Excitement is brewing among fans as rumors swirl around the next iteration of Animal Crossing and the possibility of a city setting replacing the remote island escapade of New Horizons. Speculations suggest a shift towards a bustling cityscape reminiscent of past titles like City Folk, teasing new minigames and shops. While Nintendo has not confirmed these rumors, the idea aligns well with the series' evolution.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons captivated players with its charming graphics, engaging gameplay loop, and community-building elements. However, some fans felt limited by the island setting's constraints, especially with delayed features like Brewster's café. Transitioning to an urban environment could address these concerns and offer a fresh gameplay experience.
Enhancing Gameplay Through a Cityscape
Expanding on Previous Features
The island setting of New Horizons naturally restricted the scope of available structures, focusing more on villager interactions and outdoor decor. While features like Blathers' museum showcased in-depth building experiences, a cityscape could take this further by offering diverse buildings to explore and customize, inspired by City Folk.
Features like traveling merchants and Harv's Island provided interaction opportunities within the island theme. Transitioning to a full cityscape in the next game could build on this foundation, creating a more expansive and interactive urban environment. New Horizons' DLC hinted at this potential with facilities like hospitals and shops for players to design and manage.
Unlocking Customization Possibilities
Managing various shops and facilities in a city setting, along with decorating and placing buildings, could significantly enhance player engagement. Rumors suggest that the next game might embrace this concept, allowing players to design skyscrapers with personalized floors for villagers and specialty shops, bringing the city to life and enriching the gameplay experience.
The Future of Animal Crossing
With the success of New Horizons paving the way, the future of Animal Crossing holds immense potential. Embracing a customizable cityscape could offer a fresh take on NPC interactions, village recruitment, and design options, building on the series' legacy. Whether inspired by past titles or new innovations, the next installment is poised to captivate players with its evolving world.