Revamping Animal Crossing: The Must-Have Changes That Will Transform the Game

Highlights

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a multiplayer feature, but the next entry in the series can make it more rewarding and offer new ways to interact with other players.

The current version of the game has restrictions on the activities players can engage in when visiting each other's islands. However, these limitations could be eliminated by introducing a sequel.

Nintendo has the opportunity to enhance the multiplayer experience by allowing friends to not only collaborate on customizing the island, but also contribute to the overall state of the island. Additionally, players could partake in new mini-games as a team, donate bugs and fish to their friends' museums, and enjoy exclusive co-op mini-games.

Since its initial release, Animal Crossing has become a popular title among gamers who enjoy the life simulation genre. Throughout the years, Nintendo has continuously introduced new features to enhance the excitement of the Animal Crossing franchise. In 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduced a multiplayer option which allowed players to visit each other's islands, although the results were somewhat limited.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers a great opportunity to make friends, but there is potential for further improvement in this aspect. Despite the game's reputation for being a relaxing experience with minimal challenges, there are individuals who would benefit from a more rewarding multiplayer experience. This has the potential to revolutionize the series and create fresh avenues for player interaction.

Animal Crossing Could Make The Most Of Multiplayer

In the early days of Animal Crossing, players were able to visit other towns, but it was in Animal Crossing: Wild World that up to three players could do this together. In the latest installment, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, up to eight people can join at the same time. While it's not as common to see eight people on one island anymore, it was quite popular during the game's prime. Players would exchange materials and resources, resulting in thriving islander economies.

Unfortunately, there aren't many activities that players can do together when visiting each other, unless they live on the same island. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players must be best friends with the host to use tools like shovels or axes. Trading resources can be helpful, but beyond that, the online co-op experience is limited to exploring and enjoying the island together. This is different from Animal Crossing: New Leaf, where some players feel that the multiplayer experience was better.

There are numerous enjoyable activities that can be done with friends in Animal Crossing, yet most of them stem from the players' own imagination and creativity. The community has come up with various ways to engage in hide-and-seek challenges, obstacle courses, and scavenger hunts, which could potentially be officially integrated by Nintendo. Although challenges involving NPC villagers such as Bug Offs and Fishing Tourneys already exist, incorporating cooperative mini-games would not be overly challenging.

Nevertheless, Nintendo has the potential to enhance multiplayer by introducing more intricate elements. It would be great if friends were able to make a meaningful contribution to the overall state of the island, rather than being solely restricted to tending flowers and digging holes. For instance, allowing friends to assist in catching fish and bugs to donate to Blathers' museum would be a welcome change.

The possible future Animal Crossing title may incorporate elements from Minecraft, enabling players to collaborate on customizing various aspects of the game world. This could involve personalizing homes, transforming landscapes, and arranging objects. In addition, players might have the opportunity to embark on Mystery Island Tours with their friends, where they can gather resources and seek out desired villagers.

The direction that Nintendo chooses for the upcoming Animal Crossing game is unpredictable. Given the immense success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it is anticipated that the next installment will be highly popular regardless. However, in order to maintain a competitive edge against rivals like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Hello Kitty Island Adventure, the game may need to continue to evolve and incorporate changes requested by its dedicated community.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for Nintendo Switch.