The Enchanting Feature in Palia That Animal Crossing Needs to Embrace

Highlights

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a huge success, but future entries will need to offer more to keep players engaged amidst growing competition from other cozy games.

Palia, an upcoming MMO, incorporates collaborative gameplay as a central element. For instance, certain tasks such as felling unique trees necessitate the combined efforts of multiple players in real-time.

Animal Crossing could enhance its gameplay by adopting Palia's collaborative mechanics. This could involve introducing tasks that necessitate assistance from friends and giving players the ability to enlist villagers for help, all while preserving the essence of the single-player experience.

Animal Crossing, a beloved game in the cozy genre and one of Nintendo's exclusive franchises, has seen tremendous success with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. With over 40 million copies sold, it ranks second only to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Switch game sales. As the series looks to the future, there are higher expectations to meet, especially considering the growing popularity of cozy games. Increased competition means that Animal Crossing must draw inspiration from other games in the genre, and one standout feature from Palia could be a perfect fit for Nintendo to incorporate.

Palia, an upcoming MMO that focuses on life simulation, offers a unique multiplayer experience. While games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley have included multiplayer modes, they have often been limited in scope. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players can visit friends' islands and engage in basic collaborations such as sharing fruits and designs, or traveling to different places to sell turnips for more in-game currency. Palia, on the other hand, has been specifically designed as a multiplayer game from the ground up. Players inhabit a shared world, where working together is essential for resource gathering and other activities. Collaboration takes center stage in Palia.

Palia's Flow Trees Are A Game Changer

Palia's emphasis on collaborative gameplay is best demonstrated through its flow trees. These particular trees are infused with a mystical essence, granting them enhanced strength and rendering them uncuttable by a single player. To fell these trees, two or more players must work together in real-time. This mechanic perfectly embodies the game's collaborative approach. In addition to this, certain cooking and crafting recipes in Palia also require the participation of multiple players, either due to time constraints or the need for simultaneous completion of tasks. Even though Palia is still in its beta stage, it has already exposed the underutilization of multiplayer functionality in other cozy games.

While the massively multiplayer online (MMO) nature of Palia necessitates its focus on collaboration, this does not mean that cozy games outside the MMO realm cannot learn from it. Animal Crossing, for instance, has limited multiplayer features. By incorporating some of Palia's collaborative tasks, Animal Crossing can offer players more reasons to engage in cooperative play. Visiting a friend's island is enjoyable, but it can become monotonous when there is a lack of activities to participate in. Animal Crossing has ample opportunities to implement the unique collaborative aspects that make Palia special, without compromising its single-player experience. By incorporating these features, Animal Crossing can thrive as both a co-op and single-player game, propelling the franchise forward.

Animal Crossing Should Add Collaborative Tasks

The next Animal Crossing game should draw inspiration from Palia, incorporating collaborative elements like flow trees. This would encourage players to engage with friends and provide them with tasks that require assistance. Additionally, the game could introduce the iconic villagers to collaborative tasks, allowing players to form deeper connections with them. By limiting the daily tasks villagers can perform, Nintendo can still reward multiplayer collaboration while ensuring single-player experiences are not diminished. Overall, borrowing from Palia would enhance the Animal Crossing experience and keep fans engaged for longer periods of time.