Animal Crossing: New Horizons Reviews

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is ranked in the 99th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.5 / 10.0
Mar 16, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game that manages to be wholeheartedly cathartic, relaxing and adorable for every second you play despite some legacy flaws and clunky menus that may vex just a little too much

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9 / 10
Mar 16, 2020

The fresh thrill of discovering an uninhabited atoll tends to fade once such wild life gets cosier with crafted items, buildings, shops and incoming residents, until it looks like a village from the previous iterations. But the larger size of this wholly reshapable island, the customization's vertiginous level and the improved community interactions create an even more fertile ecosystem, hence Animal Crossing can slowly though decidedly stare further, towards New Horizons, equipped with an ever updating NookPhone.

Review in French | Read full review

Mar 16, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the best game I've played this year, and immediately cements itself as one of the generation's defining experiences. Fans will be playing it for years, watching as the seasons roll by and unveil the true potential of what has been created here.

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9.5 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2020

It's the best Animal Crossing yet, with the best visuals, unparalleled customization, wonderful villagers, and so much content that it isn't even funny. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Nintendo at its best.

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95 / 100
Mar 29, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is easily the best Animal Crossing game to date. This life simulator is the most immersive, feature-filled, and customizable to date, having exponentially amplified all the charm and addicting qualities of New Leaf. A must have for any fan of the series, or anyone who simply needs a distraction from the current state of the real world.

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9.5 / 10.0
Mar 23, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons hit every checkbox for me. It's clear in their handling of New Horizons that Nintendo truly cares about this series and understands its value to its audience.

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Jump Dash Roll
Patrick Sullivan
Top Critic
9 / 10
May 13, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides a level of freedom unheard of in most titles, leaving players the opportunity to do whatever they want in any given day, and despite a few bumps they succeed spectacularly in letting you create your own experience.

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8 / 10
Apr 7, 2020

Animal Crossing is a bonafide amazing single-player experience, especially for those that haven't played the series since the Nintendo GameCube, which was a remaster of the Japanese only N64 title. The awkward shared island implementation and limitations put a damper on those playing on a single Nintendo Switch.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2020

That head might naturally drift towards the hellishly contorted world we live in, and not the delightfully cartoonish one of Animal Crossing, but escapism is overrated anyway. I'd rather worry about every aspect of modern living while quietly reflecting on the rhythmic roar of a videogame ocean than while sitting slackjawed in a living room I won't ever be able to leave again. Give me these New Horizons—rigid, commercial, and staid—over the chaos of the last decade.

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9 / 10
Mar 20, 2020

"... if you want a relaxing lifestyle experience that’ll last you years, I can’t recommend this enough."

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9 / 10.0
Mar 24, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the culmination of the series' formula, the zenith of everything Animal Crossing is about, and one of the best games Nintendo have produced in years.

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4.5 / 5.0
Mar 23, 2020

There is no denying Animal Crossing: New Horizons won't appeal to everyone. However, given how so many things have changed, it's nice to have a routine and other mundane tasks that give your life a sense of normalcy. Not only is it relaxing in general, it's the kind of escape that is perfect in a time when things are everything but. It might not be the best in terms of pacing, but anyone willing to invest in this adventure and give the simple charms a genuine try will likely be surprised by just how fun it can be.

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GRYOnline.pl
Adam Zechenter
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Mar 16, 2020

In case of Animal Crossing, a dull slogan like “this game is addictive” becomes true. I have been, with utmost pleasure, fishing, and planting flowers; I have decorated my house and talked to the residents of the island, and it was all fun. And even though I've spend more than 50 hours with New Horizons, there are still lots I of things haven’t seen. If you own a Switch and like splendid grind, you simply have to play it.

Review in Polish | Read full review

10 / 10.0
Mar 16, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons takes everything good about Animal Crossing, and improves it ten-fold.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a stunning new instalment in the Animal Crossing franchise, hindered only by its lack of immediate content, quality of life issues and missing returning characters and features While future updates will give the game long-term playability, for those already sipping vacation juice on their five-star islands, island life feels pretty mundane right now.

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GameSpace
Kelley
Top Critic
9.2 / 10.0
May 5, 2020

Animal Crossing New Horizons  is the best game that could have launched during this pandemic being so family friendly and offering the best brand of distraction you could think of without any violence.

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4.5 / 5.0
Apr 16, 2020

Animal Crossing New Horizons is the must have game of the year for the Nintendo Switch!

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Evan Norris
Top Critic
8 / 10
Apr 18, 2020

Those that gravitate toward serene sandbox simulation will find in New Horizons a game to play for weeks, months, and even years.

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GameZone
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Apr 11, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is easily the most personal and customizable game in the franchise.

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AusGamers
RachelWu
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Apr 7, 2020

Perhaps it's the result of the current state of things, but with all the vibrant and adorable charm that permeates Animal Crossing, I almost wish there was a slightly more sinister secondary storyline to contrast with the saccharine world.

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