At long last, the final Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct has come, and players are abuzz about the upcoming franchise entry to be the first-ever to add an island terraforming feature. This highly anticipated Direct was absolutely jam-packed with new and exciting information about the fast-approaching game, and it suffices to say that it didn't disappoint.
Since the game's announcement in 2018 and subsequent delay to March 20, 2020, Animal Crossing fans have felt the growing pang of neglect by Nintendo. They've patiently watched on as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Fire Emblem receive frequent attention from the publisher without getting a Nintendo Direct of their own for months. That dry spell is finally ending now that the game is only a month away, as the fabled pre-launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct arrived today. Split into three thrillingly dense segments detailing old news, all-new features, and frequently asked questions, if there's only one video that prospective Animal Crossing: New Horizons players need to watch before the game takes the Nintendo Switch by storm, it's this one.
Any Animal Crossing player would agree that the single most groundbreaking (pun intended) Animal Crossing: New Horizons announcement in the February 20 Direct is that islands can now be terraformed to one's heart's content. Using permits provided by Resident Services, players will be able to shape their islands' landscape, allowing them to extend existing land into bodies of water, create navigable slopes, and even destroy entire sections of cliffs to create beautiful waterfalls. Additionally, players can now bridge locations with paths that come in a variety of cute textures, as well as build literal bridges of different styles and sizes over bodies of water. To prevent Minecraft-style abuse of these features, friends must first be granted Best Friend status before any creative privileges are granted to them.
Perhaps most exciting is that future island neighbors can have their future home lots determined in advance, as they can be located wherever players deem fit to avoid bizarre town layouts. This also goes for the locations of other buildings types, including stores like Nook's Cranny and the game's new, breathtaking museum, giving players complete aesthetic control over their islands. Very recently, there were fears that Nintendo might take this beloved series in the wrong direction by implementing microtransactions and ignoring the community. However, these massive improvements along with a long list of others (including real hope that in-game purchases are out) should reassure many that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is setting itself up to be the best in franchise history.
While there are some very "Nintendo" decisions being made about how things like cloud saves will be handled in the upcoming game of which fans are right to be wary, today's Nintendo Direct has likely allowed many to breathe a sigh of relief. The closer Animal Crossing: New Horizons' island adventure gets, the better it continues to look.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is coming to Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube