Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Deserted Island Was Designed To ‘Shake Things Up For The Long-Running Franchise’

By Zuhaad Ali
Nintendo

If you’ve played the previous Animal Crossing titles and started your adventure in the brand-new Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you might’ve noticed some changes right off the bat. In the previous titles, you start off with a cheerful human with a town full of animals. Now, in New Horizons, your player starts on a deserted island with two animals to start with you.

According to The Verge, New Horizons game director Aya Kyogoku, made this change to shake up the series for the long-running franchise. “When we thought about changing those relationships between the user and the animals, we thought, ‘Well, what if we take away the village?’ Putting the player on a deserted island is the solution we came up with,” she told The Verge.

“We did realize that a lot of the fans who started playing Animal Crossing for the first time with Pocket Camp may have difficulties jumping into titles like New Horizons. Nook Miles is just a way to facilitate the discovery of ways to play,” Kyogoku added.

“I’m always about paying back the loans, so I want to try to make as many bells as possible. So I tend to go for more expensive insects and ignore common butterflies,” she continued. “All of a sudden, critters like common butterflies will have a different value added to them.”

Animal Crossing: New Horizons releasing March 20, 2020, on Nintendo Switch.

Source: The Verge