Summary
- The next Animal Crossing game may be released alongside Nintendo's next console, which is rumored to be powerful, giving Nintendo an opportunity to make big changes.
- Fans of the franchise are hoping for improvements such as faster travel between islands, improved graphics, and larger building spaces for more creative freedom.
- However, the next game should also allow players to add more unique buildings on their islands, giving a more personal and lived-in feel. Choices similar to the Happy Home Paradise DLC's interior design options could allow players to add anything from hospitals to repair shops, while exterior design options could make for fun unlockables.
Currently, very little is known about what is next for the Animal Crossing franchise. The beloved and hugely successful Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received its final update, meaning that those who have burnt themselves out within the game have nothing to do but wait for the next entry in the series. At this rate, that new game will likely come alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, or whatever else the company ends up naming its next console. Based on rumors and the natural progression of the gaming industry, this next console will likely be powerful, and that could give Nintendo a chance to make big changes to the experience.
The idea of an entry in the franchise being built with a more powerful console in mind will likely have Animal Crossing fans thinking of several improvements. Faster travel between islands is one option, as is improved graphics to make Animal Crossing’s Villagers and NPCs more adorable than ever before. One of the biggest improvements that the next game can make if it utilizes new technology is significantly larger building spaces for gamers to make use of. However, while players may instantly think of more land to build on when pondering a size increase, more creative freedom could also be provided by letting players add custom buildings to their towns or islands.
Custom Buildings in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Would Be a Game-Changer
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Buildings Are Cute, But Limited
While Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have the freedom to decorate the interior of their home and design some outdoor areas, they are extremely limited when it comes to the buildings that they can place on their island. Outside Villager’s unique home designs and the player’s customizable house, every building located on an island is present on other gamers’ land as well. This leads to islands feeling a bit less personal, as all of them have a Museum, a Resident Services, a Nook’s Cranny, and so on. While these buildings serve a purpose and should not go away, the next game should allow players to add more unique buildings to the mix.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Successor Should Take The Next Step From Happy Home Paradise
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Happy Home Paradise DLC was popular because it allowed players to go all-in on interior design. Previously, players could only do this within their homes and the photo studio, so having the option to craft unique living spaces for Villagers was exciting. Players could build everything from a hospital to a repair shop, but unfortunately, they had to leave their own islands to visit these themed buildings. In the next game, players should be able to add some generic buildings onto their land that they will be free to decorate however they want. If they have multiple rooms, players could create a shopping mall or Wal-Mart, while adding smaller ones like restaurants can make an island feel more lived in.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Custom Designs Portal could be the key to endless building options. So long as players can still download custom designs in the next game, creative players would likely have fans covered with buildings based on everything from Stranger Things to Marvel.
Such a system would only be better if players could customize the exteriors of the buildings a bit too. Something like Starfield’s popular ship-building system could be a good blueprint to follow, with players crafting skyscrapers or tiny shacks using some building pieces provided by Nintendo. If players can actually make a hospital look like a hospital via a custom sign and a special color scheme, then Animal Crossing fans could feel more immersed than ever before. This could provide great rewards for Animal Crossing fans to work toward, too, as they could acquire new color schemes for custom buildings as well as sign letters and building pieces. Alongside the basic general store, clothes shop, and so on, players would have a variety of buildings that are unique to their own towns.
Animal Crossing is a Nintendo-exclusive life sim franchise spread across numerous Nintendo consoles. Featuring anthropomorphic villagers, strong customization, and a real-time day cycle, the Animal Crossing series offer unique and varied gameplay.
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