Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

I’m struggling with how I should approach this review — should I review the game as it is? Or should I review it as I hoped it would be 8 years after Animal Crossing: New Leaf?

I’m going to approach it both ways to explain why I’m pretty disappointed with this latest release in the Animal Crossing series.

How It Is

If you are new to the Animal Crossing series or haven’t played since the 2011 Gamecube Animal Crossing release — this is a 100% must-buy game for you. The premise is simple — you’re dropped on a new island and you’re expected to live your daily life. But not the daily life as we know it here in the world (or as we used to know it before we all became state-mandated shut-ins.) Daily life on your private Animal Crossing island includes catching bugs and fish, planting flowers and trees, picking up seashells on the seashore, crafting and buying new items and tools, and interacting with anthropomorphic animal inhabitants of your island all in an attempt to make ‘bells’ — the form of currency in the Animal Crossing series.

Along the way, you’ll use that money to get your own home to decorate with furniture, flooring and wall decorations. You’ll also be able to personalize your own look with different hairstyles/colors and a plethora of clothing options from shoes, socks, pants, tops and head…