On March 20th,  Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the number one most discussed and best switch game of 2020 (based on Metacritic awards), was released. New Horizons is the latest installment of the Animal Crossing franchise since Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp was released in October of 2017. New Horizons is also the first new release of the Animal Crossing series available on the Nintendo Switch.  

According to Metacritic, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received a Metascore of 90 out of 100. Out of 110 critic reviews, there was only one mixed review, while the rest were all positive. With such a score, Metascore deems New Horizons to be a must-play game.

“Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game in which you have taken a relaxing island getaway with NPC (non-player character) Tom Nook,” said junior Kayla Omer. “Eventually, you become something like a mayor and you have to design your island in any way you want! I find New Horizons to be very stress relieving and relaxing. It helps me calm down after a long day. Plus if I ever need to let out some anger I can start up some drama with the villagers. It’s fun to make your very own island to your liking!” 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is not just a singleplayer game. While you have the option to play alone, you also have the opportunity to play together with the four-player local multiplayer system or the eight-person online play system. The four-player local multiplayer system allows up to four-players on the same Nintendo switch at the same time, given that each person has their own joy-con or controller. Each player will share the same island with one another. The eight-person online multiplayer system allows up to eight-players who have their own switch and copy of the game to connect to one another’s island, so everyone may enjoy the experience together.

“I bought my Nintendo Switch Lite and A.C.H.S. (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) in May because I was finding quarantine and dealing with the pandemic extremely difficult,” said English teacher and journalism adviser Camile Lofters. “Like many people, my mental health suffered from too much time spent with nothing to do. I had never played any of the previous versions of Animal Crossing, but a lot of women my age were playing and talking about how fun it was, and I have always enjoyed video games.” 

Players around the world have found themselves completely immersed in the world of their island and constant money struggles with Tom Nook.

“The game is seriously addicting in the best way, especially when you are just starting out. There is quite literally always something to do and the game runs in real time, so you have to actually follow the calendar, which brings out cool new surprises as seasons change,” said Lofters. “I joke about this, but I really feel like A.C.N.H. saved my mental health from May- August. I am also an extremely creative person, so getting to design my island and always come up with new ideas is an awesome creative outlet for me. My favorite part of the game is actually interacting with my villagers! They are hilarious and every day is something new.”

A.C.H.S. can be the game you need to just relax and try to boost your mental health. The game promotes creativity, diversity, and so much more! With all of these features, New Horizons can really promote a positive mindset.

“In May, I was feeling pretty sad about the fact that I wouldn’t get to say goodbye to my students,” said Lofters. “Since we didn’t have live classes like we do now, I really felt like March had kind of been this abrupt end that none of us were ready for. One day, one of my villagers gifted me a school desk, and it clicked to me that there were more school items in the game.So I decided to spend time finding those items by flying to friends’ islands and eventually designing my classroom. It helped me feel connected to teaching again, and to this day, it is one of my favorite parts of my island.”

Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows a multitude of unique and diverse islands to be built, truly allowing oneself to dive into the depths of creativity. With even the option to spice things up by playing with friends, New Horizons can never get old! If you enjoy creative, building, and educational simulation games you must try New Horizons. 

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