Animal Crossing: New Horizons has had a strong run, but the gratuitous content that kept the game afloat has come to an terminate. Information technology ends with a bang, as the latest update added the Roost, farming, and cooking. It besides comes alongside the paid DLC expansion Happy Home Paradise. With and then much added to the game, players find themselves with enough to do, fifty-fifty if they cease upwardly wondering what is coming next for the IP.

Every installment of the Brute Crossing series has brought something new to the table. From becoming a mayor, isle life, or camping, it seems this series has showcased most any lifestyle it could manage. At that place'due south one avenue that could apply a re-visit though: putting players dorsum in a mayor function and letting them manage their own cities.

What Creature Crossing: City Folk Didn't Embrace

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The concept of an Animal Crossing game based on city living isn't new. The 2008 title Animate being Crossing: City Folk had a gimmick in which Kapp'n could take players to the city outside of their town on his charabanc. There, players would notice all sorts of shops, special locations similar Mr. Resetti's office, and tons of new villagers to chat with. This came back in a smaller, more manageable scale equally Principal Street in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which saw fans being asked to assist pay for most, if not all of the same shops to return.

What these games didn't capture is what it would be similar for players to manage an entire city, and at that place'due south a risk that the adjacent game could practise simply that. New Leaf already had players help choose what facilities to build for Main Street, and the latest DLC for New Horizons deals with designing and renovating facilities for Paradise Planning'southward archipelago. Even the new adjustments to Harv'due south Island seems to serve a similar purpose as Principal Street, with shops players tin pay to add. With this in listen, the next step may bargain with having players cull what shops stay permanently in their towns.

Becoming the Mayor of an Animate being Crossing City

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In theory, running a city in Animal Crossing wouldn't exist anything players haven't already experienced, especially when it comes to the newer titles. The biggest matter that being the mayor for this city would inquire of players is picking new infrastructure in the form of buildings, and potentially choosing what buildings they desire to place in their boondocks to brainstorm with. The thought besides would invite the potential for an increased villager count, every bit mayors could place favorite villagers like Shino in apartment complexes or townhomes.

From in that location, players might be able to admission familiar features such as interior designing, or even important structures such equally schools. These features have been seen in Happy Habitation Paradise, but a new metropolis-based game might invite further customization never before seen in Animal Crossing. This type of game might finally allow players to customize buildings such as their town hall in new and interesting ways, instead of making them permanent preset options.

The Potential to Bring Back Animal Crossing Favorites

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With players being able to option and choose what buildings go into their city, this means structures will need to take value to prospective mayors. Luckily, Animate being Crossing and its many characters have captured fans' hearts, and at that place isn't i villager or NPC that goes without some honey. When i NPC is left out of games similar New Horizons, many players ask Nintendo when that character volition make their render.

Giving fans the option to fund and build structures to their urban center that feature their favorite characters seems ideal as the next step in the series. Making it easier and faster for gamers to get characters such equally Brewster and Katrina in a game following New Horizons sounds perfect. There's fifty-fifty potential to bring dorsum more fan-favorites with facilities such every bit a comedy guild for Dr. Shrunk, or even a park with a special fountain that could bring back City Folk favorite Serena - both of whom are absent in New Horizons.

Animal Crossing may be about finding one's way effectually a new identify out in the countryside, merely making the next game deal with players building their own urban center seems alluring for many reasons. The series has get less focused on the atmosphere of players making information technology on their ain, and instead it focuses more on the customization features. The fact that Happy Home Designer has become more of an expansion to New Horizons simply serves as an keepsake of this direction.

Ultimately it's up to Nintendo where this series goes next, but as series like Kirby and Pokemon are experimenting with games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Pokemon Legends: Arceus, at that place'south a stiff chance for this idea to piece of work in the next Animal Crossing. While this title seems promising, it probable won't come up out until at that place'due south a new Nintendo console on the market. That said, fans shouldn't worry, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Happy Dwelling house Paradise by themselves should keep people busy for quite some time.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.

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Zackari Greif (293 Articles Published)

Zackari has loved video games since he get-go played Sonic the Hedgehog on the SEGA Genesis as a toddler. He enjoys writing about the games he'south loved his entire life, and when he isn't writing for Game Rant, he's found either playing those aforementioned games or dabbling in more creative endeavors.

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