Animal Crossing Can’t Repeat The Biggest New Horizons Launch Mistake

screenrant.com:

became hugely popular when it was released during the 2020 pandemic. It had been eight years since the previous title was released, and while the basics of the game were there, a lot felt missing on release day. This wasn’t just a small issue; it made the game feel less polished and like players got it in pieces instead of a fully finished product.

Although the staggered release of the last game was somewhat accepted due to the unusual circumstances surrounding its launch, this shouldn’t be a model for future games. The global situation at the time covered what would normally have been strong criticism. The next game can’t depend on such lucky timing. It needs to be a fully finished and polished game from the start and bring back popular features missing from .

was a huge success, but that wasn't entirely because of its content. Even though the game won over millions of players, it still felt like it was missing a lot at launch, which was disappointing. This wasn't just about not having certain feature, but more about missing essential gameplay elements that players expected from the beginning. For example, Brewster's café, a favorite part of the series, and the fun gyroids, key elements of the experience, were added later in updates instead of being included at launch.

One Animal Crossing New Horizons player didn't want these villagers on their island but wanted to remember them, so they made a graveyard.

The way the game was released in stages changed the experience significantly. Players received a complete game in pieces over time instead of getting a complete game all at once. The pandemic made the game's release feel more special, as many people turned to for joy and escape during lockdown. However, this was a special case and can't be replicated for future games to launch. Just because New Horizons came out at a tough time when so many fans wanted a new entry doesn't mean it should be acceptable to have missing features in future releases.

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