Animal Crossing: New Horizons Reviews

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

Tom Nook's latest venture is profitable for fans and villagers alike.

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10 / 10
Mar 16, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons takes Animal Crossing and not only drags it back onto home consoles, but improves upon every single facet imaginable.

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Unscored
Mar 16, 2020

For now, Animal Crossing: New Horizons feels like a no-brainer for fans of the franchise, and a perfect place to start for newcomers—with the exception of ruining every other previous Animal Crossing game, should you ever want to go back to them.

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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

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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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 16, 2020

It's a special game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. An addictive diversion that allows you to escape from the daily routine to discover an alternative, made of flowers to plant, of strange talking animals, of a wandering disengagement between rivers and beaches.

Review in Italian | Read full review

90 / 100
Mar 16, 2020

Animal Crossing New Horizons creates a versatile and deep life simulation despite peaceful island life.

Review in German | Read full review

GameXplain
Top Critic
Loved
Mar 16, 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - REVIEW (Nintendo Switch) video thumbnail
Mar 17, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the escapism we need right now.

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92 / 100
Mar 19, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is just the game we wanted and much more. This franchise demonstrates once more why it is so special.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

GameCrate
Angelo M. D'Argenio
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Mar 24, 2020

New Horizons is a great evolution for the Animal Crossing franchise. As always Nintendo has integrated some amazing innovations into the formula, but in the process made some really weird design decisions that detract from the fun.

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Mar 29, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the perfect getaway from daily life, putting players in a serene world where the only thing that matters is catching fish and arranging furniture. Its crafting system creates a sense of ownership over the island while also doubling as a creative outlet. It's an absolutely delightful and refreshing experience.

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4.5 / 5.0
Mar 30, 2020

New Horizons is the definitive Animal Crossing experience—that much is clear after a relatively short amount of time spent with it. And with the promise of future holiday updates, it’s guaranteed that fans both new and old will return to their islands again and again for many years to come.

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9 / 10
Apr 1, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons marks the return of the much appreciated series to a Nintendo home console and this new episode is an achievement in every way. With its familiar formula but adding some new mechanics, New Horizons features a fantastic sense of progression, a lot of generosity in its rewards and puts the player in a wonderful environment, all these being major pillars of creating a marvelous experience where we most expect it.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Apr 3, 2020

By bringing players into their own island, Animal Crossing: New Horizons works the series' charming, wholesome magic like never before.

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Nintendo Enthusiast
Daniel Thompson
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Apr 3, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ultimately helped me better appreciate the importance of being able to spend time with others. With or without a pandemic, this is one of the best games to have graced Nintendo Switch yet. It's the purest and most engaging form of Eguchi's vision, and there's an unparalleled belonging and meaning that'll draw me back in for a long time to come.

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9 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2020

New Horizons is the near-perfect installment ahead of the 20th anniversary of the series. There is so much to do in this game, and Nintendo has really pushed the limits for the series with the amount of creative freedom they've handed over to the player. The only thing that lets it down is the clunkiness of an otherwise delightful multiplayer feature. Still, this is exactly the kind of game I want to be stuck at home with.

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Apr 12, 2020

After a while, the game inadvertently becomes about the cost and upkeep of civilization.

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9 / 10.0
Apr 21, 2020

If you loved the Animal Crossing games of the past, New Horizons will definitely scratch your itch for the series and then some. And if you’ve never played the game before, now is as good a time as any to start. Admittedly, Animal Crossing isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re the type who craves more heart-pumping action. If you want a charming, laid-back game that tickles your creative fancies, however, this latest entry in the Animal Crossing series just might expand your horizons.

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