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

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

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

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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Mar 16, 2020

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

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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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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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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

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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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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10 / 10.0
Apr 4, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an addictive mix of creativity, collectables and customisation in an endless beautiful island escape

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KeenGamer
Dakota Gordon
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2020

You've been invited to a new horizon: will you take it? The first console Animal Crossing game since New Leaf, New Horizons allows the player to civilize a deserted island, review its structure, and build themselves from scratch. Though the title implies otherwise, not everything here is as fresh as advertised.

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