Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch 2) Edition Review – Minimal Upgrade, Maximum Enjoyment

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch 2) Edition Review

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released at the perfect time. As the world shut down, Nintendo’s charming social sim offered a gentle escape, routine replaced anxiety, and friendly neighbors drowned out the noise of real-world uncertainty. Five years later, Tom Nook and the cute cast of characters are back with a Switch 2 port and a host of freebies courtesy of the 3.0 update. So, is it worth another stay on this faraway island, or is it finally time to choose a new destination?

For those new to the franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a social simulator where you craft a unique world. At first, the island is uninhabited, but as time progresses, cute animals move in and the place becomes rich with activity. It’s a slow burn, but when the game gets its hooks in, it’s truly enthralling. You quickly become meticulous about weeds appearing, misaligned trees, and all sorts of other bizarre elements. While you may not spend hours at a time on your island, you’ll jump on daily to tackle small tasks and watch your island grow.

Coming Back For More

Regular content updates are baked into the game. As you reach certain points, such as your island’s star level or a key time of year, new items become available, the world changes and new mechanics are introduced. This makes revisiting the game an absolute joy as you’ll continue to discover new things to see and do. On top of this, Nintendo has added new elements since launch, but the Switch 2 release coincides with the 3.0 update.

A big quality-of-life improvement is linked to crafting. Collecting resources and creating items is central to the gameplay loop; as a result, these changes noticeably improve the experience, especially in the early portions of the game. Rather than painstakingly crafting one item at a time, you can now build in bulk, provided you have the resources. These no longer need to sit in your inventory either, as you can craft directly from your house storage, further refining the process.

Your Dream Location

A neat new feature is Slumber Island. When you doze off, you can now awake on a blank canvas with everything you need to build your dream island. This is great for those who have perfected their island and want to try something new without starting a new save file. With the ability to save three islands and build with friends online, this crafting sandbox will keep you busy for hours on end. Another refinement is the use of Resetti. Rather than resetting the entire island, you can get him to clean up sections, allowing you to redesign parts of the island whenever you like. While not game-changing, it improves an already excellent experience.

Moving on to the Switch 2 version, there are only minimal updates, but probably enough to warrant the small upgrade fee. Visually, there’s a slight improvement, though nothing too drastic. Edges are clearer, colours are a little more vibrant, and overall, it looks delightful. Disappointingly, the framerate remains locked at 30FPS, which is a shame, as the Nintendo Switch 2 should be capable of 60FPS. That bump would have helped the Switch 2 version feel like a more substantial upgrade; as it stands, the improvements feel minimal.

A Small Update

You can also use the Switch 2’s mouse feature to do minor adjustments when placing furniture in houses and decorating the walls. While a nice idea, it’s not that practical, as you can not use the mouse feature for other aspects. Also, as items are positioned on a grid-based surface, it’s quite awkward using the mouse. As well as this, you can use the microphone feature to call for residents. Giving them a shout makes it easier to find them, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. Rounding out the new features, you can also see your pals online when meeting up on an island. In all honesty, the Switch 2 features are small and aren’t essential.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition is a game of two halves. If you’re new to the franchise, this is one of the best social simulators available and an essential purchase for fans of the genre. Packed with content, there’s absolutely loads to do. The 3.0 update is great, and when mixed with the steady stream of content and addictive gameplay loop, you’ll quickly lose hours on the faraway island. If you own the original, the update doesn’t offer much, but at the low price, it’s still probably worth the $5.

***A Nintendo Switch 2 code provided by the publisher***