Even on an abandoned island, you can’t escape the tight grip of capitalism, also known as Tom Nook. This time, he wants to sell you a trip to a deserted island, and the latest Animal Crossing Direct summarised his ‘Desert Island Getaway Package’ for the latest Nintendo Switch entry in the long-running franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. With the game set for release on March 20th, just one month from now, this was a chance to understand how this title differentiates itself from what came before it, as the game looks set to be another addictive time sink.
What Happens When You Arrive on Your Animal Crossing Island?
As revealed in the Animal Crossing Direct, the getaway package starts before you even reach the island. You’ll pick an island from multiple options and have complete control over where you live and how it looks. You can choose which hemisphere your island resides in (and therefore when each season occurs) and more, before heading to an island overflowing with nature. While only one island is possible per system, up to 8 residents can live on the island with their own house on a single system, and up to 4 players can play at once on the same device, too.
An orientation session greets you on arrival where you can set up a tent, meet the few residents you start the game with and learn about the various island facilities. These residents also need to find a place to stay and, as with any residents who come in the future, you can help decide where they live! Your favourite animal? They can live right next door!
At first, many features are limited. You’ll have access to Tom Nook’s shop and a crafting table to create new items, but at first, that’s about it. You will have access to another service, however, and that’ll be the airport you first arrive on the island through. Via this airport, you can visit other islands, even if they aren’t on your friend list (via special ‘Dodo Codes’), with up to 8 people able to visit another person’s island at any one time.
Residents upon arrival will also receive a NookPhone, which gives players quick access to important features without having to go to certain areas like in other games. Also included on the phone are nook miles, a currency which can be earned through tasks like catching bugs to clear off your debt to your almighty ruler, Tom Nook, as well as for a variety of rewards.
Settling In and Daily Life on Your Deserted Island
As explained in the Animal Crossing Direct, once settled in, more familiar services to series players will return. Traveling merchants, including loveable turnip seller Joan? She’s back, as are all the other merchants. The museum? That’s back, with the power of the Nintendo Switch making it a more impressive area to expand with creatures and fossils than ever before. Tailors and other shops also return.
More importantly, Isabelle is back! She’ll be helping with island maintenance.
You can buy and expand a house like in previous titles, one which can be widely customized both inside and out with colors and more. An easier in-house editor will give players full 360-degree views of rooms to move furniture more easily, with pictures of your room and how it looks also possible. Over time, it’ll even be possible to completely redesign and change your island completely, constructing cliffs, ramps, creating rivers, removing land and more. You can become a construction manager in complete control over how the island looks in time, offering more customization to make this place truly your own than ever before.
A Nintendo Switch Online app will also be available next month with the game, though not immediately at launch. It’s understandable to be wary of the app as a clunky secondary out-of-game addition, but this promises to add some interesting features to the game. Using your phone’s camera, you can scan QR codes of created outfits from the 3DS Animal Crossing games, New Leaf and Happy Home Designer. All those outfits made in those games won’t be going to waste, at least. It’ll also be possible to use voice and text chat through the app, with the text being spoken by your in-game characters. Later on, connectivity with Pocket Camp will also be possible.
Animal Crossing Direct Details A Return to Virtual Daily Life
The Animal Crossing Direct was a big blowout of information for a new title in the series which, in spite of being so close to release, had been kept under wraps in terms of what new features would be included for quite some time. As this event revealed, many features associated with the series, from the museum and shops to the bug and fishing competitions and more, have all returned, while new features give players more customization and offer further depth on the formula.
Alongside once again showing off the special-edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch, other tidbits of information include amiibo support (although not all amiibo will be supported at launch) and the rather weird announcement that, although cloud saves aren’t supported by the game, data for the title can be recovered from the cloud in cases of system damage. Why a traditional back up isn’t possible screams of a mistake and a major oversight considering the time investment of many players, but it seems they’re set on this decision, for better or worse.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is set for launch on Nintendo Switch on March 20th, and you can find more information over on Nintendo’s official website.