I struggled with deciding this for the first couple of months that New Horizons was out, but then I realized something that made it very clear. I have played New Horizons almost every day (I missed two days) since it was released. This never happened with New Leaf. New Leaf I loved, but I never got hooked on it like I do with New Horizons. I'd usually play New Leaf consistently from October to December, but after that I would start to miss days...then weeks...and then I basically never played in the summer. New Horizons has me absolutely hooked and therefore I believe it's the better game.
Which AC do you like more?
- Thread starter Kiados
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DarkSlayer1331
Senior Member
Definitely New Horizons for me. Like Gauncci above, this is the only game where I played consistently. I did go a bit without playing, from the end of May to about mid July - where I would play a day here or there to get the fish and bugs of the months. But with the summer update, I've been playing just about every day ever since. And if I missed a day, that was really it. Just one day. And I would put my clock back to do the dailies for that day and then go back to current time. I just love it. The ability to decorate outside, the excitement that my villagers have seeing me. I know that the dialogue isn't the greatest, and it can be repetitive, but that doesn't bother me too much.
That's not to say that New Leaf isn't good. It's still a great game, and it has things that would be awesome to have on NH. But it never had the pull on me like this one does.
That's not to say that New Leaf isn't good. It's still a great game, and it has things that would be awesome to have on NH. But it never had the pull on me like this one does.
iamjohnporter67
Senior Member
In terms of content I prefer New Leaf. There was always something new happening everyday when you were making the town as Mayor.
eseamir
festive water baby
I never played NL so I prefer NH, although based on what I've heard some of the things I'm used to with NH now (lots more design slots, terraforming, etc.) would make it pretty difficult for me to go back and play NL if I wanted to at this point haha
ForbiddenSecrets
Senior Member
While I miss some things like group mini games [and lemons please give me them back] I can't give up the beauty and creativity in NH. I find it really easy to zen out while playing and decorating a new area or just catching some fish. I also am very attached to things like villagers not moving away on me when I've had a bad mood swing and couldn't bring myself to play for a few weeks.
The game isn't perfect and I really hope we get more furniture but it beats NL for me.
The game isn't perfect and I really hope we get more furniture but it beats NL for me.
neoqueenserenity
The moonlight is a messenger of love.
I love every game for its own individualities, but between these two I had to pick New Horizons. 
If you asked me this same question 6 months ago, I would say New Leaf. But after all the updates we got until now, I think it's fair to say NH has surpassed NL.
In the end, every entry in the series is special in some way, as each one of them has it's quirks. Like, ACGC is completely different from every other game in the series (well, I'm not counting it's other versions and the original game on the N64, as they were never released outside Japan), and there's definitely some things in that game that I miss. But it's hard to come back to NL, for example. I could see myself playing ACGC again for a few weeks but I would probably go back to ACNH really fast haha.
In the end, every entry in the series is special in some way, as each one of them has it's quirks. Like, ACGC is completely different from every other game in the series (well, I'm not counting it's other versions and the original game on the N64, as they were never released outside Japan), and there's definitely some things in that game that I miss. But it's hard to come back to NL, for example. I could see myself playing ACGC again for a few weeks but I would probably go back to ACNH really fast haha.
I played ACNL for like an hour some weeks ago and like it was such a serene calm experience. ... all I feel playing acnh is stress.. just as my real life. Trying to get ballooons all the time.. chasing different colorways and trying to terraform the island to feel cozy but it just feels plasticky and fake. The villagers are shallow af... the items are few. .. i actually time traveled for the first time in this series and I also reset which i never have done before. It feels more like a game than a cozyness simulator.. and it makes me sad. The lack of Brewster makes me sad. My favorite villager of all time just saying hes going to sweat and go on patrols makes me sad. Theres a lot I like dont get me wrong. Its just so far away from why I play ac ti begin with. And the soundtrack is absolute ass. Theres maybe one song I like/tolerate. Also the rain effect is just a camera filter for some reason...
If you feel NH isn’t fun to the point you even feel dread when you load it up, why do you keep playing it? That is so strange.
I do miss some features from New Leaf, namely the absurd amount of furniture, some PWPs, like the topiaries and the fountain statue, and the hourly music. However, I definitely prefer New Horizons. I noticed that I'm playing New Horizons much more than I used to play New Leaf, although I am busier than I was a couple of years ago. IMHO, there's more to do in New Horizons than in New Leaf. After a while, Tortimer Island and its mini-games got boring for me, so there wasn't much to do apart from talking to villagers.
On that note, I think New Leaf's dialogue was worse than New Horizon's because NL's villagers kept repeating the same lines twice or three times in a row! It was so annoying to talk with villagers that I did it less and less often until villagers started telling me that they hadn't seen me in days even though I had been playing because I hadn't talked to them for days or weeks! In New Horizons, they do keep telling the same stuff over and over again but at least they don't repeat a line of dialogue just after having said it. For me, this is more important than the lines themselves.
I feel like New Horizons is a more "alive" game. Villagers do more things around the island, they are definitely more lively compared to the past, except for the dialogue part, which was much better in Wild World (I haven't played AC on the Gamecube, sadly). In New Leaf, I only concentrated on decorating and landscaping. In New Horizons, I feel more like I'm contributing to the creation of a community.
On that note, I think New Leaf's dialogue was worse than New Horizon's because NL's villagers kept repeating the same lines twice or three times in a row! It was so annoying to talk with villagers that I did it less and less often until villagers started telling me that they hadn't seen me in days even though I had been playing because I hadn't talked to them for days or weeks! In New Horizons, they do keep telling the same stuff over and over again but at least they don't repeat a line of dialogue just after having said it. For me, this is more important than the lines themselves.
I feel like New Horizons is a more "alive" game. Villagers do more things around the island, they are definitely more lively compared to the past, except for the dialogue part, which was much better in Wild World (I haven't played AC on the Gamecube, sadly). In New Leaf, I only concentrated on decorating and landscaping. In New Horizons, I feel more like I'm contributing to the creation of a community.
0019293893
Senior Member
New Horizons has a longer play life to me because the island can always be completely redesigned and remodeled unlike the other games.
UglyMonsterFace
Arize from Azulon
While I feel like New Leaf is the more complete game, I still adore New Horizons way more due to the customization, the clothing, being able to change my character's face any time rather than be stuck with it forever. Plus, more features are going to be added throughout the years. If by the time they stop the free updates, it hasn't added all the things I want in the game that are in New Leaf, then I might reconsider. But I absolutely adore New Horizons right now, especially knowing it will grow and improve still 
I love ACNL and it definitely lives in my memory as one of the best games I've played and enjoyed, but I probably can't replay it now that I've been spoiled by the features from ACNH. I could only return to ACNL if I wanted to run around my old towns when I'm feeling nostalgic. NH can definitely be improved upon but I'm already really happy with how it is now. Even the things that frustrate me like popping balloons for seasonal DIYs, can easily be bought or traded if I'm feeling impatient. Then again, I understand that some people don't want to rely on online play to get certain things which could lower their overall feeling towards the game and how grindy it can be, but playing online with others have always been a part of my Animal Crossing experience, so those kind of things don't weigh that heavily for me. I'll be extremely happy if they add new items (or bring back some old ones) down the line, that's the only thing I think is lacking really.
It's not strange in the least.
I've been playing AC for fifteen years.
I guess like so many other AC players who feel exactly the same way I do, are hanging on, clinging to a shred of hope, that AC finds it's way back to the great game it has always been.
cherrygirl
Senior Member
I love both games a lot. I love new leaf for the different furniture/clothing, villager interactions and the memories I created in the game. Bc of nl I had a new favourite villager Lopez and the day he left was the day I restarted my island bc he left and I didn’t see the point in keeping my island. However as much as I love new leaf I think I love new horizons more mainly bc I can change the layout and terraform. Plus the graphics look so much better then new horizons
I used to like new leaf more when I started new horizons. I found new horizons kinda boring compared to new leaf, and I missed some features new leaf had, like the tortimer island for example. This summer I barely played new horizons, but a month ago I started playing again and now I'm very addicted. Now I really like new horizons more because the possibility to terraform, put decorations outside, etc... I hope in the future there will be an open island like tortimers island to meet new people and play games! 
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