Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the fifth major release in the almost 20-year-old franchise.
Despite the game following a very similar format, there are plenty of new features that will come with it.
Here we show you the amazing new features in Animal Crossing Switch.
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With so many new features, you can find a list here:
- Back Packs
- Pathway Tools
- Flimsy Tools
- Flowers Grow
- Villager Tents
- Door Wreath Decorations
- Interior Window Styles
- Half-Tile Furniture Movement
- New Fishing Bait - Clams
- Object Placement
- Clothing Options
- Trees
- Auto-Save
- Inventory
- Item Stack
- Nook Miles
- Gifting Items
- Gender-Neutral Styles/Customisation
- Hemisphere Settings
- Camera Mode
Back Packs
As seen in the trailer, you can spot a few villagers wearing backpacks - something that hasn't been done before.
Whether this is cosmetic or has an actual function in the game is unknown; either way, it's an exciting new addition.
Tools Dig Pathways
A new tool has been added to allow you to remove grass and create a clean looking pathway!
For those that really like to take time and care into their village, it's a little something extra for the master architect.
Breakable Tools
All tools will be breakable to begin with, those tools with the 'flimsy' prefix attached will break over time.
The axe has always been breakable, but that now extends to all tools.
You'll be able to craft new tools to compensate this and we expect the sturdier tools to either take an extended amount of use to break or not break at all!
Flowers Grow
Flowers are getting a big overhaul, seeds will no longer instantly grow flowers - they have to actually grow.
That's not all, once you've grown those flowers and picked them, they will re-grow again!
Tents
If it wasn't obvious by now, new villagers will start in a tent.
In New Leaf, it seemed only the player would start in a tent - now that's extended to your neighbours as well.
Developer Aya Kyogoku also revealed that you can customise the placement of these tents too!
New Door Wreath Decorations
Although door wreath decorations are not new, there are brand new ones coming to New Horizons!
New Interior Window Styles
Happy Home Designer (an Animal Crossing spin-off) brought in the option to customise your window style including blinds and curtains.
It seems that this is going to be a feature included in the new game!
Half-Tile Furniture Movement
It can be rather annoying being limited to full tile movement.
In the new game, they're taking another Happy Home Designer idea that you can move things by half a tile.
This will certainly make lining things up better for this with a small case of OCD.
This applies to objects inside and outside!
New Fishing Bait
Clams can now be turned into fishing bait.
Clams can be dug up under the sand with a shovel.
Even better is the fact that DIY recipes can be made by finding certain items.
Less Restrictive Object Placement
Not only are we no longer restricted by tile placement, but we can also see that we can place objects more freely.
In past games, we were unable to place objects too close to other things such as trees.
Now things can really sit flush with other objects and parts of the village.
More Clothing Options
Your fellow villagers have been given a serious closet upgrade.
Villagers will now be able to wear other designs and clothes to keep things fresh!
Digging Up Trees
Instead of having to chop down trees and plant saplings, it seems in the new trailer we can see that they can be dug up with a shovel.
Something that is far more convenient and less time-consuming.
Auto-Save
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will introduce a new auto-save feature for the first time.
What this means for Resetti remains is unknown, but it seems he's looking for a new job!
Larger Inventory
The inventory screen in New Horizons now has an additional 4 slots compared to New Leaf - raising the total to 20.
It also appears sub-inventory categories have been added.
In the inventory menu, there is a shirt icon next to your Bells count, likely for all of your clothes and accessories to save space.
Items Stack In Your Inventory
Item stacking is hardly new, but it appears that more items can now be stacked and far more of them can be held.
As noted by Animal Crossing World, this feature is automatic and expands upon what was available in New Leaf.
Nook Miles
A new rewards scheme called 'Nook Miles', similar to air miles in real life, but for doing in-game activities when playing New Horizons.
You'll accumulate these miles like currency for completing goals such as:
- DIY Tools (crafting tools)
- First-Time Seller (sell items)
- Weed Eater (pull weeds)
- Have A Nice DIY!
- Exterior Decorator
You'll then be able to cash them in for rewards such as a Nook Inc. uniform and new DIY recipes.
It's also a nice way to prevent people from finding farming techniques for Bells.
Gifting Crafted Items To Villagers
You'll now be able to gift crafted items from the new DIY recipes directly to your villagers.
This seems to be one of many ways to improve your friendship with other villagers.
Gender-Neutral Styles/Customisation
To add to the vast character customisation experience that Animal Crossing already offers, New Horizons will bring a new gender-free/gender-neutral pool of hairstyles and facial features.
You can also change a player's skin tone for the first time in a mainline game.
Things are also changeable at any point in time - so you can switch things up whenever you like!
Hemisphere Settings
There is a new hemisphere setting allowing you to customise the weather to closely reflect the region you live in.
Up until now, the weather settings only catered for the northern hemisphere, but now it includes the southern hemisphere too.
Camera Mode
A new camera mode app has been built into the NookPhone where you can apply some built-in filters and use a zoom feature.
