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. Gull
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Game doesn’t let you keep multiple islands. It’s only one island PER SWITCH. If you have two people sharing a console don’t plan on both of them playing this. Can’t even buy two copies, nope, one island per switch. Horrible way to do it
  2. Ripfester
    Mar 25, 2020
    3
    Local multiplayer is completely broken; one island per console and the first player is the only one that can actually progress the game (and gets free things that the others have to pay for). Woe betide the household that lets their young child play first, as they will not be inclined to work to keep the game moving for everybody else and you'll all be stuck in the doldrums forever.
  3. Edh586
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Bought this game mostly because my girlfriend wanted it and because it claims to have local co-op. It seemed like a perfect game for us to share and play together. I ended up getting really into it until I realized how big of a problem sharing one island is and not being able to have separate save files. This MAJOR flaw essentially makes this purchase a complete waste of money. If you areBought this game mostly because my girlfriend wanted it and because it claims to have local co-op. It seemed like a perfect game for us to share and play together. I ended up getting really into it until I realized how big of a problem sharing one island is and not being able to have separate save files. This MAJOR flaw essentially makes this purchase a complete waste of money. If you are going to play by yourself, it is worth it but if you are planning to share this game with anyone in your house dont even bother. It is a complete waste of money and a terribly flawed game...unless of course you plan on buying another switch to share the game with someone.… Expand
  4. Ghoulosaurus
    Mar 25, 2020
    0
    Fun game. It is shameful that they have bricked up the AC experience just because they wouldn’t want you sharing TOO much of the game. No no, make your family buy individual switches so they can have any fun at all. I hope they fix this or it comes back to bite them, they don’t deserve the support they’ve received.
  5. Andari
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    animal crossing new leaf was way better, the new breaking tool system sucks... the extra wait for game was not worth it 0/10
  6. Lastimosa94
    Mar 26, 2020
    3
    fiquei bem chateado de nao poder criar 2 ilhas diferentes no AC mas oque me deixou mais p da vida ainda é o fato de que só o criador da ilha que tem progressao no jogo o resto que quiser jogar tbm, tem q ser refem disso...
    por favor nintendo arruma isso
  7. LyoreC
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    I love sharing a game with family members, only to find out the first person to play the game is the only person who actually gets to experience the game fully. There is literally no point in me playing this game unless I want to walk around shaking trees and building fishing rods, while the first person to play the game actually gets to enjoy what I can only assume is a good game. I onlyI love sharing a game with family members, only to find out the first person to play the game is the only person who actually gets to experience the game fully. There is literally no point in me playing this game unless I want to walk around shaking trees and building fishing rods, while the first person to play the game actually gets to enjoy what I can only assume is a good game. I only played the game for an hour and I want that hour of my life back, thanks Nintendo.… Expand
  8. IslandCrossing
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    When my partner first told me about Animal Crossing, I was kind of excited. I’m from a tropical region and, while I hadn’t played it as a kid, I had played Harvest Moon, and the prospect of making my own cute farm island was a reassuring way to pass COVID-19 quarantine. The reality was not cute. My boyfriend didn’t think I wanted to play for some reason and set up the island and strippedWhen my partner first told me about Animal Crossing, I was kind of excited. I’m from a tropical region and, while I hadn’t played it as a kid, I had played Harvest Moon, and the prospect of making my own cute farm island was a reassuring way to pass COVID-19 quarantine. The reality was not cute. My boyfriend didn’t think I wanted to play for some reason and set up the island and stripped it of all resources. I had no idea how ACNH worked so I started a save file thinking I would either get my own island or have different resources generated for my file, or like anything a reasonable designer would think of, right?
    Instead of starting with a tutorial explaining what choices would be permanent and unchangable, I got a message that just told me to put my tent down. Noticing all the trees were bare, I confusedly put my tent close to my bf’s and tried to figure out what to do. After running around breaking my flimsy tools for two hours trying to get wood and stone that wouldn’t spawn, I looked up what was happening. Not only was there no way to respawn resources other players had hoarded, accidentally or not, as the non “representative resident” I couldn’t donate to the museum until it was complete and I could not build the store nor decide where it was placed. I also learned that expanding our houses was impossible if they were too close, which seems like vital clarifying information in a game aimed at children.

    We tried playing for a few days but even though we were communicating it was not working out. We play video games very differently. I am impatient. My partner doesn’t like to put much thought into games or rush. I found out that I could time surf but my partner doesn’t want to do that since he is, apparently, “an animal crossing purist” or rather he doesn’t want the villagers to be “mad at him for cheating.”

    For those who are reading and saying “so what you’re just not trying to cooperate” we really are and ACNH doesn’t really provide anything to help with that! There’s no shared inventory pool so multiple players can easily contribute to helping build up the town.
    In order to send resources to other accounts on the same system you have to either mail them per item for 200 bells each (time consuming and not cheap x 12 items per day). Not exactly helpful. So after two days I had switched to hitting Nook miles achievements and using all my miles for nook tickets so I could actually like, get anywhere in the game without stripping the island of resources he needs to build the town. My partner was surprised I payed off my home loan before him. I told him I was using the Nook tickets like a revolving door to rack up achievements and resources. He said he had not used a ticket yet and had just bought hair styles. He was embarrassed to tell me this. I realized I was making him feel bad about his playing style just by him having to watch how I play. I normal speed through games faster than he does but he never has to play the same file I do until ACNH. We had thought this would be a fun bonding activity while we were locked in but it wound up being stressful and anxiety inducing.

    The feeling we had fostered around the game was not one of shared joy and reassurance, but unease and mutual resentment, I resented that I could not run the island and build the town and my boyfriend resented seeing the rushed way I was playing since it took the relaxing element of playing away from him. So yesterday, I emptied my inventory out on the ground and deleted my Animal Crossing file. We have pretty good communication and lots of other games I enjoy so while upset, I’m know my ACNH experience isn’t as bad as it could be. I know if I was a kid ,who are the ~main group~ this game was made for, who had to share this with a sibling while in quarantine I would be crying. Even if we bought a second cartridge we can only have one island per switch system.
    Half the world is unemployed for at least a month, does Nintendo really expect people to buy second and third switch systems to play one game fairly?

    TLDR: I rate this game 0/10 for worsening an already traumatic experience of being trapped in my house with no control over the world, and making my partner and I feel bad for just wanting to play a game differently. Bad user experience design for no easy item sharing while demanding people share an island. This was frustrating as adults with good impulse control, I cannot imagine how infuriating it is for the target audience of children and teens.    … Expand
  9. evan22
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    This game is great for one player. As dozens of other reviews say, the problem starts when you have multiple people in the house. My girlfriend was just as excited to try this game as I was when we got it, so you can imagine the disappointment for both of us when we discovered how there can only be one island. As player 1, I spend most of my gameplay feeling guilty and feeling bad aboutThis game is great for one player. As dozens of other reviews say, the problem starts when you have multiple people in the house. My girlfriend was just as excited to try this game as I was when we got it, so you can imagine the disappointment for both of us when we discovered how there can only be one island. As player 1, I spend most of my gameplay feeling guilty and feeling bad about making decisions that she’s not allowed to participate in or trying to balance between wanting to do everything but not wanting to take all the resources from her. As player 2, she spends the gameplay basically just being a visitor to the island, never able to make any actual changes or shape the island how she really wants. She’s also locked out of many little tasks (such as helping Gulliver). This simple mechanic that would be easy to fix in an update has truly ruined the experience for both of us. The fact that Nintendo is trying to use this as an opportunity to sell more switches is absolutely absurd and it’s honestly really disappointing. It turned what should have been a happy and fun experience for us both into a really disappointing one all in the name of corporate greed. Shame on Nintendo.… Expand
  10. Eldurjn
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    I bought this game and my husband unlocked pretty much everything already. Now I wanna play but it only allows one island per person. Even if I buy another copy of the game it would not let me have another save.
  11. Hanlond
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    Gameplay is determined by the first login. They pick the island and all other users exist on their island and have a completely frustrating game play experience. Save your money.
  12. Dtrixtreme
    Mar 26, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I made an account just to review this game. Because of my disappointment

    I am a solo player who was entering this franchise for the first time. So the single island per console thing doesn't effect me, but in an era where other games can have as many procedural generated worlds as people can fit on their console hard drive...that makes absolutely no sense. And these islands are tiny.

    My first impression of this game is that it forces you to play it how IT wants you to. I have repeatedly changed my in game clock on my switch just so I can progress the game, and when you consider that you can hit the first time gate in 40 minutes, it puts you in an awkward position where your first day of the game is just shaking tree's and catching bugs and fish while trapped in the starting area. I felt like I was playing an early access title.

    What's worse is you are punished for your progression initially. You get locked out of content because the game decides you've done enough of it and then doesn't let you back into that system for 48 real world hours. At one stage you are not allowed to buy key items used in repeatable achievements because you are playing the game at the wrong REAL WORLD time. And this makes no sense when you consider the first version of the shop is available 24-7.

    The control mapping is bizarre, the tool system, which is arguably the most important system in the game is bound to the D-pad instead of the back buttons, which is annoying when you consider that fast moving insects exist in this game and you have to stop moving to swap to your net. Also the phone being bound to ZL instead of + symbol makes no sense..The + symbol is only used to access a specific menu in the phone...The central buttons on a controllers are universally used for key menus in most modern games so why was this an exception?

    To further add to the clunky issues with the game, the shop system puts filler dialog in everything, and only allows you to buy items in 1's or 5's, while some repeatable achievements require 3 of the item, so you either buy 5 to save time, or buy 3 increments of 1 just to save money. I don't know if future upgrades to the island make this simpler, but if that's the case, why on earth would game designs make players have to unlock intuitive design?

    If not for the returns policy of the retailer I bought this at, I would already have returned it. I will continue to play my $69AUD investment to the endgame and may change my review depending on how the mid-late game is.    … Expand
  13. Gamer1989
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    Looks cool, my husband has a great time playing, but unfortunately, they only allow 1 island save PER SWITCH. So I will never know what it's like to play how I want to. Got super excited to start and was dropped on to his already populated island. A real let down. Shame in you Nintendo, you know this is a greedy tactic.
  14. avonkorff
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    This game is marketed as being multiplayer friendly, and an experience all can enjoy and share together. It is not designed as such. Unless you are a single person, or are the ONLY person playing on the Nintendo Switch you download/install this game on, this game is currently in a criminally unplayable state. Currently, whichever Switch user account launches Animal Crossing first, is theThis game is marketed as being multiplayer friendly, and an experience all can enjoy and share together. It is not designed as such. Unless you are a single person, or are the ONLY person playing on the Nintendo Switch you download/install this game on, this game is currently in a criminally unplayable state. Currently, whichever Switch user account launches Animal Crossing first, is the ONLY account that gets the full retail game experience. All subsequent accounts have to play a miserable shadow of the game the customer paid for.

    This design oversight is so heinous, it's causing many people, including myself, to wonder if this is actually a ploy by Nintendo to get people to buy more Switch/Switch Lite consoles. As a life long fan of the company it would be pretty devastating to watch them go the way of EA, Zenimax, and so many other fallen titans in the industry.

    Extended Review:
    The whole world is on lockdown right now, and a fun, relaxing, life sim type game such as this sounded like a great way for my wife and I to enjoy some decompression time together. Not the case. I spent $60 dollars on the Nintendo store only to find that we had to share one island (not a problem) but that only ONE of the profiles on the switch was able to progress the story, and advance our island's progress.

    My wife was the first to launch the game. I made my character and started building my only little house on the island a few hours after she had some time with the game. Fast forward 3 days, and now I find that I cannot help settle new villagers, I cannot be given tasks by varying NPCs, I cannot contribute/have a say to the layout of new buildings and terraforming on the island, and a result, I've paid $60 for the pleasure of farming materials to trade to my wife's account for use as she deems fit.

    This is a wholly unacceptable state of the game and legitimately needs to be patched. I will be following up with my credit card provider tethered to my Nintendo Online account (bought the game on Switch store) and asking for refunds on the same basis that hundreds of thousands of Fallout 76 players got their refunds for: consumer ethics breach.

    Nowhere in any advertising or marketing material was I given the impression that only one person in my household would be able to fully play the game. I'm not talking about a subjective "enjoyment" of the game...I am referencing the clear and simple fact that only one account per Switch has access to the entirety of the game that was sold for $60 USD. Secondary, tertiary, and all subsequent accounts will have a miserable, gated experience and have 0 agency over the ONLY island the entirety of the household is allotted.

    Without a clear disclaimer being present prior to purchase, this is unethical and either needs to be patched or customers need to be refunded. Until either happens, this is a 0/10, awful, regrettable purchase for anyone not living/playing alone on their Switch.    … Expand
  15. Benthefry
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    It is such a shame that you don't get an island per account. I mean, we get along fine, and our first reaction was that it was a shame not to be able to fill each our museum, or to just fully control our characters when we both play at the same time.
    Not having two islands unless you buy two consoles is greedy and is a big let down!
  16. MrRenner
    Mar 26, 2020
    1
    Horrible decisions for multiple players. I bought this game because it's the only thing my wife will play. I let her play first and now, as soon as she gets bored of it, the game will stop progressing. I can't restart the island because I want her to have the "player 1 experience" in the only game she has ever shown interest in. This would be fine for a 20-30 dollar title. But for a fullHorrible decisions for multiple players. I bought this game because it's the only thing my wife will play. I let her play first and now, as soon as she gets bored of it, the game will stop progressing. I can't restart the island because I want her to have the "player 1 experience" in the only game she has ever shown interest in. This would be fine for a 20-30 dollar title. But for a full 60 it is unacceptable.

    It completely overshadows any charm this game has. And all the people saying "its fine" are people that aren't affected by the issue. I feel as if I was sold an experience tthat was not advertised as what it really is. It is a single player game. Players 2-8 might as welll be NPCs. Nintendo laid an egg. But it could definitely be fixed. But I wouldn't count on it.    … Expand
  17. KingJoffrey
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    Fantastic game. Daily grind is super addicting and the game is as charming as can be. Love this game
  18. Ray99
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    I'm not sure if this is pure Nintendo-style incompetence or unethical, malicious, money-hungry nastiness. I prefer the latter because I can't imagine Nintendo is this inept Here are the main issues which this otherwise great game which drag it down to the depths of cynical, corporate garbage.

    1. One island per switch? What? Completely and utterly destroys any hopes of playing with    I'm not sure if this is pure Nintendo-style incompetence or unethical, malicious, money-hungry nastiness. I prefer the latter because I can't imagine Nintendo is this inept Here are the main issues which this otherwise great game which drag it down to the depths of cynical, corporate garbage.

    1. One island per switch? What? Completely and utterly destroys any hopes of playing with others. If you're in a household with multiple people who want to play this GAME, think TWICE before buying. This will create problems and essentially force you to both buy a second switch (or more) if you want to have the experience. What are parents supposed to do with multiple kids who want to play? Nintendo's plan all along was to have multiple switches per household, and they are trying to implement it in the most disgusting way, with artificially installed limitations. There is NO technical limitation there can't be more than than one island per switch.

    2 - Is there a way around it through coop? NO. Local coop is bare bones, pathetic, and an embarassment. You have zero agency as the second partner, basically just following along like an idiot. You cannot progress in any meaningful way. So no, this is not an option for multiple people to enjoy this game.

    3 - Online multiplayer. Don't get me started. I've never seen such a poorly implemented online from Nintendo. This is WORSE THAN SMASH. And that's saying a lot. Firstly, you have to go to the airport, wade through seas of text, including the bird actually "connecting to the internet." Is this dial up? Then when you finally get to of a friend's island, and someone else wants to join, you will have to sit through a green message popping up forcing you to quit your menu, a FIVE STAGE flight screen for the plane to arrive (God knows why this is necessary, what is it loading??), a save screen, and a cutscene of the person walking in the airport. This happens EVERY TIME someone joints the island, and breaks up anything you're doing multiple times. Absolute lunacy. Again, not sure if this is incompetence or purposeful - Nintendo is known to hate online. This is their way of saying - Online is unplayable, don't do it, just buy more switches and play locally. Also, why are there no mini-games to play with friends like New Leaf? There is nothing to do with multiplayer online and things get boring fast. Would minigames have been so difficult to implement?

    4- No cloud saves at launch. Apparently something is being "worked on". Why not at launch? Is it so hard? Are they so concerned about cheating? People are time travelling like crazy as we speak. They could have easily imposed some limitation like one cloud save per day. This is just mean, honestly. Pure meanness. Creates unnecessary added stress about losing your save. Apparently a download will be allowed once, but who knows if this is true. Why??!

    These are just some of many issues. What is Nintendo thinking? They've been working on this since 2012!!!

    Don't expect a patch. Like Mario Part, Smash, etc. there has never been a patch that improves the fundamental problems of the game.

    Single player is good but I have to give 0/10 for this because it can't be comprehended other than through a lens of cynical exploitation.    … Expand
  19. Tonygrimlock
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    My 11 year old daughter was the first to play. Little did I realize that she would therefore be the owner of the island. She got to name it and no one can change anything about it. Nor can anyone else in the household have the same gameplay experience because you can only have one island per switch console. I’m was really looking forward to playing. Now I’m disappointed and upset thatMy 11 year old daughter was the first to play. Little did I realize that she would therefore be the owner of the island. She got to name it and no one can change anything about it. Nor can anyone else in the household have the same gameplay experience because you can only have one island per switch console. I’m was really looking forward to playing. Now I’m disappointed and upset that I wasted the money buying this game.… Expand
  20. shaun97
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    I cannot believe Nintendo has people spending $60 on this game and not giving it more than 1 save file. People use this as a home console and many families will be restricted because of the save files as well as the fact that player 1 gets to choose everything.
  21. Mpolirevat
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    I will give the game a good note when Nintendo decides to let me play, as i am the second player and my sister left the game I literally can't play the game if i don't waste like 20 hours of gameplay, this game sucks and won't stop sucking unless nintendo patches the game and let you change the Resident Representative
  22. omgwtfkitteh
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    The one island per console has caused me to hate the game. I have no control over my girlfriend's island. What she says goes and I rarely to never get to pick villagers because she wants the perfect island. It has ruined my fun and I don't even want to play the damn game now. It's not review bombing if this is literally the way I feel. 'But they said it was one island in an article' GoodThe one island per console has caused me to hate the game. I have no control over my girlfriend's island. What she says goes and I rarely to never get to pick villagers because she wants the perfect island. It has ruined my fun and I don't even want to play the damn game now. It's not review bombing if this is literally the way I feel. 'But they said it was one island in an article' Good for them. I don't read articles constantly.… Expand
  23. KK_disappointed
    Mar 26, 2020
    0
    Made this account just to say the Nintendo overloads are greedy demons. Forcing players to buy another $300 SWITCH, just to share the game with loved ones is fking criminal. I highly advise NOT buying the game if you live with anyone else who's excited to play it.
  24. SnackEat1
    Mar 26, 2020
    7
    I actually think this game is really amazing, addictive and all that jazz, but I can’t get behind the “one island per switch” and every player past player 1 is useless and can’t do anything to help the island or have fun in general. It’s just Nintendo’s way of making people pay for another game and switch. It’s abysmal!
  25. Hazman
    May 26, 2021
    8
    Animal crossing new horizons is a great game anyone can enjoy. My only nitpick is that it starts off slow and is really best played with one person on the island, other than that, there is not much else bad about it. Solid 9/10
  26. Lord_Nep
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    The game looked amazing when I first heard about it. I've always loved Animal Crossing games. But this one not so much. I hate it because the first one to start up the game becomes the "Resident Representative" and gets to choose the island, name it, build houses for the residents, do tasks which lead to the construction of a museum and the construction of a shop, and other various tasks.The game looked amazing when I first heard about it. I've always loved Animal Crossing games. But this one not so much. I hate it because the first one to start up the game becomes the "Resident Representative" and gets to choose the island, name it, build houses for the residents, do tasks which lead to the construction of a museum and the construction of a shop, and other various tasks. Everyone who starts the game after the "Resident Representative" is put into the same island and is unable to do any similar tasks. As someone who isn't the Resident Representative I have to say it makes it hard to stay interested. My brother who is the Representative, always gets tasks to do while the only interesting thing I can do is pay off a loan or maybe build furniture. I have to deal with whatever he chooses to do because I have no other choice. It doesn't give me as much freedom as I expected. The game is supposed to be about how you build your own island and not about favouring someone over others. It forces the others to live on an island which is controlled by someone else. Basically, the game ignores what it is supposed to be about.

    I'm really disappointed in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The developers have made a great game but it has a major flaw which makes the game hard for me to enjoy. $80 spent just to be let down. Thanks Nintendo. You could've done better.    … Expand
  27. rico3233
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    The one island/one user per switch makes no sense! When the switch was designed to be a multi user platform.
  28. BangBangBang
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    Bought the game and unfortunately let my brother start the game FIRST, then realized that I became a glorified visitor instead of a game owner at this point, the single console single save file approach is one of if not the MOST anti-consumer move that I have seen recently, this literally made me so sour that my sentiment of towards the game went from hopeful and excited into rotten sour,Bought the game and unfortunately let my brother start the game FIRST, then realized that I became a glorified visitor instead of a game owner at this point, the single console single save file approach is one of if not the MOST anti-consumer move that I have seen recently, this literally made me so sour that my sentiment of towards the game went from hopeful and excited into rotten sour, literally bought the game but can't play the game, this is the very first "have not started the game but already gotten hurt by the game", does not feel good at all, very conflicted right now.… Expand
  29. mswrx
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is good. I bought it for my and my daughters. The moment I found out that only one of my daughters who happened to arrive first in Atlantis can get the receipt for the flimsy axe and do many other things, that neither me or my other daughter could do, I couldn't believe it. Then I have to find out that this is a feature - not a bug. This is simply unacceptable. All others not arriving first are just sitting in the back seat and can work as slaves. At least the receipts then should be shared. What is point for the other to have their own house if they can't produce anything and are dependent on tools they also can't create?… Expand
  30. werez
    Mar 31, 2020
    0
    As a new Nintendo Player and Animal Crossing player. This 1 player progression fundamentally kills the experience without any forewarning to let you know. Waste of many that will be getting refunded, never again Nintendo.
  31. DrNextgen
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    One Island for one console. It’s a disgrace for a game and a company who want to provide a multisocial gaming experience.
  32. Cavan29
    Mar 27, 2020
    1
    Do Not Allow Young Children to Play First! I made the mistake of buying this game for myself but allowing my 6 year old to start the game. He started the island (with a misspelled non-punctuated name) and got everything going. No major issues there! I’m now player 2 but I’m held by the short and curlies by my sons progress. He played a few hours the first day but that’s all hisDo Not Allow Young Children to Play First! I made the mistake of buying this game for myself but allowing my 6 year old to start the game. He started the island (with a misspelled non-punctuated name) and got everything going. No major issues there! I’m now player 2 but I’m held by the short and curlies by my sons progress. He played a few hours the first day but that’s all his attention can take. I’ve been playing for three days and I still don’t have a shovel because he hasn’t progressed yet. This is a major issue.

    Honestly, the game is cute and a lot of fun. I just hate that I’m unable to do anything because all progress is locked to the first player. I don’t mind sharing an island, I think that’s kind of fun that we can share decorating and supplies but I’m the bigger gamer and I would play this game more if I could do anything other than fish and catch bugs. So, I can’t give it a good grade.    … Expand
  33. Nookbook
    Mar 27, 2020
    1
    Extremely disappointed in Nintendos decision to only allow 1 island per console. Its just a greedy money grabbing tactic that completely ruined the"family friendly" aspect of the game. I was so looking forward to this release but now I am totally turned off. I don't usually leave reviews, but Nintendo needs to see that they can't keep exploiting their customers. I sincerely hope theyExtremely disappointed in Nintendos decision to only allow 1 island per console. Its just a greedy money grabbing tactic that completely ruined the"family friendly" aspect of the game. I was so looking forward to this release but now I am totally turned off. I don't usually leave reviews, but Nintendo needs to see that they can't keep exploiting their customers. I sincerely hope they release a patch for this because as of now, I'm no longer particularly interested in supporting their company until they do. Which is unlikely.… Expand
  34. MonkeyGamer18
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    it’s a great way to pass the time of being at the house all day! You get to make your own little Island and make new friends along the way. It has great music to listen to and many things to complete like the museum where you need to collect all the bugs, fossils, and fish you can to help complete it. Sure it might take a day for some items or villagers to arrive, but it is worth it at theit’s a great way to pass the time of being at the house all day! You get to make your own little Island and make new friends along the way. It has great music to listen to and many things to complete like the museum where you need to collect all the bugs, fossils, and fish you can to help complete it. Sure it might take a day for some items or villagers to arrive, but it is worth it at the end where you see your completed island.… Expand
  35. Rilee222
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    The one island policy is disrespectful from a company who is built upon making family content. This isn't a huge problem for me, I live with my gf. However the fact that only one of us can make progress is terrible and whoever we decide gets to do so will feel terrible. This is blatant greed from Nintendo's part. It's like they arent even trying to hide it. I was so excited now I'm justThe one island policy is disrespectful from a company who is built upon making family content. This isn't a huge problem for me, I live with my gf. However the fact that only one of us can make progress is terrible and whoever we decide gets to do so will feel terrible. This is blatant greed from Nintendo's part. It's like they arent even trying to hide it. I was so excited now I'm just sad.I made an account just to post this, and I will come back and give it a better score if fixed.… Expand
  36. Juloan
    Mar 27, 2020
    4
    Great, except for the fact that you can only have one island per system, which almost completely ruins the experience for people who share a switch
  37. copper1454
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    I was excited about this game until I found out the 1 island per console limitation. Really need to fix this. I watched my girlfriend play for hours and was excited to start my own island and adventure, then find out that I'm stuck on hers. Not fun for houses with multiple players, and should be an easy fix regarding save files setup.
  38. Coreyd
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    Great if you're the only person playing on your system. Every additional player is a glorified NPC who misses out on the entire progression of the game. Can't even buy multiple game copies for one switch to mitigate the issue. Some serious BS crippling what is otherwise a phenomenal game.
  39. LeoNeo
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    Dear Nintendo, my kids and I was waiting the game more than a year, and what for? Separate islands and separate saves for each USER - this is so basic and obvious requirement, I just can't understand, why you did it this way???
  40. Timingplanet
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    Great game. People need to quit being children and review bombing it. Its completely ridiculous to review bomb something over a 1 island per profile limit it doesnt mean they wont add more....
  41. ThisGameTrash
    Mar 27, 2020
    0
    trash game made by greedy company, what else is there to say. will never get because of one island per console
  42. Arct1c76
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    Graphics look amazing from the jump from New Leaf to new horizons. The one island per switch does kinda suck, but that's not really a huge concern for me because I have fun sharing an island with my family, also if it can be fixed with an update then I dont think it should be counted against, that's just my opinion.
  43. Sammyjwt
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    This game is AMAZING! The review bombing on this website is truly toxic. Yes it's not optimal to play with multiple players on one switch, but this was already mentioned before release. It's not a reason to give it a 0/10. I have been playing daily since March 18th and I can say that this is one of the most fun and relaxing games I've played in a long time. There is so much to do, but allThis game is AMAZING! The review bombing on this website is truly toxic. Yes it's not optimal to play with multiple players on one switch, but this was already mentioned before release. It's not a reason to give it a 0/10. I have been playing daily since March 18th and I can say that this is one of the most fun and relaxing games I've played in a long time. There is so much to do, but all in your own pace. Want to play 20 mins a day? Go ahead! Or binge it the entire evening farming materials and crafting furniture for your cozy little house? It's up to you! Normally I'm into action games and shooters but so far I'm really enjoying this game and I can't wait to see what April has in store for us. 10/10… Expand
  44. Ari2711
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    My first Animal Crossing game and I'm absolutely in love with it. It's the perfect game to play in the current situation. There are tons of furniture, decorative and clothing options that all look beautiful. You can create your own designs and share them with everyone. You can even use old designs from New Leaf. The best part is the museum. Tons of fish and insects are available to beMy first Animal Crossing game and I'm absolutely in love with it. It's the perfect game to play in the current situation. There are tons of furniture, decorative and clothing options that all look beautiful. You can create your own designs and share them with everyone. You can even use old designs from New Leaf. The best part is the museum. Tons of fish and insects are available to be collected and donated to the museum. It's incredibly fun to meet up with friends and tour each others collections. You can even dig up fossils and donate them to be able to see huge skeletons of dinosaurs.… Expand
  45. absentxminded
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    I had very high hopes for this game, and I started playing this series as a kid when wild world was released. This game has surpassed all expectations I had, and I've already put so many hours into it. It has all of the elements from the old games plus so much more.
  46. Joquerol
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Nintendo fix this.This is the worst time to be SO greedy. My wife and I were very excited to play our first Animal Crossing ever. Now we're probably just going to skip this one entirely.
  47. tacogardevoir
    Mar 28, 2020
    8
    Sure it suffers from the inability to make more than one island along with the older animal crossing tripe, but the amount of review bombs for this game is stupidly overblown. It is an incredibly enjoyable game that just has some flaws for groups of people who all want to play. Just realize that the limits of accessing others islands for the most part is just the same as a Minecraft worldSure it suffers from the inability to make more than one island along with the older animal crossing tripe, but the amount of review bombs for this game is stupidly overblown. It is an incredibly enjoyable game that just has some flaws for groups of people who all want to play. Just realize that the limits of accessing others islands for the most part is just the same as a Minecraft world or Terraria game. If the owner leave you can't play on that world again. Deal with it and enjoy the great game you do already have.… Expand
  48. CrackPipe
    Mar 28, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So far, I have put more time into this game than I’d like to admit. I really like a lot of the new things that have been added, but I feel that so much of the old content that made the game feel well rounded is missing. I am at the point where I believe I have obtained every shop/ building in the game and there’s about the same amount as the GameCube game. Pros:
    Fantastic graphics
    Online works very well
    Museum is beautiful
    Fishing/bug catching is still solid
    Fossils are the same Interior design system
    Sending letters/presents to real life friends
    Villager interactions are better
    Lost items aren’t as annoying
    Crafting system for building items
    Nook miles system

    Cons:
    Only one upgrade of nook’s cranny
    Very little to do other than fish, catch bugs, and collect resources A lot of beloved characters from older titles are completely gone. Only characters, other than villagers, are the nooks, Isabelle, blawthers, able sisters, and occasional merchants
    No club
    No garden store
    No dream lounge
    No kicks(he stops by town with small inventory)
    No tours No post office
    No shampoodle
    No coffee shop
    Items are very expensive for basic household things(ex:cello=100,000 bells)
    One island per switch(doesn’t affect me)
    Wait times for tutorial are many
    Items break all the time
    Crafting takes way too long depending on the item
    Tedious work for resources
    No tropical fruit
    No hedges No swimming/diving
    No ordinances
    Moving buildings on island costs a lot of money and is not the easiest to get perfect Overall, I feel as if this game is just a hollow shell. For $60 I expected there to be more content then ever but it just feels barren. This is from someone who owns and has loved all the past games. Hopefully updates add a bunch of content, but $60 for an unfinished game is not acceptable.    … Expand
  49. Draconequis
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    My sister and I share a single switch. We bought it together because we live together and we have enjoyed our games so far. Enjoying separate save files for all of the games so far on one system. We shared breath of the wild (which has a much larger map and more detailed graphics).  And now when we went to play we learn there is only one island per console.  Which means if you want to playMy sister and I share a single switch. We bought it together because we live together and we have enjoyed our games so far. Enjoying separate save files for all of the games so far on one system. We shared breath of the wild (which has a much larger map and more detailed graphics).  And now when we went to play we learn there is only one island per console.  Which means if you want to play animal crossing your own way you have to buy an entire switch. This problem cant even be fixed with switching  sd cards because the game saves directly to the switch. Does this mean that if I did buy a new switch I wouldnt be able to transfer my game save file over as well? I was planning to get a v2 eventually for the extended battery life.

    Now I was willing to maybe overlook that, however this game was clearly built for one player. The first player who boots up the system gets to be the island representative. This means that all of the tool advancements, craftable recipes, and any building locations are all decided by player one. This basically makes player two a glorified npc. Not only this but I learned that you cant send fish or bugs to a friend. Which is so dumb because I purposefully chose the opposite region so I could give my friends cool things they dont have yet.

    I had also hoped to have a great white shark in my room but the display for a shark is now a tiny pool with high walls and you can scarcely see the creature inside. I dont know why they decided to change the model to something that looks so awful.

    I am severely disappointed in nintendo for what they've done.

    Dont get me wrong the game is fun, but dont expect to play it with anyone.    … Expand
  50. ZeldaWars
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    I really have been enjoying the game so far, but the reason for such a low score is one simple reason. The baffling decision to make it so there’s only 1 island per Switch console, because of this incompetence, my girlfriend can’t make any progress in the game and now has to wait to see if Nintendo will decide to fix this (which shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place)
  51. Diegocosta124
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    One island per switch
    seriusly nintendo? In 2020? Update the game and make more islands per console!!
  52. Monster527
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Game limits second person so much, playing game as second account is like being a visitor. Fix your game Nintendo.
  53. I-Who-I
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    How did anyone think it was a good idea to limit, what is essentially a kid's game, to one player per console!! This is besides the annoying terrible controls for placing items in the world. The camera angle is also really terrible for a game where you need to position structures in the world and is especially annoying when trees and structures don't go translucent when the player isHow did anyone think it was a good idea to limit, what is essentially a kid's game, to one player per console!! This is besides the annoying terrible controls for placing items in the world. The camera angle is also really terrible for a game where you need to position structures in the world and is especially annoying when trees and structures don't go translucent when the player is behind. They use same generic leaf icon to represent multiple different items in the inventory so you have to select each one to read the text for it. Its' shocking that a game like this was released by Nintendo in 2020 when a significantly better game like Stardew Valley exists and was developed by 1 person.… Expand
  54. DavidHurt
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Once Nintendo solves the huge one-island-per-console disaster, we’ll come back to get update the scores, for sure. Huge mistake.
  55. WesWack
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    I was going to buy this game until I realized it is only one island per console, literally the most greedy atrocious thing I’ve seen since the stuff EA has pulled in the past few years, I will not be purchasing this thing until they fix multiplayer and fix this piece of crap 1 island per switch rule.
  56. jumbo1205
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    The multiplayer design decisions are completely insane. How do you put such little thought into the fact that the Switch is a home console with multiple users. This would be such a nice game to enjoy with family / significant others, but the gameplay is utterly broken for local multiplayer.

    Allow multiple islands per switch. Allow secondary players to make progress on their own. Figure    The multiplayer design decisions are completely insane. How do you put such little thought into the fact that the Switch is a home console with multiple users. This would be such a nice game to enjoy with family / significant others, but the gameplay is utterly broken for local multiplayer.

    Allow multiple islands per switch. Allow secondary players to make progress on their own. Figure out a way to re-balance island resources for multiple players. This is absolutely infuriating.

    Nintendo literally brands the Switch as a family home console. All of their ads show multiple users on one console. HOW DO YOU MISS THIS!    … Expand
  57. djmreezy
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Absolutely livid with this game. I'm a more serious gamer that is focused on goals and development while my partner is more of a casual gamer that likes to collect bugs and go fishing. Unfortunately they are the primary resident and I am the secondary so I am just **** out of luck. We have both put in days of work on this game so it's too late to restart and make me the primary. Just haveAbsolutely livid with this game. I'm a more serious gamer that is focused on goals and development while my partner is more of a casual gamer that likes to collect bugs and go fishing. Unfortunately they are the primary resident and I am the secondary so I am just **** out of luck. We have both put in days of work on this game so it's too late to restart and make me the primary. Just have to wait until they are completely done with the game before I can play, loved how nintendo demands I buy a second switch at hundreds of dollars if both people in my house want to play this game during the same month. If I could I would send a bag of flaming **** to every developer that helped this happen. Desperately hoping for a patch to this issue but I would bet 100 bucks nothing will happen because why would they fix a problem that means consumers have to buy more products?… Expand
  58. kielbasaell
    Mar 28, 2020
    1
    there needs to be multiple islands available per player. most of the game experience is completely ruined for a second player as fundamental gameplay is only available to the starting player.
  59. bungsten
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    The decent but short story and many of the game's new features are locked behind Nintendo's absurd one safe file per switch rule. If you want to play this game with your family, friends, or anybody who plays on the same console as you, do NOT buy this game. If you are not the first person to play the game on a console, you become a glorified NPC that can't do anything to progress theThe decent but short story and many of the game's new features are locked behind Nintendo's absurd one safe file per switch rule. If you want to play this game with your family, friends, or anybody who plays on the same console as you, do NOT buy this game. If you are not the first person to play the game on a console, you become a glorified NPC that can't do anything to progress the story. Nintendo is being aggressively greedy at the expense of their players, it is absolutely ridiculous that Nintendo, a company with some of the most skilled, talented, and smart people in the video game industry made such a horrible design decision for no reason other than corporate greed.

    Though if you plan to play this game alone, it is a very good animal crossing game reminiscent of the original gamecube game with many new features and an amazing story centered around building a deserted island with nothing but a few tents into a thriving, developed community. My only complaint about the story is that I think it should be (and can be) longer. The postgame, like all animal crossing games, has tons to offer as I expected, but there are a few omissions from the other games that make the postgame feel like it's missing something. There is no coffee shop, no fortune teller, no theater no barbershop, and only two shops. While the new island customization options and some other smaller features do provide some new postgame content, I don't think they add quite enough to make up for the omissions and I can't see myself playing this game for years like I did in city folk and new leaf.

    Even with the decent gameplay and story, I can't justify giving this game any points at all because of its glaring design flaw in the one save per switch rule.    … Expand
  60. THChris
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Fantastic game, really fun, HUGE PROBLEM THOUGH, at first sharing an island didn’t seem so bad but the person who didn’t create the island is so restricted to do anything ! You both get seperate DIY recipes the other can’t use, co-op is a mess, so disappointed because I was really enjoying this game until finding this out.
  61. griffy14
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Was going to he a fun game for me and my partner to play. Gated progress for just his account, no progress rewards for second profile, can't have our own islands on the same console. Not even interested anymore. Too bad he already bought it. I guess only he can enjoy it.
  62. McKat
    Mar 28, 2020
    1
    Animal Crossing: New Horizons- Don’t buy it

    My husband got me this game bcs he was trying to introduce me to the world of video gaming. I have to say- if all games are like this, count me out. Way to go Nintendo on destroying an otherwise great game! How did they ruin it? 1- If you’re a multiplayer household, you can only create 1 island total & whoever has the misfortune of starting    Animal Crossing: New Horizons- Don’t buy it

    My husband got me this game bcs he was trying to introduce me to the world of video gaming. I have to say- if all games are like this, count me out. Way to go Nintendo on destroying an otherwise great game!

    How did they ruin it?

    1- If you’re a multiplayer household, you can only create 1 island total & whoever has the misfortune of starting the game 2nd becomes a 2nd rate citizen on the 1st player’s island. That means they can’t do any quests, can’t make any decisions, don’t get the same kinds of rewards or as many... And you’re limited in the progress you can make on the island to what the 1st player does So short-sighted!

    Heck, 1/2 the time the “hot item” you’re supposed to sell is something the 2nd player doesn’t even have the recipe for. To fix this? You have to buy a whole other Switch game console. Not just a second copy of the game, which would be ridiculous enough in 2020. A whole 2nd console.

    So painfully and obviously GREEDY!!!

    Don’t buy it! 2- They purposefully didn’t warn anybody abt any of this anywhere on the game description, instead lauding it as the ultimate social experience. Fun for families, friends, couples... Bullcrap!!

    Bcs when you’re playing with someone else, the 2nd player can’t collect anything. It all goes into the collection box. And if the 1st player looks at their storage kit or takes their tool ring out, it knocks out whatever action the 2nd player is trying to do.

    3- Talk to them in the only way that will actually speak to them. Clearly the only way that actually matters to them.

    Until Nintendo decides that they actually give a crap about their consumers (I’m not even asking that they care more about their consumers than their bottom line bcs at this point it’s clear that’s not going to happen), do not support them by giving them the money they’re clearly after with this disgusting decision they’ve made.

    However, I am giving it 1 star bcs other than how limited the game feels, it is an enjoyable game and an enjoyable world. Even so, I probably won’t be playing it for too much longer if Nintendo doesn’t fix this. I just can’t see myself enjoying these kinds of limitations for very long. And I’ll continue telling people to not buy it- even when they’re not asking me.    … Expand
  63. VivaLaPanda
    Mar 28, 2020
    4
    A theoretically great game, held back by Nintendo's frankly astounding inability to design multiplayer functionality given its. 2020. Setting aside how completely useless shared-console multiplayer is, the online multiplayer feels more like it's teasing you about how good the game *could* have been if Nintendo had competent network engineers. To join someone's island, you must be friendsA theoretically great game, held back by Nintendo's frankly astounding inability to design multiplayer functionality given its. 2020. Setting aside how completely useless shared-console multiplayer is, the online multiplayer feels more like it's teasing you about how good the game *could* have been if Nintendo had competent network engineers. To join someone's island, you must be friends on Switch, a process which for some reason still uses friend codes instead of usernames like literally any other platform on the internet. Then, you must click through around 30 seconds of dialogue to visit a player. You have to go through this pointless dialogue *every time*. But wait! To visit someone they have to "open their gates", which means going to an ingame location, and clicking through another 30 seconds of pointless dialogue. If you sleep, the gates will close and you have to do it all over again. Because of this, visiting another player effectively *always* requires communication through a 3rd party platform to coordinate your visit (no direct messages via your Switch account, sorry.)
    Once you manage to exchange texts, ensure the other person has opened their gate, and go to join them, you are met with an almost minute long unskippable cutscene. This plays *EVERY TIME* you visit a friend. It locks you, and all players on the island you're joining. Once you get there, the island's owner will discover that they are now unable to place/move any of their furniture. Why? Because Nintendo has spent a solid 2 decades pretending that the internet doesn't exist, and so has no engineers on staff that can make online functionality.

    The single player experience is great, but it's not worth $60. It's a fun game, but just go play Stardew Valley, it has more polish and plays much smoother than this half assed game. It's totally unjustifiable to have a game with multiplayer this bad in 2020.    … Expand
  64. ninya
    Mar 28, 2020
    0
    Can't do anything with shared island... Very limited for the second player.
  65. Trixta101
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    Made an account on metacritic to join in on the zeroes in hopes for change since I can't even play my own game since my wife started an island before me and played too far into it to want to start over. So now I have to buy another switch to play my game? Gtfo. There was no warning for this
  66. alranican
    Mar 29, 2020
    4
    I love this game so much. Been a long time fan of the series, but unfortunately my brother made the island so I'm not allowed to enjoy over half the game's content, and even more until he progresses. Even with this restriction, I can still find enjoyment in it, but it's so hard to justify the decisions to not allow secondary players to progress the island or make their own.
    The co-op is a    I love this game so much. Been a long time fan of the series, but unfortunately my brother made the island so I'm not allowed to enjoy over half the game's content, and even more until he progresses. Even with this restriction, I can still find enjoyment in it, but it's so hard to justify the decisions to not allow secondary players to progress the island or make their own.
    The co-op is a perfect way to visualize how terrible this system is. The first player, the leader, is the only person allowed to interact with anything in the game. The secondary players don't even have access to their inventory. The fact that multiplayer is such an obvious afterthought on a home console Animal Crossing is ridiculous.

    This needs to be changed.    … Expand
  67. Devastor90
    Mar 29, 2020
    3
    I cant understand why Nintendo decided to go this way of implementing two players on one console.

    The thing is that the second player is so strictly restricted what he can achieve . Me as island represantive i can donate fishes and stuff to nook my wife which came second cant do this. Now comes the funny part since my wife had so much fun in the game she played much more than me    I cant understand why Nintendo decided to go this way of implementing two players on one console.

    The thing is that the second player is so strictly restricted what he can achieve .

    Me as island represantive i can donate fishes and stuff to nook my wife which came second cant do this.
    Now comes the funny part since my wife had so much fun in the game she played much more than me untill we noticed that only the represantive can do the main things so long story short we had to delete the savegame and start over with my wife as represantive since she plays more than me.    … Expand
  68. Jlab1974
    Mar 29, 2020
    1
    Selling this game for $60 and limiting to 1 island per console is outright robbery! How can you claim this game as a social experience when only one person has the full power? Who designed this game, a Dictator? My family has owned our Switch since launch and it’s become a major part of our family time. This game has ruined that. My kids have resorted to undermining each other. They sneakSelling this game for $60 and limiting to 1 island per console is outright robbery! How can you claim this game as a social experience when only one person has the full power? Who designed this game, a Dictator? My family has owned our Switch since launch and it’s become a major part of our family time. This game has ruined that. My kids have resorted to undermining each other. They sneak off with the switch and hoard all the resources. This results in screaming, crying, and fighting. How dare you restrict this game in this way! I have never seen such blatant greed. If there are any lawyers out there interested in taking up a class action lawsuit please do! Or maybe just maybe the developers can just update the game to allow creating one island per profile so everyone can experience in full what the game has to offer.… Expand
  69. vestafan88
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    I want to preface this by saying that I have few issues with the game itself. There are some unnecessarily repetitive mechanics that I think should be addressed, but nothing hugely out of character with the AC universe.

    But, the inability to have more than one island per save OR to back up your save to the cloud is baffling. This is an immediate issue for households playing together,    I want to preface this by saying that I have few issues with the game itself. There are some unnecessarily repetitive mechanics that I think should be addressed, but nothing hugely out of character with the AC universe.

    But, the inability to have more than one island per save OR to back up your save to the cloud is baffling. This is an immediate issue for households playing together, and a huge issue going forward knowing how fragile Switch systems are. I purchased a new Switch Lite specifically for this game! A week in, and my joycons are broken, despite absolutely babying the console. If I purchase another console, I've lost 40+ hours of gameplay. Repairs are a no-go at this moment. I am sure there are so many others in this situation, and it's ridiculous. I don't have an unlimited budget to throw at Nintendo.

    I feel like the negative reviews are necessary for Nintendo to actually take notice and respond.    … Expand
  70. frafgogg
    Mar 29, 2020
    4
    Look alright, I really hope someone at Nintendo is reading these and taking notes because one island per console isn't what destroys the experience of the game for me, no, it's the fact that player two is shackled down to player one's progress. As soon as started playing the game I realized this was a huge problem. I heard on Reddit that the second player's progress was only limited to theLook alright, I really hope someone at Nintendo is reading these and taking notes because one island per console isn't what destroys the experience of the game for me, no, it's the fact that player two is shackled down to player one's progress. As soon as started playing the game I realized this was a huge problem. I heard on Reddit that the second player's progress was only limited to the FIRST WEEK of gameplay and low and behold its been 8 days and I'm disappointed I still can't build bridges or inclines or, y'know, progress the story in any way shape or form. This is absolutely disgusting from a 60 dollar triple A title. I'm either forced to sit and wait for my sister to progress and make big decisions without my input, or log on to her account and progress the game and make big decisions without her input. I'm really sad about it to be honest and I hope this whole situation gets fixed somewhere although it probably won't.… Expand
  71. Regillix
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    Issues with additional players on the switch being restricted from much of the progression in the game really spoils the experience in this game. I sure hope they add patches to fix this. Until than, this game is definitely a pass.
  72. fraser5267373
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    Bridge building mechanic is complete trash and unusable until terraforming is unlocked. Please fix this nintendo, I’m shocked that you released a game so broken. There are about 2 spots on my entire island that I can put a bridge and they aren’t where I want them. Still have to use the cumbersome annoying vaulting pole to get anywhere. Fix this Nintendo. Make the bridges less finicky soBridge building mechanic is complete trash and unusable until terraforming is unlocked. Please fix this nintendo, I’m shocked that you released a game so broken. There are about 2 spots on my entire island that I can put a bridge and they aren’t where I want them. Still have to use the cumbersome annoying vaulting pole to get anywhere. Fix this Nintendo. Make the bridges less finicky so that they’re actually usable.… Expand
  73. JohnWick269
    Mar 29, 2020
    1
    Great game with one crippling flaw that makes it near unplayable. One island per switch is either an inexplicable oversight or a shameless cash grab. The first person to set up the island is the only player that can progress the story and do anything significant to the island making it a pedestrian and boring experience for any other player playing on the same switch. Please Nintendo,Great game with one crippling flaw that makes it near unplayable. One island per switch is either an inexplicable oversight or a shameless cash grab. The first person to set up the island is the only player that can progress the story and do anything significant to the island making it a pedestrian and boring experience for any other player playing on the same switch. Please Nintendo, either allow for co-proprietary rights between players on the same island or allow for one island per individual player. My wife started our island and I feel like an NPC when I’m playing because I can’t build houses, progress the story mode, or many other fundamental features of the game that make it what it is. The $60 price point is only worth it for the original creator of the island, while any other players on the same switch are not allowed access to $60 worth of features.… Expand
  74. neon_island
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    They purposely create problems only to try and sell you solutions later!
    You cannot backup your save files in any capacity that doesn't involve giving Nintendo MORE money than the roughly $260-$360 you spent in total just getting the game!
    They lock your save file TO THE SWITCH! This means you can only have ONE island PER CONSOLE! As if that isnt bad enough, if your Switch breaks you    They purposely create problems only to try and sell you solutions later!
    You cannot backup your save files in any capacity that doesn't involve giving Nintendo MORE money than the roughly $260-$360 you spent in total just getting the game!
    They lock your save file TO THE SWITCH! This means you can only have ONE island PER CONSOLE! As if that isnt bad enough, if your Switch breaks you arpotential hours you spent playing will just be GONE unless you pay an additional $20 a year for cloud saving. Which who knows how long the lifespan of that could be in 4 years...    … Expand
  75. yongkit
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    I have to quit playing because my family is ruining my experience. I'm the superfan who went out of my way to buy the limited edition console and preorder the game, launch it at midnight to start my island. In all the previous entries, excluding New Leaf, I shared towns with my family members over the decades of my upbringing. I understand why there's only one island per switch. Truly, II have to quit playing because my family is ruining my experience. I'm the superfan who went out of my way to buy the limited edition console and preorder the game, launch it at midnight to start my island. In all the previous entries, excluding New Leaf, I shared towns with my family members over the decades of my upbringing. I understand why there's only one island per switch. Truly, I get it. For purposes of game manipulation, etc. Plus it keep the player's attachment to the island, since you can't make a new one without having to sacrifice the progress you've already made. They've done this in all the other entries! So it makes sense, of course. However, this is not the Animal Crossings that have come before. It offers endless customization. So how can I enjoy my island when my casual gamer family members are constantly ruining my island? With tires all over the land, hoarding the star fragments, buying all the items, giving animals random items to put in their homes, their own homes are ugly, their coordination is unbelievably bad, items everywhere, trash everywhere. I'm the only one working during this global pandemic, as well as a full time student. I want to spend an hour or two a day taking care of my island but when I get there, everything's already done or so horribly ruined that I can't bare to play. I can't believe I bought this and I bought a console just to play this. It's honestly damaging my relationship with my family and causing me to have even more negative feeling during this hard time. I'm so upset with Nintendo and they need to patch the game to fix it.… Expand
  76. Guiermo
    Mar 29, 2020
    1
    This is our families very first time playing Animal crossing. There are 5 people in our family they love to play on the switch. During this time of being quarantined in our home, we thought this would be a great game for the kids to take their mind off of what’s going on in the world. The 5 year was the first to play the game, not knowing really how to read, he simply clicked throughThis is our families very first time playing Animal crossing. There are 5 people in our family they love to play on the switch. During this time of being quarantined in our home, we thought this would be a great game for the kids to take their mind off of what’s going on in the world. The 5 year was the first to play the game, not knowing really how to read, he simply clicked through things and just started running around the island having a blast. After that every other person in family played on their own users. We realized that we were all located on the same island. No big deal we thought. We each played for a few hours, but none of us could figure out how to make an axe. None of us had the option. After several frustrating searches we found out that since the 5 year old started the game first, he is the only one that can really play the game. Meaning that no one on the switch can make any decisions. We had to delete all the saved data for everyone and start fresh on 1 user. This is unacceptable. The switch is meant to be a console with multiple players. Every other 1st Party Nintendo has a separate save system for each users own progression. Mario Kart, Zelda, Smash Bros.… Expand
  77. illiahn
    Mar 29, 2020
    1
    The game itself? Fun, BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE ONE PERSON. If there is more than one person in your household who wants to play this, you have to buy a SEPARATE CONSOLE ENTIRELY for them to play on their own island.

    Incredibly disappointing. Just another way to gouge people for money.
  78. LTGuu
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    Horrible 2nd player limitation and relationship breaker for Switch with shared users fighting for who will be the Owner and loser be a second class citizen/refugee with almost no fun.
    As a new Animal Crossing player this is such a disappointment.
  79. Denis_hat_bug
    Mar 29, 2020
    1
    No cloud saving No cloud saving No cloud saving No cloud saving No cloud saving No cloud saving No cloud saving No cloud saving
  80. respectedd
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    One island per console is the most asinine game design I have ever seen and there are no warnings about it anywhere from Nintendo before you buy the game. This has ruined the experience for my wife and me. I will be seeking a refund of this game.
  81. titus7809
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    Seriously Nintendo!? The whole "one island per switch" is the worst possible idea imaginable. I get the idea that Nintendo wants to stop "cheating" within the game, but couldn't they get around this by not allowing other users islands to interact? So essentially each user would have a completely different world. I spent $60 on this game to not even be allowed to enjoy it because I didn'tSeriously Nintendo!? The whole "one island per switch" is the worst possible idea imaginable. I get the idea that Nintendo wants to stop "cheating" within the game, but couldn't they get around this by not allowing other users islands to interact? So essentially each user would have a completely different world. I spent $60 on this game to not even be allowed to enjoy it because I didn't start playing it first. Such a disappointment.… Expand
  82. Dutchess4545
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    My brother can’t have his own island. Sharing with him is troublesome and one of us is always left with no resources. NINTENDO, PLEASE FIX
  83. Jcbrizu
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    One island per console is inexcusable and anti consumer practice. Instant 0/10
  84. xenomachina
    Mar 29, 2020
    0
    The Nintendo Switch has one of the best profile systems of any game console. Each player can have their own profile, and games saves are kept completely separate.

    Because of this, I was very surprised to discover that Animal Crossing: New Horizons goes out of its way to circumvent the profile system. The first player to play the game is given the full experience. All other players are    The Nintendo Switch has one of the best profile systems of any game console. Each player can have their own profile, and games saves are kept completely separate.

    Because of this, I was very surprised to discover that Animal Crossing: New Horizons goes out of its way to circumvent the profile system. The first player to play the game is given the full experience. All other players are given a downgraded experience. Parts of the game are just missing, like naming your island, or choosing its layout. Progress in the game for all players is also gated by the primary player's progress. And all players are forced to have the same island, with limited space and limited resources.

    If I'd known this, I wouldn't have purchased this game, as we have one Switch shared by two kids. How is it fair to let one of them be the "island representative", while the other is treated as a second-class citizen by the game?

    Searching online I see others trying to excuse Nintendo's behavior here, saying "Animal Crossing has always been like that", but:

    1. This is false. On the 3DS you could only have one game save per cartridge, but you could use multiple cartridges with a single 3DS. On the Switch you need two separate consoles.

    2. When classic games with limited save slots are ported to the Switch, the number of save slots from the original are normally made *per-profile* on the Switch. For example, in Link's Awakening there are only 3 save slots. In the Switch version, there are 3 save slots *per-profile*. Likewise, one would expect that Animal Crossing would have one game save *per-profile* on the Switch.

    3. Having mis-features in the past is not an excuse for propagating them into the future.

    Nintendo went out of their way to make the game terrible for anyone but the first player. It's pretty clear that their motivation for this is greed. Instead, they've made me strongly consider returning this game, and avoiding their platform in the future.    … Expand
  85. Niclink_21
    Mar 30, 2020
    2
    So far from what I have seen, I am slightly disappointed with this game. I enjoy the new features such as the nookphone and the various quality of life fixes. The new museum looks AMAZING and the graphics look amazing as well. There are, however, many things I am disappointed with. For one, many staple NPCs of the series have been cut. Brewster, Redd, Dr. Shrunk, Harriet, Pelly & Phyllis,So far from what I have seen, I am slightly disappointed with this game. I enjoy the new features such as the nookphone and the various quality of life fixes. The new museum looks AMAZING and the graphics look amazing as well. There are, however, many things I am disappointed with. For one, many staple NPCs of the series have been cut. Brewster, Redd, Dr. Shrunk, Harriet, Pelly & Phyllis, and Katrina have all been cut. In addition, the art gallery has been entirely cut from the museum. Nook's Cranny now only has one upgrade. There are very few buildings to construct. The amount of buildings and facilities you construct would be equivalent to the amount of buildings and facilities that would be available day 1 in other games. Diving has been removed and the there are now only 6 different kinds of fruits. I am mixed on crafting. On one hand, crafting provides a new and fun way to create certain furniture and outdoor furniture. On the other hand, If you remove the crafting and the nook miles system from the game, this game would have no substance. I'll just put it this way, this is the first animal crossing game where I have had nothing to do except log in, play the game for a total of 10 mins, and sign out. Each animal crossing game released up to New Horizons was a culmination of everything great from the games previous. This is the first game in the series to regress in design and gameplay and that just doesn't sit well with me. This game was rushed and hopefully, with updates, this game can improve, but for now, this game is all style and no substance, and I'll be sticking to city folk or new leaf.… Expand
  86. carpetao
    Mar 31, 2020
    1
    I bought this game, looking forward to sharing a beloved franchise with my kids. I am deeply disappointed.

    Only the first profile to play gets a a game. Everyone else gets to be a second class tourist. Multiple profiles have to share that island, and only the primary player can travel to deserted islands, make building decisions, and things like that. Instead of experiencing a    I bought this game, looking forward to sharing a beloved franchise with my kids. I am deeply disappointed.

    Only the first profile to play gets a a game. Everyone else gets to be a second class tourist. Multiple profiles have to share that island, and only the primary player can travel to deserted islands, make building decisions, and things like that. Instead of experiencing a beloved franchise, I have kids fighting over who gets to dig up fossils, collect the seashells for income, etc..etc... The decision not to have separate islands for separate profiles is a decision that's baffling, cold-hearted, and bringing conflict to my household.    … Expand
  87. SilvioVaso
    Mar 31, 2020
    0
    No Nintendo Just no. Nintendo you have to realize that families don't have multiple switches the switch is a family console and you decided to make it 1 island per switch. nobody is gonna buy a new switch just to have another island. The game was meant to be an island for you and only you you shouldn't expect people to receive this well. I have a sibling and we were ecstatic when we gotNo Nintendo Just no. Nintendo you have to realize that families don't have multiple switches the switch is a family console and you decided to make it 1 island per switch. nobody is gonna buy a new switch just to have another island. The game was meant to be an island for you and only you you shouldn't expect people to receive this well. I have a sibling and we were ecstatic when we got this game. We got this game for primarily my sister but I was also ready to make my own island until i realized that me and my sister would have to share a island Now at first i was okay with this but then it set in that If i was the leader my sister couldn't pick up a branch. Nintendo please fix this. You will be praised if you will… Expand
  88. alesguzik
    Apr 17, 2020
    10
    My wife bought this game and we started playing it together. We enjoyed it a lot for a few days, until it turned out that I, as a second player, can't progress on the main quest on the island and really don't have any purpose. I had to order a second Switch console to be able to play this game, and now it is much more enjoyable. After playing with two separate switches I kinda see why itMy wife bought this game and we started playing it together. We enjoyed it a lot for a few days, until it turned out that I, as a second player, can't progress on the main quest on the island and really don't have any purpose. I had to order a second Switch console to be able to play this game, and now it is much more enjoyable. After playing with two separate switches I kinda see why it is the way it is. And having a separate console I can enjoy playing games on my own again. I was actually missing that a lot.… Expand
  89. Liilaah
    Apr 1, 2020
    0
    My boyfriend and I went halfsies on the game only to realise that one of us wouldn't even really get to play it properly. Pretty lousy of Nintendo - can't imagine 7 people happily being side characters in someone else's game as their only experience. I deleted my saves and let him have it since he's more excited to play, what a waste of my money.
  90. Sonic06
    Apr 2, 2020
    10
    Good game. Worth giving a 10/10. Dont understand why this game has a 5.4 audience rating.
  91. KisaHitora
    Apr 2, 2020
    1
    Honestly I was waiting so long for this game and not being able to have separate islands for everyone playing on the switch kinda ruins it for everyone. Won’t be buying future AC games if they are like this. Such a money scheme. The game was almost perfect.
  92. Apollyon145
    Apr 2, 2020
    0
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE OERSON IN YOUR BOUAE THAT PLAYS!!!!

    What a crock of **** Bought this game for my daughter but wanted to try it out. We can’t have two islands?! What genius made this decision? And the solution is “buy another switch”?! This needs to be fixed immediately. I would return the game if I could. I’ve been playing games since the original Atari and    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE OERSON IN YOUR BOUAE THAT PLAYS!!!!

    What a crock of **** Bought this game for my daughter but wanted to try it out. We can’t have two islands?! What genius made this decision? And the solution is “buy another switch”?! This needs to be fixed immediately. I would return the game if I could. I’ve been playing games since the original Atari and this has to be one of the most selfish and idiotic decisions made by a gaming company. Way to step up during a time people are stuck inside....    … Expand
  93. ClapTrap229
    Apr 6, 2020
    5
    It's a great game, but there is a big problem: when the first person who create your island don't play anymore or just less than you, you don't have a complete access to the game.
  94. JazziCat
    Apr 10, 2020
    1
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU PLAN ON USING IT FOR LOCAL MULTIPLAYER (meaning more than one use in the same household).

    I cannot stress this enough as it will cause you no end of frustration, headaches, angry crying and resentment. I say this for the simple fact that there is no true multiplayer function that will satisfy everything within the game. The only person that has any say or    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU PLAN ON USING IT FOR LOCAL MULTIPLAYER (meaning more than one use in the same household).

    I cannot stress this enough as it will cause you no end of frustration, headaches, angry crying and resentment. I say this for the simple fact that there is no true multiplayer function that will satisfy everything within the game. The only person that has any say or control or can actually do anything worthwhile is the VERY FIRST person to start playing the game on the console. Everyone else is literally just a slave to their whims. i can't even sugar coat it because it's caused no end of anger and frustration for my partner and I when we've tried to play together. They lost all interest as they literally couldn't progress the story, gain DIY recipes from Tom Nook, nor actually make any meaningful decisions within the Island (such as placing residents or setting up bridges or really doing anything of note at all). They have stopped playing entirely and that has killed my joy as i'll never be able to play with them all due to Nintendo's greed. For a company that stresses being the best multiplayer and family friendly console on the market they sure did a good job of tearing families apart with this title. Like they've got great multiplayer function in almost every other game, yet decided to go money hungry with this entry for whatever reason. Locking each switch to 1 Island (even if you have multiple ID's with multiple online ability, and even with multiple game codes purchased) is just terrible restrictive and straight up greedy (and i say this as they have yet to offer a valid reason for restricting it in this way so i can only make my own inferences)

    Understand that I'm not really upset at locking the switch to 1 Island per switch, that actually makes some sense to me. The reason for the review being this low is the fact that they Advertise this game as a family friendly game, which it is clearly not, What is fun about being relegated to a servant of the first person to start the game? If they simply added a function to change the Resident Representative in-game then none of us would have reviewed this with such vehemence.

    Think about this: If this game was purchased for a household with multiple kids or in a house with multiple roommates that all love the AC series and looked forward to playing this, if for whatever reason the 'main' person who started playing (not even the one who actually bought it because they don't restrict it to actual accounts) was not able to play for an extended period of time, either due to illness, or they were stuck in quarantine at a different location, or they simply stopped playing, then you have effectively killed all progress and joy for the remaining members of that household. NO ONE will be able to move the game forward so long as that player never plays again. That is why we are all distraught over Nintendo's decision, and have every right to rate this game as such. Nintendo never shed any light on this, because had a parent of children, or partner in a relationship known that the others they live with will NEVER have the same ability or privileges across the board then they wouldn't have purchased it in the first place. Why cause strife intentionally when we're already dealing with everything else going on in the world?

    So i write this review, not to review bomb, but as a warning for all future purchasers to beware of what they'll be getting themselves into.

    Now that i've said that, to validate my review i will state that until we discovered this terrible game design decision, it was a really fun and enjoyable game to play, but i will not rate it higher than a 1 until Nintendo even acknowledges this issue let alone be proactive and fix it. (A 1 because there was enjoyment at one point, but now no longer).    … Expand
  95. Hollowman064
    Apr 22, 2020
    0
    I have never played an Animal Crossing game before and decided to play this one for the first time. BIG MISTAKE! The fact that we get such a tiny island that we are forced to share it with other profiles is ridiculous. I can't enjoy the experience when someone else is taking all the resources and they can't enjoy the experience because I can't play often enough to advance the game. Even ifI have never played an Animal Crossing game before and decided to play this one for the first time. BIG MISTAKE! The fact that we get such a tiny island that we are forced to share it with other profiles is ridiculous. I can't enjoy the experience when someone else is taking all the resources and they can't enjoy the experience because I can't play often enough to advance the game. Even if we did delete the save file and start in their profile, it doesn't help because I still wouldn't be able to do anything without resources. This is the stupidest concept to force upon people and a giant waste of money. I feel ripped off and I want my money back!… Expand
  96. deadlyblaze
    May 2, 2020
    0
    One island per switch. My girlfriend likes it because I gave her the island. I hate this game because as a second ‘player’, I can do almost nothing.
  97. Slywolf2020
    Apr 28, 2020
    10
    Dont listen to the idiots it's a reallly good game I couldnt care about one island limit because I'm not a sad pathetic weirdo who is looking at anything they can to pick at the game if you got through your original save to fast shouldnt of time skipped you fool okay play it and see for yourself I really like it
  98. Only2bashACNH
    Apr 29, 2020
    0
    Doing my part to lower this game's score to say "f4ck you" to Nintendo. I bought this as a game my wife would enjoy, and she likes it, but I can't enjoy it too because some poopbutts at Nintendo decided one island per switch was a good idea. You greedy S.O.Bs
  99. Eveydude
    May 1, 2020
    0
    DON'T BUY THIS GAME UNLESS ONLY YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SO-CALLED "PRIMARY PLAYER" IS LITERALLY THE ONLY PLAYER WHO HAS THE PRIVILEGE TO CONTRIBUTE!!!!!! I almost gave this game a 10/10 until I realized how messed up compared to the rest of the ENTIRE GODDDAMN SERIES!!! This is because when you start by needingkm to give Tom Nook 5 bugs or fish,    DON'T BUY THIS GAME UNLESS ONLY YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SO-CALLED "PRIMARY PLAYER" IS LITERALLY THE ONLY PLAYER WHO HAS THE PRIVILEGE TO CONTRIBUTE!!!!!! I almost gave this game a 10/10 until I realized how messed up compared to the rest of the ENTIRE GODDDAMN SERIES!!! This is because when you start by needingkm to give Tom Nook 5 bugs or fish, only the primary player, which is my sister in my case (who PLAYS THE FREAKING LEAST)
    This game would get a 10/10 if there eren    … Expand
  100. frediy
    May 1, 2020
    0
    I bought a switch and this game only to find I can only play it in an extremely limited way because my partner is the primary player on the island. Apparently you need to buy an additional switch in order to play the game. No problem if you’re rich I guess. I can’t believe what bloodsuckers the people at Nintendo are. They evidently have no concern for their users. I have paid money for aI bought a switch and this game only to find I can only play it in an extremely limited way because my partner is the primary player on the island. Apparently you need to buy an additional switch in order to play the game. No problem if you’re rich I guess. I can’t believe what bloodsuckers the people at Nintendo are. They evidently have no concern for their users. I have paid money for a game I will never be able to play. It’s absolutely horrifying that a game company could deliberately make this decision. It is simply unfathomable to me..… Expand
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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.
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  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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