anyone else really disappointed in the soundtrack?

[MayorJuan]

I completely agree! Aside from 5PM (which isn't even that iconic) all the others just blend in and sound the same. Aside from 5PM, you can play any song for me and I would not even be able to tell you what time it is from. I miss New Leaf's soundtrack

 

[Llunavale]

I think I agree, but I'm trying not to compare it too much to the likes of NL or, especially for me, WW, because it was bound to be different (remember when CF had the same soundtrack as WW - no one would drop it haha). To be fair, the 8am song in NH is absolutely almighty.

Certainly though, for me, there's nothing like the NL 4am or 7pm songs in NH, or the 4pm WW song and no intro since WW has resonated with me as much - "Welcome Horizons" is kind of...it's okay, but I've heard it none stop in trailers, IRL marketing campaigns, etc., I kind of just associate it with advertising now so it doesn't really have the same wholesome vibe the likes of PG and WW had.

 

[Sheando]

I completely agree. I’ve played almost 200 hours at this point and still struggle to recall a single hourly tune from memory. Meanwhile I still hum the Wild World theme (a game I played 14 years ago) and the evening music from New Leaf (which I played from 2013-2017) without even noticing. I can’t believe how.....phoned in this soundtrack feels.

 

[Michelangelo]

I don't understand the hate for the soundtrack. To me, it's very symbolic of the stages you're currently in while in-game. The very beginning of the game features calm, relaxing music, which symbolizes the quiet, desolate island feel. It is repetitive, but it does change slightly as you near the end of the prologue phase.

When you get the Town Hall, your island is a little more developed. The music reflects that, because it is more upbeat. The upbeat soundtrack symbolizes the thriving island.

During events, like the fishing tourney, the music is very strong. At this point, your island has all the shops, and it's brimming with citizens. Events started when the island became a village. The loud theatrical music during events symbolizes the growth of your island. It's no longer a quiet speck in the ocean.

That's what I appreciate about this soundtrack. It goes from calm and quiet (deserted island), to upbeat and boppin' (developed community).

I think people need to give this soundtrack more of a chance. There are some really good pieces of music in this game, for real.

 

[Briana0666]

I just came here to say I love KK Adventure. It feels extremely familiar and I can’t quite place it yet

 

[Spooky.]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the soundtrack. I miss how New Leaf was soothing, especially at night.
I wish we had the option to mute the music but not the sound effects. I'd totally just play NL's soundtrack while playing NH.

 

[TheKryptoKnight]

Nope, almost the complete opposite. I love this soundtrack and absolutely hated New Leaf's. They went back to the funkier sounds of the GameCube game and I'm glad for it. I had to play with New Leaf muted because that music was grating to me.

 

[meggiewes]

I can see the NL music being calming, but the NH music reminds me a lot of the original AC soundtrack. It also sounds a lot like the music from Wild World.

Animal Crossing 7 AM

Wild World 8 AM

New Horizons 9 AM

As someone who started with NL, I do love that soundtrack. But it is really clear that outside of the beautiful 5 AM track, the NH soundtrack has much more in common to previous AC titles than the NL soundtrack ever did.

 

[TheKryptoKnight]

I can see the NL music being calming, but the NH music reminds me a lot of the original AC soundtrack. It also sounds a lot like the music from Wild World.

Animal Crossing 7 AM

Wild World 8 AM

New Horizons 9 AM

As someone who started with NL, I do love that soundtrack. But it is really clear that outside of the beautiful 5 AM track, the NH soundtrack has much more in common to previous AC titles than the NL soundtrack ever did.

This is pretty much the perfect post in my eyes, haha... I'm always SO confused when I read that this soundtrack "doesn't sound like Animal Crossing"... No, NL is the one that went in a totally different direction from Animal Crossing! And anyone can prefer whatever they want, but like objectively, the music in this game is more like the music in the original games!

 

[LambdaDelta]

oh yeah, new leaf's was certainly pretty bland

 

[meggiewes]

This is pretty much the perfect post in my eyes, haha... I'm always SO confused when I read that this soundtrack "doesn't sound like Animal Crossing"... No, NL is the one that went in a totally different direction from Animal Crossing! And anyone can prefer whatever they want, but like objectively, the music in this game is more like the music in the original games!

I really didn't understand how different NL was until I looked up the soundtracks to the previous games. The first time I heard the original AC music, I HATED it! I like it now because I gave it a chance. I feel like NH helped me appreciate the previous soundtracks better.

It makes me wonder how many people who dislike NH's soundtrack started with NL? I remember being taken aback when I first heard the hourly music in NH, but I had been craving funkier music for some reason so it just landed in the right place at the right time for me.

 

[RooftopsRevolution]

My boyfriend and I both second this.
I have speakers around my town playing forest life or the Animal City theme. I usually put on an hour long version of the New Leaf hourly tracks when I'm playing now. It grew on me but I generally think the music is bland and doesn't hold a candle to previous games... and I'm pretty sure it's not nostalgia talking.

 

[Sansy]

The hate for the New Horizons soundtrack is very strange to me, especially compared to New Leaf? I only really remember being impressed by the 5PM track for New Leaf, and pretty much everything else was very forgettable. I think NH has a lot of really nice night time and morning tracks, they certainly aren't any worse than NL?

 

[TheKryptoKnight]

I really didn't understand how different NL was until I looked up the soundtracks to the previous games. The first time I heard the original AC music, I HATED it! I like it now because I gave it a chance. I feel like NH helped me appreciate the previous soundtracks better.

It makes me wonder how many people who dislike NH's soundtrack started with NL? I remember being taken aback when I first heard the hourly music in NH, but I had been craving funkier music for some reason so it just landed in the right place at the right time for me.

I always wonder the same thing. Like if NL was your base line, I can totally see being like "What the heck did they do to the music in this game?" And I can't begrudge anyone their opinion if they prefer what NL did. But I personally had to always play with it muted, because it was so out of sync with what I think of as Animal Crossing, to the point of being distracting. There are a few NL tracks I like... But I'm much happier with what we've got here. I think it could stand to be even funkier

 

[Clock]

Im not disappointed with NH’s soundtrack, but it sounds the same every hour in a way. I like 5PM, 7AM, 8AM the most though. But I have to say that acnl sounds nicer because its different every hour.

 

[Strawberryllama]

I hated it at first, but it’s kinda growing on me. I still prefer New Leaf’s music though

 

[dragonair]

I completely agree, I was so disappointed in the hourly music in this game. There are some hours that I completely avoid playing just because I can't stand the music (8 AM and 2 PM come to mind.) When I listen back to past games they fill me with such nostalgia but I also remember how much the music just....blended. I know that's weird to say, but no matter when I was playing past games I would listen to the music and the ambient sounds and I just felt content. The music in New Horizons stands out in a really bad way for me.

 

[Vespyr]

I can see the NL music being calming, but the NH music reminds me a lot of the original AC soundtrack. It also sounds a lot like the music from Wild World.

As someone who started with NL, I do love that soundtrack. But it is really clear that outside of the beautiful 5 AM track, the NH soundtrack has much more in common to previous AC titles than the NL soundtrack ever did.

This sums up my thoughts about the NH soundtrack perfectly. I agree, it's much more reminiscent of classic AC titles like the OG GC version and WW, and for that reason I actually prefer it to NL, which, while pretty in its own unique way, felt like a departure from the "old school" AC soundtracks to me at least. NL had more of a melancholy air to it imo, while NH feels more cheerful and whimsical. There are even tracks that feature brief motifs from older soundtracks. I could have sworn I heard a bit of the WW intro and even NL's iconic 5pm beat somewhere in there! (Can't remember which tracks in particular but I swear I'm not going crazy!)

For those who prefer the NL feel, the very early morning tracks in NH have that contemplative piano that's kind of similar. 2am and 5am are gorgeous and some of my favorites (although I rarely get to hear the latter ).

That said, I have to agree with those who aren't a fan of 2pm... it's just kind of grating with that synth or electric guitar or whatever it is, and this is coming from someone who likes a lot of synth-based music. I think my only other main criticism of the current soundtrack is that it follows the main theme almost a little *too* closely. It could afford to deviate a little more to avoid sounding repetitive at times, but other than that I like it.

EDIT: My favorite AC soundtrack still is and always will be WW until something better comes along. NH is a close second for now!

 

[Tobyjgv]

I personally really miss the NL music- it was very cozy and gave me a happy feeling I also liked how it changed based on weather, I hope that maybe that'll come in a future update?

 

[Bugs]

I really liked the music at first, but it's got sort of annoying to listen to now.

The songs themselves are fine in isolation, but they are a lot more noticeable when playing in this game I think. The music in the previous games was good but also successfully blended I to the gameplay in the background, so I wouldn't get tired of those songs. Maybe the new songs are too tuneful or something?