Animal Crossing: New Horizons

 Switch
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6617 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,370 out of 6617
  2. Mixed: 571 out of 6617
  3. Negative: 2,676 out of 6617
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  1. Amyka
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Worst family game ever!!!! IT IS BASICALLY A ONE PERSON GAME.
    NO, YOU CANNOT PLAY TOGETHER WITHOUT FIGHTS!!! BECAUSE ONLY THE PERSON WHO STARTS THE GAME GET TO ADVANCE. THE REST OF THE PLAYERS ARE JUST LIKE VISITORS ON THE ISLAND AND HAVE LIMITED THINGS TO DO. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??? WILL BE RETURNING THE GAME !!!!    … Expand
  2. Blahha
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Fix the multiplayer and it’d be a 10, this game is great but with a fundamentally broken multiplayer it’s almost useless in regards to the original purchase reasoning. Close to impossible to have meaningful play with my significant other and children. Need the option to designate other players are island representatives with full control and ability.
  3. lazycomplife
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    This is everything I've ever wanted in an animal crossing game. My only complaint is the durability on tools. Everything else is wonderful so far. I hope those leaving negative reviews actually get the chance to play this amazing game.
  4. Fuzzyllama
    Mar 25, 2020
    2
    Hugely disappointed. We were super excited for this to come out. My husband downloaded it so he was the first to play. I got on later and I had to be on his island. Bummer... Well now I can't do the quests he's able to do. He works third shift so he doesn't play as much as I do. Please fix this!!
  5. Knivesncrystals
    Mar 25, 2020
    8
    Calming but fun. Very enjoyable for someone who plays many different types of games and was looking for something easy-going to play for about an hour each day. I did have to get used to playing in real-time, but its all good now
  6. CyborgDanny
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    The decision to limit one island per switch is an embarrassingly horrible marketing decision to get people to buy another nentendo switch. Meaning that each save file of this game costs about three hundred and sixty dollars. I wonder why nentendo would do that? O yeah, money.

    Not only that, but second player on couch co-op is bafflingly aweful. all items picked up by the second player    The decision to limit one island per switch is an embarrassingly horrible marketing decision to get people to buy another nentendo switch. Meaning that each save file of this game costs about three hundred and sixty dollars. I wonder why nentendo would do that? O yeah, money.

    Not only that, but second player on couch co-op is bafflingly aweful. all items picked up by the second player are sent to a box instead of the inventory for no conceivable reason.    … Expand
  7. Hawkeye1621
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    It's Animal Crossing! 'Nuff said! And to all the butt hurt players let me point out something;
    Locking each switch to one island makes sense. It's the exact same as when it came out on EVERY OTHER SYSTEM. When it came out on GameCube, the Memory card could only hold one town. If you wanted another you had to buy another memory card. The DS and 3DS Games only had enough storage for one    It's Animal Crossing! 'Nuff said! And to all the butt hurt players let me point out something;
    Locking each switch to one island makes sense. It's the exact same as when it came out on EVERY OTHER SYSTEM. When it came out on GameCube, the Memory card could only hold one town. If you wanted another you had to buy another memory card. The DS and 3DS Games only had enough storage for one Town. The Wii only only had one town per Wii. Most of you idiots must not be dedicated fans, otherwise you would know that. Think, or at least learn about the product,, before you wrongfully try to bash it Animal Crossing has been a favorite pastime of mine for 19 years and still going!    … Expand
  8. Kooter_Karnage
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Seriously could have been one of the best Animal Crossing expierences yet, till the shameless and relentless greed of Nintendo is once again thrown back in your face the moment you realize in order to have more than one island, you need more than one switch. Cmon, really... not cool
  9. acfanND
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I started playing Animal Crossing years ago on the Game Cube, have played almost every version on every platform and have been waiting for a full console game for years. I am thrilled with this game and have been trying to pace myself. They’ve made enough changes to make the game fun to play while keeping enough of the traditional Animal Crossing pieces that there is still familiarity. I can’t wait to continue in the game, fill my museum, and customize my island!… Expand
  10. jaystratz
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    Love this game, so chill so nice. I will be sinking huge amounts of hours into this game.
  11. Monflo
    Mar 25, 2020
    3
    Tiempos de carga son lentisimos para un juego con graficas inferiores a los de hoy en dia en juegos en un smarphone, lo compre y lo jugue 3 dias ahora quedara tirado por buen rato mucho hype pesima compra
  12. HowDoYouPlay
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. From a single player standpoint, this game is amazing. It has lovely graphics, as well as being jam packed full of content. The only reason this isn't getting a perfect score is because of the 1 island per console rule. I play with my sister, and I was the one who started the island. After watching her play for a bit, It was clear how the game satisfaction to both players were very different. She didn't get to decide where structures such as houses or shops would be placed, and it was a bit confusing at first to figure out how she could get the recipes that I had already learned by completing missions such as donating to Tom Nook. This leads me to my next point, which is how player two wont get as much satisfaction from the game as player one would, whereas player one had to complete an objective to gain an important tool crafting recipe, which has a sense of reward, while player two would have the recipe appear in the shop, not having to work for it. If Nintendo had added the feature of being able to have multiple islands per console, there would be no question that Animal Crossing New Horizons would get that perfect 10/10 from almost everyone.… Expand
  13. Franky1993
    Mar 25, 2020
    5
    What an amazing game super fun to play I grew up with Nintendo but i have never played animal crossing and wow i have been missing out. It's fun to play theres tons of things to do and kill time especially with the corona virus going on right now. But i have to give this game a 5 and that reason being is that well to start off i got this game for my wife she loves animal crossing. We wereWhat an amazing game super fun to play I grew up with Nintendo but i have never played animal crossing and wow i have been missing out. It's fun to play theres tons of things to do and kill time especially with the corona virus going on right now. But i have to give this game a 5 and that reason being is that well to start off i got this game for my wife she loves animal crossing. We were excited to play until we found out we couldn't have two islands you would need to purchase a separate switch to have two island's what a bummer :( and you're limited on the second player i hope they listen to the gamer base and change this because we are not happy. Please fix this! I'd give this a ten but the lack of another island baffles me.… Expand
  14. Henlo
    Mar 25, 2020
    4
    Overall a really good game but it sucks that you can't play the on same island on a secondary console. My primary reason for me to buy the game was to play on the same Island as my fiance at the same time instead of this bad couch co-op. Or atleast be able to play the game split screened. I'm dissapointed. :/
  15. Kael_Ebbs
    Mar 25, 2020
    1
    Game was great, until I realized you could only have 1 save. With progress locked to one character, so if you share your Switch with other users, you're unable to make any kind of progress unless the original character has done so. Nintendo expecting people to go out and buy another $300 console just for another Switch is completely unacceptable.
  16. Dave2319
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Game is really bad. All these crazy high scores from reviewers are straight up criminal. Practically always have long double confirmation with every transaction, no goals, crazy checklists

    It's amidst like a much much worse version of minecraft
  17. Novaliis
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    Most of the negatives that are mentioned in some reviews here don't apply to me, because I am the only one using my Switch to play that particular game. I do understand though, that it must be upsetting for people with family in the household and one switch device, and now they cannot all enjoy the game the way they thought. To me, the game is almost perfect, the only thing that keeps meMost of the negatives that are mentioned in some reviews here don't apply to me, because I am the only one using my Switch to play that particular game. I do understand though, that it must be upsetting for people with family in the household and one switch device, and now they cannot all enjoy the game the way they thought. To me, the game is almost perfect, the only thing that keeps me from giving this game a perfect score is the still not resolved issue with the cloud save option. Considering that Animal Crossing is a game that many people play for years, it would be terrible to lose all of the progress when your Switch gets damaged/lost or you simply would love to get a different Switch console.
    Other than that, it is a incredibly cute game that keeps me wanting to go back and play every day, which I was not expecting, since this is my first Animal Crossing game I've ever played.    … Expand
  18. LordSpook
    Mar 25, 2020
    1
    Hey, first time Reviewer. I know that's gonna auto-discount my review in some eyes, but I've just never been insulted by a game enough that I felt the need to actually make an account and warn people. So please, take it from me, a genuine end user. It's not just pointless negativity. Something tells me the critics never played multiplayer. These dev's are trying to **** you. Now with thatHey, first time Reviewer. I know that's gonna auto-discount my review in some eyes, but I've just never been insulted by a game enough that I felt the need to actually make an account and warn people. So please, take it from me, a genuine end user. It's not just pointless negativity. Something tells me the critics never played multiplayer. These dev's are trying to **** you. Now with that out of the way, let us proceed.

    Animal Crossing: New Horizons promises to let you travel to and inhabit a deserted Island. It reels you in by telling you, "It won't be like before, we swear!" like an abusive ex.

    Don't worry you'll be able to move houses and services at your leisure! (Eventually and for 30k/50k per building) You'll be able to terraform* the island to your vision. (Again, eventually, and not anything on the shores.) You can even live there with your whole family!* (If you don't mind anyone besides the first resident being treated like glorified visitors with a house.)

    Oh but only one island per switch guys because... we want everyone to buy their own switch. (in a global recession because the average family has tons of excess money right now, and definitely aren't all living way below the poverty line. Greetings from America!)

    Here is what they don't tell you:
    1. Only the first resident can advance the main plot points, and unlock those features they lured you in with. If you aren't first resident, you won't even be able to see the recipe's for the objects/furniture you'll be forced to craft, in order to advance the plot.
    2. You have to build everything on this island for everyone one. Don't invite people to live there cause it's gonna be you grinding all day e'ery day for the resources. Not really the Island vacation package it was sold as.
    3. there is Inconvenience baked into the game. Half of the upgrades just get rid of some annoying inconvenience that you were just putting up with. Advance the plot (if you are first resident) to have a slightly less miserable time. I think that's a really lazy and corrupt form of game progression, used only by those that lack the imagination necessary to offer genuinely fulfilling progression rewards. I'ts like hide and seek but you get to remove your blindfold after thirty games (or something.)

    Also ignore any excuse that these annoyances are in the game to ensure fairness, because there are already many money exploits in the game. So in the end it's kinda like the Games for Windows Live disaster of yore. You know, that time when Microsoft thought it was cool to sabotage the stability and enjoyment of their games in the hopes of preventing piracy, which happened anyways. Hamstringing your product to preserve "fairness" is a fools errand. you might as well ask the sun not to rise.

    So the main issue is, if you buy this game you are telling Nintendo that this is an okay business model. "Naw it's cool, us consumers are total suckers. Hey if another Zelda game comes out make sure that only the first person on the console to play the game can advance the plot. so you can force us to buy more switches."

    Other than all that total BS, it had some pretty enjoyable aspects. For one, you don't need to take a freaking personality test to change your hair color. (These developers are asinine.) And everything was pretty much 24/7 until we made progress. (then it went back to their traditional stance of, **** night owls.") But as soon as I found out the game was just gonna treat me like a chump indefinitely, like unpaid labor, it kinda drained any aspect of "working for fun" from the game.    … Expand
  19. al-less
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Not a REAL multiplayer game! Do not buy as a family game or you will have frustrated players. Only the first islander can play this game fully. All additional players can only play a partial version of the full game. They need to FIX THIS BUG! I bought this for my family and only 1 person gets access to play the full game. Would not have bought if I had known and I have loved AC for years!
  20. Kingjavabean
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    This game is extremely cute, I’ve played it every day since release and I can’t get enough.
  21. Takkenno
    Mar 25, 2020
    1
    It would be a great game, if you would be able to create a new island for every player. But this way it's just not acceptable.
  22. Oslith
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    I got New Leaf a little bit back and loved it so I was so excited for New Horizons. SO WORTH IT! It's exactly what I wanted and more. If you like Animal Crossing or have never tried it, give it a shot. Very charming, calm, and gives you things to do everyday.

    Also Imagine review bombing this amazing game just because you didn't properly inform yourself on the game and only having one    I got New Leaf a little bit back and loved it so I was so excited for New Horizons. SO WORTH IT! It's exactly what I wanted and more. If you like Animal Crossing or have never tried it, give it a shot. Very charming, calm, and gives you things to do everyday.

    Also Imagine review bombing this amazing game just because you didn't properly inform yourself on the game and only having one island. Is it a bad feature? Lol yeah. Is it worth a 0? HAHAHAHHAHA no. One bad feature doesn't mean the game is awful.    … Expand
  23. laheilig
    Mar 25, 2020
    4
    I really enjoy this game. I bought it as soon as it came out and started up my island. That evening my sister decided to pop in and play with me. We were baffled at the limitations of the second player. As we've progressed I keep finding things that she cannot do or participate in. I hate that she feels left out or completely unable to play with me. Very annoying and sad.
  24. Darun
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Im sorry but its total bs to just have one island, otherwise the game is perfect
  25. cringeyboi555
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    **** piece of **** stupid **** one island mechanic. You can only have one Island at a time, and the second player gets to do nothing. **** you Nintendo.

    9/10
  26. Shi4shi123
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    The game is a much improved version compared to others. Friends and I have played it almost nonstop since it came out because of how much there is to do at any given times. The customization features are phenomenal! Would recommend to anyone looking for an easy breezy game to relax with .
  27. MichaelJS
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    When I first heard about the Animal Crossing series, I had seen tid bits from some youtubers and talks about New Leaf and Pocket Camp. I got Pocket Camp on IOS and played it for a maximum of 20 minutes. It was simple and bland and turned me off the series while i still respected it. I thought it just wasn’t for me. Boy was I wrong (And i should’ve assumed that the mainline games were muchWhen I first heard about the Animal Crossing series, I had seen tid bits from some youtubers and talks about New Leaf and Pocket Camp. I got Pocket Camp on IOS and played it for a maximum of 20 minutes. It was simple and bland and turned me off the series while i still respected it. I thought it just wasn’t for me. Boy was I wrong (And i should’ve assumed that the mainline games were much better than the free mobile game). When Animal Crossing New Horizons was revealed, i thought it looked charming and was interested in giving it a go and i’m so glad i did. So far this game has been a magical experience. Watching the deserted island grow into a thriving society is very satisfying. Gameplay is so calming but also engaging. The game starts slow and progresses while you complete tasks, fish, catch bugs, pick weeds, and build houses for upcoming residents. If i could say one thing to new players: It’s ok if you feel like you’ve done everything you need to for the day and feel like you should put the game down. This game is all about patience which can sometimes be frustrating but also very rewarding. Some days, once you’ve done your daily tasks like gather materials and talking to the villagers, there’s not much else to do and you have to wait until the next day where more stuff will be available. This game is designed to be played over several months and years so don’t rush it and take your time, building your town and getting everything the way you want it. This game is absolutely visually stunning Running at a gorgeous 1080p 30fps. That 30fps might seem like a bit of a bummer, but rest assured it stays at 30fps and never dips and still looks very smooth. The best thing about this game is it’s charm. Talking to each character is such an enjoyable experience. Multi playing with friends is smooth with no lag and a good way to trade items. This game is very addicting and you’ll most likely find yourself spending hours into the night. Keep in mind that the game will keep posing new quests and challenges weeks down the line. But a lot of this game is customisation and making your town look the way you want. I love this game so much, and if you are in the slightest bit interested, give it a try. I didn’t think this sort of game was for me either, but that is because it’s not enjoyable to watch someone else play the game but having your own journey is where the charm lies.… Expand
  28. knowblesse
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Still can not understand the main concept of the game.
    There is really thin gap between the peaceful and the boring. I think this game is the latter. After playing the game for three days, I felt this is kind of "take-out fast food version of peace ." If you can be peaceful by playing the game, just eat an ice cream cone or listen to the ambient seashore sound from the YouTube. It's    Still can not understand the main concept of the game.
    There is really thin gap between the peaceful and the boring. I think this game is the latter. After playing the game for three days, I felt this is kind of "take-out fast food version of peace ." If you can be peaceful by playing the game, just eat an ice cream cone or listen to the ambient seashore sound from the YouTube. It's cheaper and effective.    … Expand
  29. MasterCheff4
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    I actually just made a metacritic account just to review this game. This would be an almost perfect game if it wasn't for the one island per switch feature mixed with the first player to log in be in control of the entire game's progression for all players. This is an increasing issue if you actually have 8 players on the same switch.

    Each of the 8 players should have the ability to    I actually just made a metacritic account just to review this game. This would be an almost perfect game if it wasn't for the one island per switch feature mixed with the first player to log in be in control of the entire game's progression for all players. This is an increasing issue if you actually have 8 players on the same switch.

    Each of the 8 players should have the ability to create their own island and be the representative of that island, controlling all progression of that island. Additionally, players on the same switch should be able to buy houses on other players islands on the same switch. This would allow a player to have full control over one island and it's progression, and then also have up to 7 additional houses across 7 other islands on that switch console.

    I enjoy playing on the shared island, but the locked island progression and missing out on that progression is killer to this game. The current system lets player 1 get the full game, with all other players only objective is to complete nook miles.

    Worst part is there was not even a warning at the beginning of the game letting the players know that the first person to play gets full control. I think that is the most disappointing aspect of this situation.    … Expand
  30. totoro0192
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    The game is great! I love playing online with my friends and developing my town, so cute and gorgeous!
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Switch Game of 2020
1
#1 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 111 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 111
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 111
  3. Negative: 0 out of 111
  1. Universo Nintendo
    Dec 19, 2020
    95
    Animal Crossing New Horizons is basically perfect. Full of wholesome content that helped us cope with the COVID-19 pandemics, the game keeps the heart of its predecessors while innovating enough to make it unique. It may not have won Game of the Year but it'll be the game we all remember from 2020, for sure.
    Read full review
  2. The Digital Fix
    Jun 22, 2020
    80
    Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a stunning new instalment in the Animal Crossing franchise, hindered only by its lack of immediate content, quality of life issues and missing returning characters and features While future updates will give the game long-term playability, for those already sipping vacation juice on their five-star islands, island life feels pretty mundane right now.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    May 12, 2020
    95
    It’s full of detail, pretty small things, and surprisingly well working simulations and systems – everything polished in such a way that the player really does care about everything that’s going on. [06/2020, p.40]
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