Why I think ACNH is great, but my friend finds it meh

[Michelangelo]

My friend and I both played Animal Crossing games growing up, but she started with WW, and I started with the GCN one. After telling her how sick I am of some people dumping on this game, she told me this one thing as to why her experience felt lackluster compared to mine:

Back when she played WW, she told me she just chilled. She did not care about decorating her house at all. Really, that was the only space to decorate: our house. Now the whole field can be decorated. Since decorating never appealed to her, this is probably the reason why she didn't have a fun experience with NH. NH is all about designing and decorating a deserted island filled with possibilities.

I love designing and decorating and having the flexibility of moving buildings, adjusting the river flow, building cliffs, and putting furniture outside. Most previous games didn't have such options. The creative control is much better in NH than in NL. I don't have to waste time plot resetting to make sure my villager moves in a good spot. I can buy as many trees as I want without having to wait days and days. I can even reuse trees in other spots instead of axing them down if they're in the way. I love now that fences can be placed to make actual yards instead of them oddly squeezing the houses. There are so many options to designing and decorating, and I get excited seeing how a deserted valley can turn into a beautiful neighborhood forest.

With many Animal Crossing games available, I think different titles will attract different audiences. If you like complete creative control, this game is for you! If you like a more laid-back approach with no big town planning or decorating, the older games might appeal more.

 

[kiriod]

i definitely agree with you!! i believe that new horizons was essentially made to appeal to those who enjoy exterior design, as a lot of what the game focuses on is .... exterior design. plus, with being able to adjust how cliffs look and the rivers as well, it's clear what group of people this game was made to appeal to.

however, i really wish they could've made new horizons more ... idk ... able to appeal to others i guess? i don't know how to better word that. i think if they added more tasks for you to do, then it could appeal to so many more people! more mini games, more things to do in multiplayer mode, etc etc. as someone who enjoys those aspects of the game as well, it makes me a little sad that there isn't more to do besides designing the island. but, at the same time, i love designing the island so i still enjoy the game a whole lot? i dunno - so many mixed feelings, haha

 

[KayDee]

I mean she could do the same thing with NH and just chill. She doesn’t have to decorate and leave the island the way it was when she arrived just like in WW unless she feels pressured to decorate when seeing other people’s islands, which I guess could affect her enjoyment of the game.

 

[moon_child]

Yes I definitely see your point. Different iterations of the game fit different playstyles and maybe her playstyle isn’t the type NH is suited to. For people like me who likes to micromanage and enjoys having control in the game, NH offered so much in terms of gameplay that it overshadowed what the game lacks in content. I don’t think it’s a perfect game by far but I can play it with more ease and peace of mind than I ever did other iterations prior to it. The control given to the player (where you put houses and buildings, rivers and cliffs, who you invite to your island, no surprise sudden move outs, no grass deterioration, being able to decorate as you please etc) in this game made me feel like I can play the game stress free and more relaxed.

 

[Michelangelo]

I mean she could do the same thing with NH and just chill. She doesn’t have to decorate and leave the island the way it was when she arrived just like in WW unless she feels pressured to decorate when seeing other people’s islands, which I guess could affect her enjoyment of the game.

That's true. Once you get past the tutorial and finish the main storyline, you're free to play however you want, honestly.

Post automatically merged: Feb 20, 2021

Yes I definitely see your point. Different iterations of the game fit different playstyles and maybe her playstyle isn’t the type NH is suited to. For people like me who likes to micromanage and enjoys having control in the game, NH offered so much in terms of gameplay that it overshadowed what the game lacks in content. I don’t think it’s a perfect game by far but I can play it with more ease and peace of mind than I ever did other iterations prior to it. The control given to the player (where you put houses and buildings, rivers and cliffs, who you invite to your island, no surprise sudden move outs, no grass deterioration, being able to decorate as you please etc) in this game made me feel like I can play the game stress free and more relaxed.

Yes, that's how I feel too! I love having more control! In fact, the grass deterioration is what made CF my least liked AC game. Since I liked making pretty landscapes, the dying grass ruined that for me. Some people probably couldn't care less about it, but I remember it was one of the major flaws that lots of people complained about.

 

[DarkSlayer1331]

I think this is why I really like New Horizons. Like you said, it's all about decorating the entire island, not just your house. Even with the PWPs in NL, it just wasn't as... deep. And I like decorating so much that I actually do seasonal decorating throughout the entire island. That way when the seasons change, I get to change so much stuff! And I decorate for the holidays too. September was the start of fall, with scarecrows and barrels and hay beds and all the natural agricultural looking stuff. Then October came and I got to have a big ole pumpkin patch, and make a ton of Spooky DIY stuff to go all around! Come November, starting to get all the Spooky stuff off, and get some Mush series goodies out there! December brought about some ice and festive stuff... and then January was the removal of festive and having all ice everywhere! And I got to get ready for Valentine's Day with the pink and red flowers and... ugh I just loved it! I'm really looking forward to transitioning into spring starting next week!!!

 

[Dog]

Makes sense to me. If you can't make your own fun, so to speak, you may be playing the wrong game...

And I like decorating so much that I actually do seasonal decorating throughout the entire island. That way when the seasons change, I get to change so much stuff!

I do this too. ^^ It keeps me motivated to keep playing, and it gives screenshots more variety. Good luck on your spring decorating!

 

[Marshmallows]

I like to decorate, but it can be a little overwhelming when it's the whole island! And even if you're happy living on a golf course, the flowers can easily get out of hand making everything look cluttered anyway.

I spent a lot of time in NL fishing and catching bugs because I didn't trade with others, now I spend a lot of time terraforming and reterraforming my island because it never looks quite right. It can be frustrating to have an idea in your head, spend hours designing and making it, and then having to undo the whole thing because it's not quite what you imagined. I find the game pretty chill, but I can understand people's frustrations, especially when they compare their island to others.

 

[CrankyCupcake]

It's so strange to read that many players see NH as being all about designing and decorating an island.

I played WW and NL and enjoyed them. I don't enjoy decorating. I enjoy NH.

There are so many ways to play AC because it's a sandbox game. Animal Crossing is all about the animals for me. As long as there are animal villagers for me to interact with, I can enjoy the heck out of the game. The ability to decorate outside of one's house is a fantastic feature. But it remains an option. No player should feel like they must decorate every single square inch of their island in order to prove or to show that they enjoy NH or that they are playing the game the way it's meant to be played.

 

[JKDOS]

As others have said, you can get by without decorating or terraforming. Even if you did play this way, the nice thing is that the option to decorate is always there if you ever decide to use it. Sometimes putting a picnic table or bench somewhere can make a big difference in scenery.

ETA: I've been using the dreaming feature a lot more recently. I definitely recommend giving it a try if you just want to get away from decorating and just chill

 

[jefflomacy]

I mean she could do the same thing with NH and just chill. She doesn’t have to decorate and leave the island the way it was when she arrived just like in WW unless she feels pressured to decorate when seeing other people’s islands, which I guess could affect her enjoyment of the game.

The negative impact of social media on people's well-being with enjoying this game absolutely cannot be understated.

 

[Michelangelo]

There are so many ways to play AC because it's a sandbox game. Animal Crossing is all about the animals for me. As long as there are animal villagers for me to interact with, I can enjoy the heck out of the game. The ability to decorate outside of one's house is a fantastic feature. But it remains an option. No player should feel like they must decorate every single square inch of their island in order to prove or to show that they enjoy NH or that they are playing the game the way it's meant to be played.

I understand. The decorating and designing aspect are the promoted features, but they are optional. In fact, islands that are too decorated begin to look cluttered. There are some people who think that once they decorate their island, there's nothing left to do. But like you said, there are still plenty of things to do besides decorating!

If you can't make your own fun, so to speak, you may be playing the wrong game...

I agree with that! Like I said above, there's plenty to do besides decorating your island. Making your own fun is important in an open ended game like AC. Just look at all the creative videos and photos people made at Harvey's Island!

Post automatically merged: Feb 21, 2021

I like to decorate, but it can be a little overwhelming when it's the whole island! And even if you're happy living on a golf course, the flowers can easily get out of hand making everything look cluttered anyway.

I spent a lot of time in NL fishing and catching bugs because I didn't trade with others, now I spend a lot of time terraforming and reterraforming my island because it never looks quite right. It can be frustrating to have an idea in your head, spend hours designing and making it, and then having to undo the whole thing because it's not quite what you imagined. I find the game pretty chill, but I can understand people's frustrations, especially when they compare their island to others.

There's a great website called Happy Island Designer which lets you pick a map roughly similar to your starting map, and from there you can design how things look without spending extra time or bells in game! It's handy to plan your whole island this way. Also, comparing islands is what leads others to disappointment. Even the most decorated islands have their faults.

 

[Moritz]

I dont know if I agree with this.

I enjoyed designing my island and have sunk countless hours into doing that. I won't lie about that. But I still play the game every day, sometimes for hours each day, since having completed my island.

I first started my island on the day the game came out. I have every bug, and every fish but one I missed (but its back in march!). Today I spent around 3 hours on the game fishing, digging up fossils to give to my villagers, talking to them all, doing tasks for them, chopping wood, shaking trees. I forgot to go diving for pascal... oh well.

But I managed to do all that and not do any design work at all.

I think there is lots of fun to be had in the game without having to design your island.

The only thing that's forced on to you design wise, is that it's down to you to put down the plots for houses and shops. Outside of that, you don't even need to get the island to 3 stars if you dont really want to... (but K.K... come on you want him on your island each week)

Like in all animal crossing games before it, its up to you to make your own fun. Just because its added customisation tools, doesn't mean the content of the past isn't there. Everything she would have done in older games is in this one. (Apart from mini games and house visits)

 

[Cosmic-chan]

I think Acnh is like Sims and Minecraft mixed in one. In a way you get to design your house and the outside world with all the times given in the game. You get to help your villagers with task and manage them and what they do. However, you have to gather materials and work your way up to the top of your game. It's basically one of those apps on your phone that would take up so much space but yet you wouldn't delete it because you're addicted to seeing your town/island grow. It's a life simulator. You get to manage an island that's made by you for you. That's what I like about the game. No it's not perfect but it caters to people like me who care less about doing boring lame tasks and more about keeping their island looking pretty while making their villagers happy. I really love the idea of crafting due to my younger self liking Minecraft. While I don't love Sims as a whole I appreciate the design aspects of the game which is why I love acnh. It's your island and your character make your island and character unique to you. It's not a cookie cutter game like the old AC games. You get to literally tear your island down and build it from the ground up and for that, I love acnh.

Post automatically merged: Feb 21, 2021

Also another thing, I think people get so caught up in comparing acnh to other games in the AC series that they end up hating the game because it doesn't have what an old game does. Yes pocket camp and NL both have items that we want in acnh but, as of now acnh was more focused on holidays and now the anniversary but now that those are over we perhaps will see more items. Let's also not forget the developers are focused on big projects such as Splatoon 3.

 

[Fridaynightcatlady]

I love NH. It's probably one of my favorite AC games in the series.

I think of the great things about NH is that it includes all the best (or most) recurring features from the previous games but adds so much more to it, as its own installment in the series. In NH you have the power to play anyway you like to play. That is, if you want to play in a "deserted"-ish island with few villagers, you can do that (you don't have to even reach 10). You can still play in your tent (you'd have to start a 2nd character and delete the first) and you can play in the most nature, chill environment if that's your thing. You can even keep your Nooks upgraded to the 1st upgrade.

 

[Etown20]

I think social media and the online community play a big factor in this. Decorating was always a part of the series for sure, but I feel like a lot of the interest in designing and decorating your island has been organically generated by the player base through sharing screenshots (as opposed to Nintendo emphasizing that feature).

I'm glad people are finding multiple ways to enjoy the game, and I think that's part of what makes the game good.

 

[coldpotato]

Yeah that definitely makes sense. I'd say the game is perfect for people who love decorating and also love collecting things. While there are for sure other things to do in the game, I did notice a very large portion of the game play is decorating your island. There are some things to complete that take a while (like the museum, DIYS, your catalog), but once those are done you're mostly left with decorating and repetitive nook miles tasks that aren't very fun. If you want to entertain yourself further you have to become creative in some way, possibly by making up new games to play with your friends on your island or something of that sort. I used to be really into decorating but I got very burned out on it. I really don't like decorating much at all right now. I've collected pretty much everything I wanted to collect and not many of my friends want to play the game anymore so I don't host game nights or set up catalog events for entertainment anymore. Now I hardly play the game and just wait for updates to bring me back in or for when I get the urge to decorate again.

 

[Valeris]

I really do think NH was released as an incomplete game to capitalize on the current circumstances going on at the time. It's a very shrewd business move and makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, that left a lot of content out that's still being updated into the game. There's just no comparison between New Leaf and Horizons as far as quality of life changes; Horizons is just the better game in that aspect. New Leaf has so much charm though, so much content. I'd think as far as Horizons goes we're headed for a big update soon, one that breathes new life into the game that it sorely needs.

 

[JemAC]

As others have said you can get by in the game with no or very little decorating or terraforming of the island but NH does seem to have a big focus on it because it's such a unique feature of the game and allows people to be more creative in their gameplay. I really enjoy this feature of the game, though it's not perfect and trying to dig a good pond or terraform effectively can be a little tricky at times, and I love using the dream feature to visit the lovely islands that have been uploaded, it's nice to see how varied they all are and to gather inspiration when I have a creative block.
It did take me a very long time to get into outside decorating though, before this I'd spend most of my time villager hunting, decorating the house interior or working on my museum by trying to complete my critterpedia and while I was happy enough with this, and felt no pressure to get into decorating my island until I decided I wanted to, I can see why those who don't want to decorate might prefer an older version of the game. I have spent many hours in the past playing Wild World and I own New Leaf, though I never played it much so I don't remember the game very well, and fishing/bug catching were easier when you didn't have to constantly craft more tools and NL is stronger in overall content compared to NH, particularly in regards to furniture sets for interior decorating. Also I think the lack of any mini games slightly alienates some players who have little interest in the decorating aspect of NH, but hopefully throughout the updates more content and features will be added to make the game more appealing to everyone.

 

[sleepydreepy]

I also am attracted to AC/ACNH because of its design aspect, and thats my main incentive for playing the game in the first place. Because of the creative freedom given to us in ACNH I think its a great game for me, but I can understand how others who like interacting with their villagers and feeling apart of a "town" are disappointed with the game. The developers seem to have put more work into making this more of a decorating game instead of a (social) life simulation game. The only real social interaction you get in ACNH is talking to your villagers who have limited dialogue lines. The fact that you can't really do much else with them does make them seem "lifeless" when you are craving a deeper connection with them. Furthermore there is not much you the character can do in your town other than decorate and talk to villagers. I think to improve this developers could add the option of mini games to ACNH, in addition to adding more depth to villager personalities.