, i guess i understand? i'll still be pouring hundreds of hours into the game, but it could use a lot more meat in its bones.


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## porkpie28 (Apr 16, 2021)

It’s still a good game and I play it for a few hours a day but I wish there would add stuff that we had in new leaf


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## -Lumi- (Apr 16, 2021)

I'm not sure which poll option to choose. I think the game is good-ish? Better than being just okay but I don't know if it's hit the benchmark for being considered fully good, yet. I think it still has a little ways to go and I'm crossing my fingers we see more content added. 

I've put a fair amount of hours into New Horizons (not as much as some other people but still), and if I hated the game I would've put it down ages ago. I do like the game, I just don't love it. I love New Leaf and I loved my experience with it, despite the grievances I had with it. I think the biggest difference between the two games is with New Leaf it A.) felt like a whole experience from the start and B.) the issues I have with the game don't feel as purposeful as they do with New Horizons. 

In New Leaf my main issues are: those gosh darn rocks and little ponds, lol. They can totally throw off path layouts and building placements. Villagers randomly moving out and then moving in and placing their houses wherever, the grass deterioration, and then I'm sure there's others I'm forgetting but those are the big ones that stick out to me. None of those feel like things they did on purpose to make my game unenjoyable, though. They were just weird little quirks that were a result of the game they made.

With New Horizons some of my qualms feel like they were intended to be there. I don't think they were intended to annoy me necessarily, but they have a purpose. See: colourblocking furniture to encourage trading with others, making DIYs hard to come by (but also giving you tons of extras) to encourage trading with others, hiding holidays behind updates to discourage time travelling because the developers have decided that's bad, removing some of the more fun mystery islands & lowering interest rates on our savings because they felt like players were cheating and earning too much money, etc. 

Others like the bland villager dialogue, not including diving or certain NPCs from the get go, or having store upgrades/more stores being built, not including information plaques in the museum, not having bulk buying (buying in 5 is a sorry excuse for buying in bulk, lol) or bulk crafting be an option, etc. feel like an oversight on their part. I'm not sure if they just thought those things wouldn't be a big deal if they weren't included or they just didn't even cross their minds to add. 

Either way we're left with this gorgeous but ultimately bland game. I'm enjoying it for what it is - I like decorating my island, buying new clothes, giving my villagers gifts, trading with people on line and helping them find the items they need, etc. but it does feel like it's still missing bits and pieces. I've heard other people compare it to a dollhouse and that's what it feels like. Pretty to look at and pretty to create but it's a little boring to play with once you've got everything where you want it to be.  My villagers aren't tons of fun to chat with and they never want to play games or anything like that with me, and we aren't seeing a lot of future progression in the works. Especially now that we've seen all the holidays the game has to offer. I want more NPCs, furniture sets, shops, and shop upgrades. Give me something to work towards.


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## Snek (Apr 16, 2021)

I love the AC series and when I started playing NH I really enjoyed it. Over time, I've played it less and less. It's now been a full year and I'm playing other games. I realized that I want more. More content, more villager interaction. Villagers are more like trophies in this game than actual characters. The setting is also not the best. The deserted island theme was fun at first, but now I feel it needs more urban development, or at least more things to do than landscaping and decorating. NH also feels very incomplete. I've played enough hours in this game to know that the devs are dragging their heels trying to complete it and mainly through monthly updates. Many favourite NPCs are missing like Kapp'n and Brewster. How I feel is not out of greed, its out of higher expectations of a Nintendo franchise that I love. I picked "its ok but could be better" option. It could be better, MUCH better, but theyre not getting it done fast enough.


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## Kate86 (Apr 16, 2021)

“It’s super amazing, but not my favorite.” I do feel like some of the charm is missing, mainly because so many NPCs are missing. I want more shops, shop upgrades, maybe places to go (like if the shops were on another island like Harvey’s... I can see how there may not be room on the main island to build more). I miss the rewards you would get for completing something (like the Museum Model, which I never was able to get in previous games; or NPC pics, some of which we’re now able to get from using the Nintendo app which is just not the same).

The outdoor decorating is amazing, though. Terraforming is cool, but I kind of wish I hadn’t used it and kept my original layout (the thought of restarting after putting in so much work gave me anxiety so I’m slowly working on fixing the terraforming and I’m almost happy with it). I enjoy crafting (I was actually a little sad that crafting wasn’t a bigger part of the newer updates, like Festivale or the Harvest thing), and one of my goals is to craft every item. I LOVE doing Nook Miles tasks. I’m working on completing my catalog.

I think the thing with this game is that it is more focused on playing with others, such as friends over the internet, or with family (hence the one island per console limitation).

Overall I’m happy with the game and enjoy it, but sometimes it feels a little empty.


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## meggiewes (Apr 16, 2021)

I finally went with "its super amazing, but not my favorite" because it is the only Animal Crossing game I've hit 1,000 hours with and still want to keep playing. The only game I've played more than that is The Sims 2.

That doesn't mean that there shouldn't be changes. I want more store upgrades and more buildings. I think they should unlock the color lock to let us have access to all the colors of furniture available. They should have the Nook Mile items rotate. We need more variety of furniture. I really, really want Brewster back and I want Leif to have his own shop. I want exhibit rooms that I can decorate in the museum that people can come in and look at in dreams or visits. I want a specific gyroid exhibit that I can collect. 

But, that doesn't mean I hate the game. I love that when villagers move out, they leave a plot and the next villagers move into the same spot. We can move buildings. We can place objects outside and have fences and play music outside. We can sell things to Timmy and Tommy after hours which means unlimited night fishing!

I'm not willing to put the definitive judgment on if this is a good Animal Crossing game until after all the updates go through. The biggest difference tween New Horizons and New Leaf is that absolutely nobody was expecting the Welcome Amiibo update to happen with New Leaf. New Horizons was designed for updates over time.

TLDR: I know I was expecting a game more like New Leaf with updates on top of it instead of what we are getting. But I still like New Horizons a lot. I have played it for longer and more consistently than New Leaf. I'm not going to judge it a good or bad game until the final update.


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## Garrett (Apr 16, 2021)

I voted "super amazing but not my favourite" because Breath of the Wild is my favourite game. I do love New Horizons though, cannot understand the incessant online moaning and have put it 1,250+ hours into it.


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## Feraligator (Apr 16, 2021)

6th option for me...it's a great game which I've poured hours in (although a lot of that is probably just destroying cliffs one block at a time) but it leaves so much to be desired for me. 

Maybe I'm older and expected more, but my opinions stands that I feel ACNH is pretty bare bones compared to ACNL. The QoL features and customisation is great, though.


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## Halloqueen (Apr 16, 2021)

I feel that I can't deny that it's a pretty great game in a bunch of respects like character customization finally letting us choose skin color and some black hairstyles, villagers not being able to leave without first talking to you and getting your permission, terraforming, being able to decorate your island, and being able to destroy rocks, among other things. It has a lot of good aspects and those aspects are good enough to have kept me playing for hundreds of hours.

However, despite all of those things, I still favor New Leaf as the definitive Animal Crossing game. The series standard furniture sets and all the new stuff they added via Welcome Amiibo, the more lively town environment with all of the NPCs you can interact with and shops you can visit, the bigger and better rooms of fully upgraded homes, Cyrus being able to customize tons of stuff with different colors and even being able to use the various different ores like ruby and sapphire (that are the basis for the birthstone collectibles here on the forums) in addition to him being able to make cool stuff like music boxes and miniature fossil models. Working at Brewster's café, gyroids, Club Tortimer and its minigames. Heck, even being able to set appointments to visit your villagers at their home at a designated time and being able to buy junk they threw in their house (like clothes). There's _so much_ content.

Like others have mentioned, I'm withholding full judgment of New Horizons until all of the updates cease and the game is considered fully complete. Lots of great stuff might be added to the game in the future and we won't have the full picture until then. That said, as things stand now, New Horizons is great but it could be way better.

I feel like this post makes a good point as well:



eggie_ said:


> i like new horizons a lot, but like, it definitely doesnt deliver the same experience as past games. new horizons is just a *different* game with different gameplay goals. I think previous games have focused solely on lifesim, whereas new horizons focuses solely on design, and i would say NH has about a 70/30 split between design/lifesim. I think thats where a lot of the discontentedness with the game comes from tbh. if you've been playing a lifesim series since your childhood and a new game in the series comes out thats not as lifesim, its kind of like.... oh. okay. alright then lol
> 
> but yeah i still think new horizons is great. just different and not always what i look for in animal crossing - i love the quality of life improvements that we have gotten, but i still find myself going back to older games just because i prefer the design to lifesim split more in those titles.


The life sim aspect does feel lacking compared to the previous games, and design does take a big focus...but only to a degree. The island decoration, definitely. The home decoration? Definite downgrade, the only decently sized room is the main room. As someone who really loves decorating the homes in these games, New Horizons rooms disappoint me and more often than not I have to make compromises to my vision. That sucks.



As for the poll, tough choice. My first inclination was to choose "it's a super amazing game, but not my favorite" because it does a bunch of things right, but it also lacks the sort of depth to the world I'm looking for and leaves me wanting in many regards as well. As such, I decided to go with "It's okay, but could use a little work." Not sure that's accurate for me, but it seemed like a decent middle ground.


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## lemoncrossing (Apr 16, 2021)

I’m not gonna lie, the constant negativity and complaints about this game can be really exhausting. I know that I contribute to that problem, so I’m just going to keep this short!

It’s a good game, but not a good Animal Crossing game. The customization (from terraforming to crafting) and graphics are outstanding. A+. But the music, character, and general lack of things to do could use some work. The events in NH are subpar at best & are not as good as the old games. But overall, for the direction the series is taking (with its focus shifting heavily to customization and decoration), it’s great. Some AC:NH screenshots could be easily mistaken for real-life photographs. It’s a great game but it’s just missing a bit of the typical Animal Crossing quirk & charm!


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## Che5hire Cat (Apr 16, 2021)

I'm in general someone who enjoys games that gives you lots of freedom to create your own little paradise and NH offers exactly this. I would say it became my favorite Animal Crossing title and yes I even do like it more than New Leaf for many reasons, like the terraforming feature and outdoor decoration for examples. However, it still needs improvement. The game as how it is right now is not bad, but also not perfect. It has some faults that can be fixed if Nintendo puts the effort into it and I hope they gonna add more buildings as well as bringing back some of the old items one day.


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## tiffanistarr (Apr 16, 2021)

I have a lot of mixed feelings about NH. When I am in the mood to decorate it's the best, but then I remember we paid $60 for an incomplete game. Like the lack of furniture items in this game is astounding to me. There is a huge lack of QoL. I think the terraforming and the ability to decorate outside is a HUGE win for me, but where are the other furniture items? Where are other NPCs? it's very sad they have reduced some NPCs to either be non existent or just a shell of what they were.

The clothes in NH are the best they've ever been in any AC game apart from the clothes you can buy in PC. I would love to see more events like the trophy ceremonies from the old bug and fish tourneys. I loved seeing the winners get their trophies. I loved going to Katrina's place to get my fortune told. I miss Gracie. 

There's a lot of things that are just so different from previous games. However, I don't feel like they're going to be coming back either. Like Brewster maybe, but I don't see any of the other NPCs coming back. I would love it though.


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## Felix Felicis (Apr 16, 2021)

It's a nice game, with very cool new features compared to old ones, but we miss a lot of things, a lot of items, the island, some shops, the café, npc, events (we have new as well but I need more) so I can consider it as the best one. New Leaf wasn't unable to provide outside decoration but I think I enjoyed it a lot, much more than New Horizons.
The game also has ergonomic problems: not being able to buy more than one item of clothing at a time, the same for crafting, long and incessant dialogues for example at the airport, loading times ... just boring and not at all fun. Without forgetting the dialogues of our villagers who are poor and uninteresting.


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## charmingpeach (Apr 16, 2021)

It's a good game for me, I enjoy playing it, but it doesn't scratch that "Animal Crossing" itch that I get often. The game has a lot of potential in my opinion, it has beautiful graphics, and terraforming is a great feature to have. The QOL are also really useful and long overdue. However, it's just missing charm if I'm being honest. I think it's due to a large number of NPC's missing, the quirky furniture and the buildings, it doesn't make me feel cozy. To me, New Horizons feels like a really good canvas that is missing its color. The game as is now would leave a bad taste in my mouth if it were the final product, and that's just how I honestly feel about it. Many say it's their most played AC, but for me, it really is not sadly. New Leaf continues to be my most played and I've personally moved to playing other games to get my thirst quenched when it comes to lifesim but I do check on this forum occasionally or other Nintendo news webs to keep up in case something exciting happens. I do hope that changes in the future really, but if you ask me for my opinion as is now; I still like it, I enjoy playing the game if I pick it up, but it has a TON of work to do if it wants to call itself a real Animal Crossing game.


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## Blueskyy (Apr 16, 2021)

I can honestly say it is amazing, but not my favorite. I have been revisiting New Leaf and realizing how much the music makes me so happy. I can name the themes of specific times, which I cannot do with New Horizons STILL. I also go work at The Roost and do more favors for villagers. I did an island tour or two last night. After doing these few small things, I realized that I actually still prefer New Leaf over New Horizons and could spend more time with it, even though my New Leaf town isn't as nice looking as my New Horizons island. I love both games a lot for what they are, but I wish Nintendo could release some of the greatest features from New Leaf more quickly for New Horizons (The Roost and Brewster, mini games, increased villager requests). Until then, I'll fire up my 3DS for only one reason: to play New Leaf.


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## TheDuke55 (Apr 16, 2021)

I wasn't sure whether to choose the 'It's ok, but could use a little work' or 'I like it, but it needs a lot of work.' Because I enjoy the game more then it just being 'okay', but also think it needs more then just a little bit of work to get it to the level where the previous titles were.


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## Burumun (Apr 17, 2021)

Didn't vote in the poll, because I do love the game, but yeah, it could still use more work. When it comes to customization, NH is the best so far, but it still sorely needs more furniture options. As for villagers, they're definitely leagues better than they originally were, but there's still room for improvement - I don't want to have to talk to each villager five times to get two requests per hour when NL had them give you their requests right away, for instance. 

Then again, after a year, I'm just so tired of the criticism. Most people are fine, but there are a few who seem to spend all their time on here complaining about the same few things people have been complaining about since release. Like, if you hate the game that much, just play something else.


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## Raven_ (Apr 17, 2021)

I think that New Horizons could be the best Animal Crossing game to date objectively speaking because we have never gotten that many customization features like in this game. Also the villagers feel much more alive and I love just walking around and taking in all the sounds and the details.

However, New Horizons also feels like kind of like a reboot of the whole series and I still don't know how to feel about that as so many NPCs and features are missing. New Horizons kind of doesn't have that Animal Crossing feel to it as the other games.

If I had to decide between New Leaf and New Horizons I would still choose New Horizons because New Horizons has brought a lot of improvements as well like being able to set out furniture outside, terraforming and lots of others.

However there are also a lot of core elements missing from New Leaf which I really miss like Brewster or the mini games. Obviously every game had missing features which is normal and all good, however it has never been this evident as in New Horizons which is a problem.


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## river (Apr 17, 2021)

I'm sure that most people want this whole debate to be over soon, but I've been reading everything that has been said on the multiple threads discussing New Horizons with a lot of interest, and I'd like to add something.

Since New Leaf we can all tell how Nintendo has prioritized the potential the game has for customization and creativity, I see that very clearly with the evolutions of the City Folk patterns to the designs we have in New Horizons. As someone who loved making patterns in CF, I was so excited for the PRO Designs in NL and with all the different top and dress styles in NH.

There are so many more possibilities to create in this game and, most importantly in my opinion, ways to share those creations with other players, which have evolved with the series as well.

I don't know if this is an industry trend overall since I'm not an "avid gamer", but it seems to me that Nintendo realized not necessarily that _most_ AC players were like me, but that players like me, who enjoy creating and customizing, also enjoy _sharing_ those creations online, which means a lot of free advertising for their game.

I joined twitter last year just to upload my NH screenshots and I think that anyone who has been around the AC twitter community can tell that the things that drive the most engagement are terraforming creations, unique designs and stylish, aesthetic-heavy islands. So I definitely think that social media has had an impact on which elements Nintendo prioritized when launching New Horizons, and I don't think that that's necessarily a bad thing.

But the truth is that Animal Crossing was not created with that idea at all. The game was conceptualized to evoke that feeling of being alone in a new place, getting a new job, having new responsibilities, meeting new people. That's why I think people remember befriending villagers to be so rewarding, because the early days of Wild World did feel pretty lonely as I remember, and that might explain why people are disappointed with how overly friendly the dialogue has been since NL.

The focus has shifted from being a little life-sim where you arrive in this town all by yourself, the town exists independently from you, it has it's own rules and it's own customs and you're just the strange newcomer. Now we've evolved from being the mayor to being the creators of our own island, being able to shape it in pretty much whatever way we like.

Again, that is not necessarily a bad thing, but I understand the disappointment for players who never really saw Animal Crossing as a franchise that was about customization and creation and sharing all that, but about the day-to-day life stuff, the collecting, the quirks, the rewards and the personalities of all the NPCs. I think that's what people talk about when they talk about the lost "charm", it's the little things that where sacrificed in order to continue evolving in the vain of elements introduced in Happy Home Academy or Pocket Camp which emphasize decorating, creativity and aesthetics.

Personally, it does make me sad that they favored the convenience of that Postal Card stand at the Airport rather than the continuing the adorable love triangle of Pelly, Pete and Phyllis, for example. I think that it added depth to a very simple game mechanic and made the game feel more alive, independent from me and my own choices.

I am so sorry for the long post, I've just been thinking about this kind of stuff for a while, this game is very personal to me as it is for many people here, so I understand why things have sometimes gotten a bit heated.

Still, I am glad we have a place to express all those sentiments and work these out as a community. I don't know what the future holds as far as New Horizons updates go, but, well... We'll always have the Bell Tree


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## bcmii (Apr 17, 2021)

Burumun said:


> Then again, after a year, I'm just so tired of the criticism. Most people are fine, but there are a few who seem to spend all their time on here complaining about the same few things people have been complaining about since release. Like, if you hate the game that much, just play something else.



You may be tired of it, but those people have every right to say as little or as much as they want. As per your "If you don't like it, don't play it" logic, you are free to avoid clicking on the complaint threads if you don't like complaints.


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## Dunquixote (Apr 17, 2021)

I want to say that I honestly really like these discussions. I like hearing everyone’s perspectives since it helps me rethink about my own stance and sometimes makes me adjust my position since I find a lot of good points and many times I’m like “huh? i never though of it this way.” I think that a lot of good can come from talking about our opinions and listening to others I think it is really important for us to learn to understand each other and different opinions as well as learn to tolerate opinions we may not agree with. It’s better for us to explain why we feel a certain way like we are here than bottle it up and just lash out in any thread a complaint is made or someone defends Nintendo. I think the disrespect towards each other has gotten a bit out of hand in the last couple months in these types of threads. 

I personally understand both sides and it is fine not to budge on how we feel.

I too get annoyed with excessive complaining especially if the thread is nothing to do with critiquing the game. But, I don’t see anyone actually complaining here. All i have been seeing is constructive criticism, yet what I don’t understand is why even that seems to not be okay and why is the whole community is automatically being lumped in with the “being too greedy” camp? Everyone is going to like the game for different reasons and because of that, you can’t expect everyone to think the game is pretty much perfect.

No one is trying to force anyone to change their opinions, so there is honestly no need to get defensive. If you were the creator, manager of AC, maybe then, I’d understand a bit why the defensiveness. 

Sorry for going off topic. Just felt like this needed to be said.

	Post automatically merged: Apr 17, 2021

Oh and just to be clear. This wasn’t directed at anyone specifically. Just saying since in the past too, fights over difference in opinions happened and people ended up being insulted for being too positive or negative.


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## bcmii (Apr 17, 2021)

Dunquixote said:


> I want to say that I honestly really like these discussions. I like hearing everyone’s perspectives since it helps me rethink about my own stance and sometimes makes me adjust my position since I find a lot of good points and many times I’m like “huh? i never though of it this way.” I think that a lot of good can come from talking about our opinions and listening to others I think it is really important for us to learn to understand each other and different opinions as well as learn to tolerate opinions we may not agree with. It’s better for us to explain why we feel a certain way like we are here than bottle it up and just lash out in any thread a complaint is made or someone defends Nintendo. I think the disrespect towards each other has gotten a bit out of hand in the last couple months in these types of threads.
> 
> I personally understand both sides and it is fine not to budge on how we feel.
> 
> ...



Yeah, the part that I never understood is why people get so defensive about it. It's as if people take constructive criticisms of the game as a personal attack. Like you said, I could understand if they were the creators of AC. I just don't understand why ordinary players feel the need to be so concerned about what others think, as if the game is their own creation that they put their blood, sweat, and tears into. I could understand if they were the creators of the game and had spent months working on it...the reality is that's not the case, and others' opinions actually do not affect these players whatsoever.

I 100% agree with you. Can't we all have our opinions and respect that, instead of putting each other down for not thinking the same? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and there's no need to argue with someone for thinking different about the game! It's just a video game! The creators of the game can defend their own game if they want, and don't need people to get offended on their behalf about others' opinions.


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## WaileaNoRei (Apr 17, 2021)

Dunquixote said:


> I want to say that I honestly really like these discussions. I like hearing everyone’s perspectives since it helps me rethink about my own stance and sometimes makes me adjust my position since I find a lot of good points and many times I’m like “huh? i never though of it this way.” I think that a lot of good can come from talking about our opinions and listening to others I think it is really important for us to learn to understand each other and different opinions as well as learn to tolerate opinions we may not agree with. It’s better for us to explain why we feel a certain way like we are here than bottle it up and just lash out in any thread a complaint is made or someone defends Nintendo. I think the disrespect towards each other has gotten a bit out of hand in the last couple months in these types of threads.
> 
> I personally understand both sides and it is fine not to budge on how we feel.
> 
> ...



i think you make a lot of good points in this post, and thank you for making it, from someone who is (perhaps excessively) positive about the game. (And you are always respectful and open minded in expressing your opinions, and I appreciate that)

I think the same way people who are more critical may feel like people are trying to silence them or stop them from expressing negative views, those with more positive views of the game actually feel the same way.

Personally, I have feared at times when I post something positive about the game it will end up buried in negative responses, for example if I write that I like the villager dialogue (some of it is from my own social anxiety to be fair, and what I feared did not really happen in that case) I don’t mind disagreement, but I don’t want to be told that I am being either ‘toxically positive’, not a critical thinker, ‘defensive/ in denial’ (editing: I see the comment above and I mean being called defensive for saying something positive not for other situations, and I did not write this to be directed at @bcmii ) , not a ‘real fan’, etc.

I don’t know if I have made anyone feel like I was attacking them for disagreeing with me (I hope not). When I respond to a comment disliking something in the game I am trying to provide an alternate experience/ perspective (my own), and it isn’t intended to shut the other person down, but just to try and have a constructive discussion - I like not only posting my own thought but having real discussions with people, and showing people that I read and thought about what they wrote.

So, when I see people saying people are complaining too much, I think likely in many cases they are feeling like there is no room for positive opinions, just like people who complain about overly positive people are feeling like there is no room for their opinions. Both sides are feeling defensive, and both sides may take personal what is intended only as someone else trying to put their own thoughts into words.

I think we all feel strongly about the game, that’s why we are devoting so much time and energy to discussing it. But with all our strong opinions we tend to express ourselves perhaps more in absolutes than is necessary. So the opinions become either right or wrong rather than agree or disagree.  - which are two very different statements. (What I mean here is when someone says ‘I think there is not enough furniture variation in the game’, a response of ‘I disagree, I really like the furniture’ to me is much less confrontational/ judgmental feeling than ‘you are wrong the furniture is varied.’ Right and wrong are terms for factual information. How we feel about the game is opinion, and so no one can be wrong about their own experience, from someone who thinks the game is terrible to someone who thinks it is the pinnacle of game development. 

I’m guilty of it too, I’m sure. I feel so strongly about my own experience I do have trouble seeing how people can have such different experiences. But *I actively want people who don’t agree with me here in the forum talking to me. *That’s what makes it fun and interesting to be here. What I don’t want is to feel like I’m being judged as an idiot or lacking  in thought or taste for having the opinions I have.

we all just want to freely discuss our opinions without fearing being shut down or silenced.

i don’t think the solution is just to ‘develop a thicker skin’ (one of my least favorite expressions/ concepts irl). One of the best things about this community is that it is one of the kindest communities on the internet. I think if we try and give each other the benefit of the doubt and do our best to express our own opinions respectfully, we can cheerfully debate and disagree to all our hearts’ content without fracturing the community.

I hope some of that is understandable - and not too long winded (I’m flawed in that way), I know I probably come off as the worst sort of kumbaya guidance counselor type (i’m really not that annoying usually, I promise), but I also don’t like seeing things devolve into arguments all the time and think generally it is more because of misunderstanding each other than malicious intent.


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## bcmii (Apr 17, 2021)

WaileaNoRei said:


> i think you make a lot of good points in this post, and thank you for making it, from someone who is (perhaps excessively) positive about the game. (And you are always respectful and open minded in expressing your opinions, and I appreciate that)
> 
> I think the same way people who are more critical may feel like people are trying to silence them or stop them from expressing negative views, those with more positive views of the game actually feel the same way.
> 
> ...



I like your nuanced take on this!


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## TheDuke55 (Apr 17, 2021)

I totally get that. There were times I'd hop by in a thread about discussing a topic or about adding something positive/what you like about NH ect and I'd see some of the more adamant members reply with things like 'Nothing.' or 'Everything from NL' and I'd be like 'Bro come on...' It really doesn't leave a lot for discussion and it wasn't really well thought out.

Those kind of replies are just as bad as the members who get really heated and go at anyone who discuses criticism of the game or ways it could be better.


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## Han Solo (Apr 17, 2021)

I really enjoy it but it definitely bums me out that there’s not enough....stuff. I was super excited to design my own island, but my island is still mostly empty because personally I just don’t like most of the furniture. I miss a lot of the little quirks from old games too, but I don’t expect everything from the old games to be in this one.


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## sleepydreepy (Apr 17, 2021)

I think its a good game, but not amazing. I enjoy playing it just as much as I enjoyed playing New Leaf.  I'm glad they added crafting to the game and I also really like that you can place furniture outside, however I am disappointed that they took out the mini games from Kapp'n's Island and left out other NPCs and buildings out too (hopefully they will add them in future updates).  After playing other life/farming sims though I feel like ACNH could use more mechanics and QOL upgrades to really make it great. I also think the monthly "updates" are lacking in content, and again they could be doing so much more with the game so it compares to other video games out there in the same genre. But overall I think its a good game, and I voted for "It's okay, and is just as good as the previous games." 

It will be interesting though to see everyone's opinions on the game once all the updates are finally released, and if they change.  I know before the game came out in early 2020 I was hopeful that the frequent updates would make the game more fun and keep me engaged in the game for a year or two, but now I honestly wish they just released the entire complete game last year. I can't express how frustrated I've been with each update, and how much less disappointed I'd be with the game if they just released everything all at once.


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## niko@kamogawa (Apr 18, 2021)

Numbers don't lie. I spent more time in New Horizons than New Leaf. For me, it's the best Animal Crossing game.


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## Manah (Apr 18, 2021)

As a building/designing game, it's really good and fun.

As a life sim and specifially AC game, it lacks the life and soul that NL had for me and I'm disappointed.


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## TheDuke55 (Apr 18, 2021)

Manah said:


> As a building/designing game, it's really good and fun.
> 
> As a life sim and specifially AC game, it lacks the life and soul that NL had for me and I'm disappointed.


Pretty much this. I feel like everything else has taken a backseat for customization/designing. I don't touch the designing aspect all that much, but when I do I can see why it's the best out of the series for it, but it's not the main reason I got into the series or why I bought the game.


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## moonford (Apr 18, 2021)

It's definitely my favourite Animal Crossing game. I've played this game without being heavily involved in the fanbase and it's made my experience much better, no toxicity brew'd from the perpetual arguments about the game. That, and the fact that I've literally only traded for NMTs (and previously villagers when the game first came out). I've definitely took an isolationist approach to island life (I get everything myself now)  and I feel as though that reflects my independent mindset irl. 

I can happily say I don't care about others opinions on the matter (can happily give my own though lol), whether they be good or bad. I cannot wait for this game to reach it's full potential even though I'm currently satisfied with what the game currently is at this stage in its life, knowing full well that we will eventually get more content in the future - I'm definitely patient with this game, it helps that I have a busy life outside of gaming so I'm not as crazed about it. 


Even though I said I don't particularly care about other opinions, I do hope that the vast majority can be happy eventually, when the game is finally finished. I say 'the vast majority' because you can't please everyone at the end of the day, and that's fine.


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## Sophie23 (Apr 18, 2021)

I think it’s the best game ever! It’s been super helpful & fun during Covid


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## Rika092 (Apr 18, 2021)

I would say new horizons is on path to become the greatest installment of AC franchise but until Nintendo pushes out more updates it for the foreseeable future, it has not beaten new leaf as my favorite game yet. Of course, it has the best graphic to date, and the QofL changes made to the game has really made lots of people (including myself) happy. But I think NH has been heavily focused on landscaping and decoration that it has shifted away from the life-simulation part of the gameplay. I feel like new leaf was heavy on the landscaping and interior decor too but there’s a really good balance in other aspects of the game, such as villager interactions and other game mechanisms like the mini-games and tortimer’s island.  In new leaf I constantly feel like there was so much to do, and I think because of that I was able to keep my interest in it for at least a good 2 years and half. NH, even though quite amazing as is, has not grabbed my attention as much as new leaf....

anyway for now this is how I feel; like some have said, I too would reserve my full review of the game until Nintendo stops supporting it, as I feel like more and more future updates might actually make some of my current reservations irrelevant at some point.


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## DaisyFan (Apr 18, 2021)

In my opinion, New Horizons is the most wonderful game! I like that I can decorate the furniture outside, terraform a bit, see the hobbies my villagers love, etc.


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## Sarah3 (Apr 18, 2021)

For me, I think this game is great. Sure, it has things it needs to improve on that will hopefully come in updates in the future. But overall, I still find something to do in-game every day and look forward to what the game has to offer going forward!


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## wolfie1 (Apr 19, 2021)

I voted that it needs a ton of work. I mean, just now I've read a thread from April 2020 in which there was a long list of around 30 items or so. I took a moment to read through it and I realized that only 4-5 items from that list had been added over the many updates released since April last year to a month ago. It made me realize how slowly Nintendo has been adding stuff to this game and they weren't even fully new, except for some items from different holidays. I mean, I already knew they were being super slow, but I didn't realize how slow everything had been until I saw that list. I don't even know how this stream of updates is going to continue for two or three years, but it sounds like torture to me, taking into account what each of them has added.


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## JKDOS (Apr 19, 2021)

As a huge fan of the series I love it

I believe it's better than the previous entries, but I also believe it could have been better given the hardware. Multiplayer being the prime example. Aside from having 8 players in multiplayer now,  multiplayer has not improved since Wild World.
It's literally the system.

Spend a minute asking the gatekeepers to open your gate. They must save and connect you to WIFI for some reason.
Exit menus and wait another minute or two for 1 single player to enter.
Others wanting to join will be stuck until current joining player joins
all players must exit menus and wait 1-2 minutes for additional players to join or leave.
No furniture can be moved with guest over.
Certain features just stop working while the gate is open.

Multiplayer for other games has worked better on systems more than 10 years older. Wild World was a given since it was on a Nintendo DS, and also the first Animal Crossing multiplayer experience. Then again, Metroid Prime Hunters was also Nintendo DS and it had great multiplayer support. I feel there is no excuse for the New Horizons, especially since multiplayer is now a premium feature.


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## Alicia (Apr 19, 2021)

I really love the game and I've been playing animal crossing games since the gamecube. I put a lot of hours into new horizon, but I stopped playing daily in August and haven't really come back to playing since. I check in every once in awhile, but overall I just really burned myself out. Sometimes I like to chat with my villagers or decorate small parts of my island, but overall I haven't been able to get back into playing it daily. I tend to go through phases with animal crossing games though, so I will probably randomly start playing it a lot at some point in the future.


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## xara (Apr 21, 2021)

i’ve been completely and totally honest about my opinion on the game. i’ve been playing since launch and while i certainly have my complaints (lack of multiplayer activities, npcs, furniture, etc), i still love new horizons with all my heart. i’ve had loads of fun with it over this past year and i’ve made so many wonderful friends + memories because of it, too. it’s a flawed game that needs more content imo but i still love it for what it is and am grateful to have it.


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## KingLuigi13 (Apr 21, 2021)

The additions New Horizons brought were amazing. Terraforming alone can keep one occupied for a long time. Exterior decorating + crafting are perfect. There's a lot to love about this game. But... It's not all sunshine and rainbows. The game truly lacks the "spirit" that previous installments had.

There are too many missing features to be 100% pleased, and it's sad how much content was stripped from older games. 
-Please start adding old NPCs(Kapp'n, Katrina, Tortimers, Gracie, Copper/Booker to name a few). 
-Id love for more villagers(15 would be ideal tbh, 12 may suffice. Dialogue is painfully repetitive as it is though so 15 might be maddening). 
-A Nook's Cranny upgrade should've been expected long ago. Maybe surprise us with an abels upgrade? 
-The ability to move multiple buildings in 1 day is necessary (copper/booker construction service please). 
-I wish the town hall square wasn't so boring and could be personalized, along with the other buildings like New Leaf had.
-So many amazing old furniture sets didn't make the cut. We could 100% use more crafted recipes and the addition of old sets (robo, cabin, chess pieces, kiddie to name a few)

I could sit here listing all of the features I'd love to be added or ones missing that previous games has. The list goes on and on... And on... I love this game, as I have every Animal Crossing. But this game has so much disappointment mixed in. Does anyone give a flying cahoot about Isabelle's favorite TV show or missing sock? Cmon man.


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## King koopa (Apr 21, 2021)

I feel like new horizons is an over 6/10. It really is a great game, but nothing is perfect. One of the main things I like about the game is that you can choose (if you're the resident rep) to move villager houses. It's a big step up because I remember when villagers would move in stupid places in New leaf and it took forever to get them out and now what was there before the villager moved in is gone . But at least now you don't have to worry about that anymore. Another thing is YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR SKIN TONE WITHOUT HAVING TO TAN YOURSELF OR WEAR MII MAKEUP! That was my only beef with new leaf back when it was new. And at least that was fixed. But, it still feels lacking. I wouldn't say it's the worst game in the series, but with a little more effort, I think I could easily make room in my heart for the game. Those things include:


Search option for crafting: Sometimes it's hard to find the recipe you need because you have to scroll allllllllllllllllllllllll the way down the list to find it. I think adding this would make crafting, which is a big part of the game 10x more better.

Max craft: Sometimes when you're crafting a lot of the same thing, it's kinda gets boring after a bit. I think if you have a lot of of the same materials to craft something, I think a max craft option would be necessary.

Multiplayer games: Remember tortimer island? (For people who never played new leaf, Club tortimer is a thing you can do in New leaf where you can go by yourself or with friends to go on tours, which are these mini games which have you doing things like finding ore, furniture, catching bugs, and even playing hide and seek with villagers who aren't in your town. You also earn medals, which you can exchange for mermaid furniture, and other cool accessories. By getting a certain amount of medals, you could even use club tortimer, which lets you play with people via the internet, plus there's a mini island outside the tortimer island building that lots of rare bugs and fish are, that you can sell for a lot of bells at night which is why I still play daily today). I do to. It gets kinda boring hanging out with friends since there's not much to do. But, I bet if Nintendo added tortimer island back, or something like it, a lot of people including myself would be very happy. There's even a dock on the beach, so maybe it will come back in the next summer update.


Adding back old Npcs: I kinda miss all the old npcs. They were all unique and even though some returned, like pascal, There's still enough missing Npc's to fill a city with, like my personal favorite, Katrina. Sure there's not much for them to do because most of them got their jobs taken like Pete (Boy did they do him dirty in this game) but I think Nintendo could still add them in, they just need new jobs.


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## Introverted Nautilus (Apr 21, 2021)

So I voted "okay, but could use a little work." 

I'm going to be honest; I'm quite disappointed with New Horizons. I have been playing Wild World for the past month, and it has brought so much more joy! Villagers are dimensional with dynamic relationships, hobbies, and conversations. I feel like a real inhabitant of the town, rather than a omnipotent designer. I adore the red turnip system, and I absolutely _love _gyroids. The first time I walked into a neighbor's house and was greeted by screaming and gargling gyroids, I burst out laughing. It was just so charming and delightful! I really don't have moments like that in New Horizons.


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