Animal Crossing: New Horizons: hands-on with Nintendo’s adorable Switch life sim

New Horizons isn’t just the series’s long-awaited debut on the Switch; it’s also what looks like the biggest departure for Animal Crossing to date. By shifting the setting to a near-deserted island, the developers at Nintendo have found a premise that lets them play with a well-worn formula while still keeping what works. I had a chance to check this out for myself earlier this week when I played the first 45 minutes or so of New Horizons. And while that’s not nearly enough time to judge a game of this scope, the latest Animal Crossing is at least off to a promising start.

Following your conversation with the Nook kids, you’re flown to an island that will be your new home. The first thing you’ll probably notice — especially if you’ve spent lots of time with the portable iterations of the franchise — is just how good New Horizons looks. It’s still unmistakably Animal Crossing, with cute, squat characters and a grid-based layout. But everything is much more detailed.

My island was covered with a fine layer of sparkly white snow, but you could still see the colorful wildflowers poking through and the bright pop of ripe peaches on the trees. I especially loved the more vibrant water, which adds to the game’s natural charm. The core of the game remains mostly the same. Instead of a house, you’re given a tent, and you can set it up wherever you want.

Initially, the island is pretty sparse; there are only two other residents alongside the Nook family that runs the joint. Nintendo says that new features — including facilities like a museum and tailor as well as additional characters — will slowly unlock as you play. But early on, your island home is quaint and quiet.

“At first, there aren’t even any bridges or stairs to cross rivers or climb cliffs.”

A few gameplay changes are noticeable right away. Chief among them is the new crafting feature, which, while simple, seems like a natural fit for the new island setting. Essentially, you can collect and buy crafting recipes, which you can then take to a workbench to create new things — provided you have the necessary materials. I spent about five minutes gathering branches strewn across the island and immediately managed to make myself a cheap fishing rod and bug-catching net, essentials for any would-be Animal Crossing explorer.