The future ofAnimal Crossingis both brightened and complicated by the future release of the Nintendo Switch 2 console, which could pose a unique threat to the popular franchise.Animal Crossinghas enjoyed massive success over the years, withNew Horizonson the original Switch being an excellent example. However, while both the franchise and its native hardware continue to advance,Animal Crossingis also clearly at a rather perilous point in its development. As a result, exactly how the franchise is treated on the Switch 2 will be crucial to its future.
Given the success of the franchise on its predecessor, anAnimal Crossinggame on Nintendo Switch 2seems to be more of an inevitability than anything else. Naturally, this could mean a bigger game world than ever before, as befitting the upgraded console, as well as a myriad of other improvements. Despite its success, it is worth noting thatNew Horizonsdoes have its flawsas a game, and a future release would have the perfect opportunity to correct these. However, one technical improvement, if implemented, could also be devastating for any futureAnimal Crossinggame.
Animal Crossing Is Losing Its Visual Identity
Its Graphics Have Become Far Less Distinctive In Recent Years
The classicAnimal Crossingvisual style is an integral part of its appeal, with the franchise’s relatively simple graphics being associated with chunky polygons that exude a friendly charm. However, as the franchise has modernized,Animal Crossing’s graphics have been slowly stripped of this unique identity. Although the characters and world remain recognizable as belonging toAnimal Crossing, the visuals have become increasingly similar to other titles in the cozy game genre.New Leafsaw a dramatic shift in this direction, smoothing out the world into something much more generic, and the changes have only progressed in recent years.
Animal Crossingdebuted on the GameCube, with all the technical limitations that implies in comparison to the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, although the game was notably itself an upgraded version of the Japan-exclusiveDōbutsu no Mori for the N64.
It is a shame to seeAnimal Crossingslowly losing itself in this way, clearly seeking to appeal to as broad an audience as possible with its increasingly generic visuals. The blockiness of earlier games has been eroded, perhaps irreversibly so, making games likeNew Horizonsmuch harder to distinguish from their competitors on first glance. Naturally, this shift in graphics is deeply tied to the technology available to each gamein the franchise during its development and release, and this will be equally true for any Switch 2 title.
Thereveal of the Switch 2 has broken recordsalready, even with only a few officially confirmed details available at present. As a result, it is clear that the console is on the path to enjoying massive success, with the potential for bigger games and clearer graphics essentially being self-evident. ForAnimal Crossing, however, this huge improvement in potential performance actually comes with a distinctive downside. Although anAnimal Crossinggame on Switch 2 may be beautiful, it may also look nothing like anAnimal Crossinggame.
Better Graphics Are A Blessing & A Curse For Animal Crossing
They Maintain Its Appeal But Compromise Its Unique Identity
Of course, better graphics in and of themselves are far from detrimental to a video game. Even though retro graphics have their own appeal, it cannot be denied that a title that looked likethe originalAnimal Crossingwould not have much success if released to an audience used to the capabilities of modern graphics. Successive games having cleaner appearances is a simple fact of long-running gaming franchises, and this is in fact practically a necessity if they wish to compete with the visuals of rival titles.
Animal Crossing Should Fix Its Most Tedious Feature On Switch 2
Animal Crossing is an icon of cozy and life sim games, but one prevalent mechanic is becoming outdated, making the experience too tedious.
In this regard, the Switch 2 cannot be seen as an inevitable threat to the identity ofAnimal Crossing. Sleeker graphics do have their own appeal, and anAnimal Crossinggame on Switch 2would still benefit from this. In contrast, the earliest titles in the franchise could be considered somewhat ugly by a casual observer, especially one new to the franchise. As a result, it would not make sense for the franchise to revert entirely to its original style, no matter what damage the alternative does to its identity.
However, this does still come at a cost. WhileNew Horizonshas enjoyed incredible success, many of its assets have reached a point where they would look at home in any number of unrelated titles. Visually,there is increasingly little to distinguishAnimal Crossingfrom other cozy titles, and it is possible that the move to Switch 2 could solidify this trend. If so,Animal Crossingwould lose an irreplaceable part of what sets it apart from many other games, including the many titles that the franchise itself has directly inspired over the years.
The Switch 2 Could Bring New Personality To AC
It Could Give The Next Game An Updated Version Of Its Distinctive Style
On the other hand, there is still a way forAnimal Crossingto make the move to Switch 2 without compromising its visuals. The reveal of the console included footage of anewMario Karttitle with a notable change; a more stylized art style that helps to distinguish it from the many other similar racing games available. With this as a clear example,it is entirely possible forAnimal Crossingto make a similar change, and break away from the current direction of its own art style.
Although this is far from likely to be a full reversion to the originalAnimal Crossingstyle, the next title could still reinterpret the blocky visuals in a sleeker form. This would essentially be the best of both worlds, allowingAnimal Crossingto recapture some of its unique essence whilst retaining the visual improvements of a modern game. This would be true whether said title was entirely original or even aremake of an olderAnimal Crossinggame, which would both justify and perhaps benefit the most from this approach.
The Worst Mistake Animal Crossing’s Next Game Could Make Is Giving Players More Control
New Horizons was a massive success for Nintendo, but it still faced plenty of criticism that its sequel desperately needs to acknowledge to succeed.
The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 promises graphical upgrades for future games, but for some franchises this is not necessarily a good thing.Animal Crossinghas gradually lost much of what makes it unique in terms of visuals, and the new console could exacerbate this. However, this is not guaranteed; instead of continuing the trend, the Switch 2 could just as easily see a reversal, withAnimal Crossingreclaiming part of the identity that has made it so beloved by countless people around the world.
