The Ultimate Feature Animal Crossing Should Steal from The Sims 4

Highlights

Animal Crossing: New Horizons enhanced players' ability to develop their island, yet there remains potential for enhancement in the realms of crafting and implementing construction projects on the island.

A separate free build mode in Animal Crossing: New Horizons would be a beneficial addition, as it would enable players to experiment with designs, make adjustments, and preview their island layout before finalizing it. This feature would ultimately save time and resources.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons offered players unprecedented freedom in customizing their island compared to other games in the series. By allowing players to craft furniture, place objects outdoors, and determine the placement of important structures and villager homes, Animal Crossing: New Horizons fulfilled the dream of players seeking creative liberty. However, while these new mechanics were well-received, the next installment of Animal Crossing could take inspiration from The Sims 4 and push the boundaries even further.

Despite the many accolades garnered by Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there is still ample room for improvement in future iterations. The focus should be on enhancing the crafting and island construction experience through quality-of-life enhancements that streamline the process. Taking cues from The Sims 4's free build mode, the next Animal Crossing game, or even an unexpected update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, could introduce features that enhance convenience and foster even greater creativity within the series.

Animal Crossing Could Use The Sims 4's Free Build Mode

In The Sims 4, players can freely design their world by utilizing Free Build Mode, which allows for creativity without the usual restrictions of the game. Although considered a cheat, EA actually encourages players to use this feature as a way to experiment with different designs and building layouts before investing resources in the game. This mode provides Sims 4 players with the freedom to unleash their creativity without the fear of wasting time and resources on their main save. Interestingly, this concept could also be seamlessly integrated into the Animal Crossing series.

The pacing of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is ideal for those seeking a relaxed and leisurely experience on their island. However, it can become burdensome when it comes to customizing the island or constructing buildings. Wasting time and resources on terraforming an area, only to realize it doesn't look right, or building a villager's home in the wrong location can be frustrating. If Animal Crossing: New Horizons incorporated a separate free build mode, players could conveniently lay out and adjust their island beforehand, preview their designs, and avoid unnecessary headaches before committing resources to their actual island.

Crafting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons plays a crucial role in island decoration. The game provides players with various outdoor furniture options as crafting recipes. However, this means that gathering the necessary resources for crafting can be both expensive and time-consuming. Without knowing if they'll like the final result, players risk wasting their resources. To solve this issue, implementing a free build mode that allows players to preview furniture pieces in-game would greatly enhance resource efficiency when renovating their island.

Animal Crossing already offers a solid foundation for a free build feature through Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and the Happy Home Paradise DLC in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. These games enable players to design villagers' houses without any restrictions on resources and time found in the main series games. In a future Animal Crossing installment, the concept of Happy Home Designer could be expanded upon, granting players the ability to design their entire island separately from the main game rather than just focusing on individual buildings and houses.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for Nintendo Switch.