Author: Trafficblast

The Animal Crossing And Final Fantasy 7 Remake Crossover You Didn’t Know You Needed

Move over, Doomguy! Isabelle, and the Animal Crossing universe, may have a new friend. In celebration of Final Fantasy VII Remake finally dropping, Twitter user Cat with Monocle made some delightful crossover videos.

The videos put Villager toe to toe with islands deadliest creature the Tarantula in pure Final Fantasy form. Dramatic music, epic backdrops, and killer tension make this the perfect jump off to a weekend gaming session with two of the biggest releases this year.

Hopefully, we will continue to see more from the Animal Crossing extend universe, making its way into more upcoming big releases this year like Ghost of Tsushima and Cyberpunk 2077.

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Mortal Kombat 11 Devs Are Live-Tweeting The First Movie Tonight

Unlike most video game movies, especially early attempts, the 1995 Mortal Kombat film is not terrible. If you’re interested in seeing just how not terrible it is, you can watch it tonight alongside the live-tweeting Mortal Kombat 11 team.

At 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET, the Mortal Kombat 11 official Twitter account will begin watching and tweeting along to the original movie. You can use the hashtag #MortalKombatWatchParty if you start the movie at the same time, either through your personal copy or via Netflix.

The original Mortal Kombat film featured some truly inspired casting. Christopher Lambert starred as Raiden, while Bridgette Wilson of Billy Madison fame played Sonya Blade. Series co-creator Ed Boon performed the voice of Scorpion himself, as no one could match those gravely pipes.

The first Mortal Kombat movie seemed to understand the appeal of the games, which was not solely gore. Instead, the filmmakers kept levity and cheese intact for campy fun that still holds up today.

Subsequent films couldn’t match the original’s quality. GameSpot sister site Metacritic lists Mortal Kombat: Annihilation at a pitiful 11/100 average review score, with the editing and narrative coherence both common criticisms. Other fighting franchises have suffered a similar fate when trying to adapt to film, including Street Fighter and Dead or Alive.

A new Mortal Kombat movie is scheduled to release in early 2021 and will not be connected to the other films. Production began last September.

Now Playing: Mortal Kombat 11 Video Review

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Overwatch League Offers Enough Free Tokens To Get Your Favorite Team’s Skin

Want to show your pride for your hometown Overwatch team while you move the payload? Blizzard is currently offering free Overwatch League tokens that you can use to purchase a skin from your favorite team, but you will have to act quickly.

By signing up on the official Overwatch League website or verifying your existing information, you’ll be able to claim 100 Overwatch League tokens on either PC or console. The only information you need to submit is your name, the email address associated with your account, your favorite Overwatch League teams, and your country.

You’ll need to have do this by April 29, and then the tokens will be placed into your Battle.net account by May 6. You also must already have an Overwatch game account and game license on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, or PC.

You need to use your tokens before May 31, and they aren’t valid in China or Japan. Because the new skins cost 100 tokens each, you’ll have just enough with the free promotion to purchase one. After this, you can purchase additional packs of 100 tokens for $5 each.

Blizzard canceled March and April in-person events for the Overwatch League because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s still running matches remotely. They’re available exclusively on YouTube, as opposed to Twitch like in the 2019 season. The game’s final character Echo is on the way, and was originally planned for inclusion in the canceled Titan MMO game. Other characters, including the game’s mascot Tracer, can have their DNA traced back to Titan, as well.

Now Playing: New Overwatch Hero Echo Gameplay

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What We Do In The Shadows Season 2: 10 Teases For The Ridiculousness On The Way

What We Do In The Shadows Season 2: 10 Teases For The Ridiculousness On The Way – GameSpot

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By | @ChrisHayner on

If you like your vampire stories with a side of completely ridiculous humor, chances are What We Do in the Shadows is one of your favorite shows. The FX comedy, based on the movie by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, is gearing up to premiere its second season and there is a lot in store.

In late 2019, GameSpot traveled to the Toronto, Canada set of the series to find out what to expect from Season 2. Clement and his team of executive producers were very forthcoming about some of the shenanigans Nandor (Kayvan Novak), his vampiric housemates, and his lowly familiar will get into throughout the upcoming 10-episode run.

Take a look below for just a small look at everything What We Do in the Shadows will present when it returns to FX on April 15–including some new and returning characters that fans will probably be very excited about.

And speaking of things you should be watching, consider listening to GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.

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1. There are even more monsters on the way

1. There are even more monsters on the way

Werewolves are already established in What We Do in the Shadows, thanks to the original film. And, of course, there’s plenty of vampires. In Season 2, though, other classic monsters will join in, including zombies and ghosts. According to Clement, the latter is something he and executive producer Taika Waititi have wanted to incorporate since the beginning.

“When Taika and I were coming up with the movie idea, we talked a lot about this idea of if you see a ghost and the ghost is wearing clothes, where did clothes come from? Are they dead clothes? You know, that’s kind of the whole idea,” he explained. “The idea of what are these things that are never explained in these movies that would ruin all the frightening aspects of it if you investigated it and talk about that.”

Tackling the most mundane and unnecessary aspects of ghosts and zombies certainly seems like the perfect kind of fare for What We Do in the Shadows.

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2. The vampires are going to a Super Bowl party

2. The vampires are going to a Super Bowl party

So much of the fun that comes from this show is watching the vampires interact with humans who have no idea what they really are. Get ready for even more of that, as the vamps attempt to befriend their neighbor Shaun in the second episode of the new season.

“The whole episode takes place in [Shaun’s] house during a Super Bowl party. So that, I think, is the most Staten Island-y we get,” writer and executive producer Stefani Robinson teased.

Added showrunner Paul Simms, “We wanted to do one [episode] early on that was definitely vampires in the real world. And they’re deeply honored that Shaun has invited them to the Super Bowl party. But they’ve misread the invitation and they think it’s the superb owl party.”

If the small glimpse at the party in the Season 2 trailer is any indication, it’s going to be a very strange evening.

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3. Guillermo's vampire killing gets taken to the next level

3. Guillermo’s vampire killing gets taken to the next level

At the end of Season 1, it was revealed that Guillermo was a descendant of legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing, meaning the familiar that was attempting to become a vampire is technically destined to hunt and kill them. That’s going to leave him in an interesting situation in Season 2.

“We ended last season on a big question with Guillermo as to whether he’s a vampire killer by DNA or whether he still can be a vampire,” Simms said. “That’s sort of one of the biggest arcs we play out this season–his struggle to figure out what he exactly is.”

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4. Nadja and Laszlo form a band

4. Nadja and Laszlo form a band

If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll remember a short clip of Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) performing music together. According to Clement, that’s as close to a musical episode you’re going to get in Season 2, though there will be a number of songs.

“Matt Berry is a great musician and we’re gonna hear some of the songs that him and Nadja have come up with over centuries,” the creator teased. One can only assume they’re going to be dramatic and violent tunes.

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5. Haley Joel Osment offers the Season 2 premiere's biggest laughs

5. Haley Joel Osment offers the Season 2 premiere’s biggest laughs

Anyone who has seen Hulu’s Future Man knows just how funny Haley Joel Osment can be and he’s bringing that comedic sensibility to the Season 2 premiere of What We Do in the Shadows. Osment plays Topher, the newest familiar for Nadja and Laszlo who goes through a lot over the episode and manages to make an enemy in Guillermo. “Nadja and Laszlo haven’t had much luck with picking familiars. So when they finally find this young guy Topher, they’re so excited,” Simms told Entertainment Weekly. “He’s the new guy, and to them, seems so much cooler and hipper than Guillermo.”

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6. It picks up after a busy summer

6. It picks up after a busy summer

When viewers rejoin the vampires in Season 2, they’ll learn how everyone in the house spent their summer. For Guillermo, as seen in the Season 2 trailer, there’s a lot of vampire killing being done.

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7. Colin gets a makeover and ultimate power

7. Colin gets a makeover and ultimate power

If, while watching the trailer, you wondered why Colin had hair and seemed to be somehow even more powerful, that’s because he’s moving up in the world–at least temporarily. In fact, the episode that sees his rise in power is the one GameSpot was on set for. “In this episode that we’re filming now… the main story is Colin becomes very powerful, basically godlike,” Clement teased. “And so we wanted to see what an energy vampires power have taken to the ultimate level what would it be.”

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8. This season's villains are lovable

8. This season’s villains are lovable

Part of the new season will see a group of amateur vampire hunters led by a new character played by Craig Robinson. Still, while they may technically be the “bad guys” in Season 2, Clement and his team plan to make you love them.

“We do have some aspiring vampire hunters in this season, so we meet them. But we want you to like them, as well,” he said. “Pit these two groups against each other, but unlike a horror movie it should be hard to choose who to side with.”

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9. Nick Kroll is back and burnt.

9. Nick Kroll is back and burnt.

While there are plenty of guest stars to come in Season 2 that aren’t being spoiled, one familiar face is seen in the trailer. “Simon the devious–Nick Kroll–is coming back because last time we saw him in his nightclub, it exploded and he’d been charred to a crisp. But he’s a vampire so he doesn’t die,” Simms revealed.

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10. Yes, Season 2 will try to one-up Season 1's cameo fest

10. Yes, Season 2 will try to one-up Season 1’s cameo fest

The vampire council scene in Season 1, which features cameos by Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood, Wesley Snipes, and a long list of other famous faces will be hard to top. Still, Clement says the show has something in the works.

“I think we’re gonna try. Last year we hadn’t written the last episode when we were filming at this stage and we’ve done the same again,” he said. “We’ll see sort of what works in the story and what we like so that we can put it on. I mean, that is a dream. We are contacting famous vampire actors’ agents. But who knows? That may not work out.”

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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company


The Best RPGs On Recent Consoles

Throughout gaming history perhaps no genre has evolved quite as much as the RPG. And while those classic role-playing games of the 16 and 32 bit eras are no doubt some of the greatest games of all time, we’ve come a long way since then. So with that said, here are the top 10 best modern RPGs of all time.

But before we get into the list, let’s set some ground rules.

First, for the purpose of this feature, we’re defining “modern” as any game released within the past 10 to 15 years – basically since the start of the PS3 and Xbox 360 era of consoles.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/09/the-top-10-modern-rpgs-of-all-time”]

Second, because RPG is such a broad genre, we did our best to try and keep this list to games that are purely – or, at least, mostly pure –RPGs; that is, games with a heavy focus on decision-making and story elements coupled with statistical progression. Meaning, if a game could be better described as being a genre other than RPG, we left it off the list – that’s why you won’t see games like X-Com or Fire Emblem, which are better described as tactics games, or any of the FromSoftware Soulsborne games, because… well… yeah, they’re basically their own genre at this point.

Check out the video above or click through the gallery below/scroll down for the full list!

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And with that said, let’s kick this list of off with:

10. Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age harkens back to a time when JRPGs reigned supreme. Its colorful cast of characters, combined with the blend of overworld exploration and turn-based combat weave together into a warm, fuzzy blanket that captivates and comforts as you trek through this 80+ hour game.
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It is the purest distillation of classic JRPGs – battles are streamlined enough to feel quick and satisfying, while still providing a real challenge, especially later on. For many, Dragon Quest has always been good “comfort food” gaming. Even 30 years later, it remains as such, bringing new fans with quite possibly the finest game in the franchise.

Read our Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age review

9. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Dragon’s Dogma and its excellent expansion, Dark Arisen, is a very special – and often overlooked – RPG for a number of reasons. For one, it’s an excellent combination of exciting, action-centric combat and extraordinarily deep RPG mechanics.

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It’s many different classes offer an absurd level of variation when it comes to how you actually play the game, with melee classes feeling like they’re in an action game, ranged vocations feeling almost like a third person shooter, and magic-based classes feeling like they’re playing a game of “oh my god don’t touch me, don’t touch, don’t touch me, okay now you’re dead.” It may be built off the massive open world RPG foundation of games like The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher, but there’s still nothing quite like Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen.

Read our Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen review

8. Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is a generation-defining RPG, dense with satisfying player-choices, great world-building, challenging battles, and memorable characters.

dragon age origins
Creating a new character allowed you to select one of several unique origins that introduces players to the world of Thedas through the lens of race and class. Which helped in keeping the adventure personal and grounded and paved the way for your eventual membership in an elite council of warriors known as the Grey Wardens and set the stage for one of BioWare’s most beloved franchises ever.

Read our Dragon Age: Origins review

7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an awe-inspiring journey where its classic fantasy world is your plaything. What its main story quest may lack in nuance, it more than makes up for with its invitation to go anywhere and do anything. Set out in any direction to explore a vast kingdom filled with people going about their daily lives, warring factions vying for control of an empire, and dangerous wildlife that ranges from wild dogs to imposing giants and monstrous dragons.

Skyrim
You’ll find no shortage of stellar side quests that allow you to become a vampire or werewolf, join the legendary Dark Brotherhood, and countless other unexpected opportunities as you level up and unlock satisfyingly powerful spells and Dragon Shouts. It’s one of the largest, most detailed RPG worlds out there, one that’s itching to have every inch explored, whether for the first time or the fifth.

Read our The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review

6. Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium is grounded in the ancient pillars of RPGs, taking the dice-rolls and depth in dialogue of tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, but implementing them in completely modern ways.

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It’s a unique blend of noir-detective fiction, traditional pen-and-paper games, and a big helping of existentialist theory that plays unlike anything else in the genre, really. A twisting plot, cast of memorable characters, and massive depth of choice all combine to create an experience that begs to be savoured as one of the finest – and most creative – RPGs of any era.

Read our Disco Elysium review

5. Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal, the deluxe edition of the already-fantastic Persona 5, proves that the latest entry in Atlus’ JRPG series is still one of the best around. Persona 5 already introduced an instantly memorable ensemble cast, exceptional turn-based combat, and a wild, epic story told with heart. Royal, somehow, manages to not just add new, great content to that story, but also improves upon some of the less-excellent aspects that made the original a bit of a slog. Dripping with style, backed by a real earworm of a soundtrack, and top-of-its-genre gameplay, Persona 5 Royal earns its place among some of the best RPGs of all time.

Read our Persona 5 Royal review

4. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is basically the best D&D video game we never got. Not only does it have a sprawling fantasy world to lose hundreds of hours in, but, perhaps most importantly, it encourages players to think creatively like few other games – and this is entirely by design. It’s liberating to play a huge RPG that rewards “cheating” the system, and encountering NPCs and opponents that acknowledge and react to it.

Divinity2
You have the freedom to steal, kill, or persuade your way through its campaign as one of several pre-made characters with unique storylines, or create your own, and can even have a friend (or three) join you for your entire adventure. Whether playing on an easy or hard difficulty setting, as an Elf Ranger or an Undead Conjurer, as a helpful adventurer or a murderous thief, DOS2 is an amazing fantasy world to get lost in no matter what.

Read our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review

3. Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2
The Mass Effect series consists of three of the best sci-fi RPGs of all time, but even among those, Mass Effect 2 stands out. The franchise was built on the lofty promise of having your choices really matter – not in just some small, superficial way relevant only to that moment, but in a hugely impactful way that can affect the entire universe of the game. And while Mass Effect 3 may have dropped that ball on the ultimate payoff for some of those choices, the set ups that Mass Effect 2 offered, and the consequences of our actions in the first game absolutely delivered. It was no slouch in the gameplay department either, with a dramatically improved combat system that struck a good balance between tactical decision-making, and action-oriented third-person shooter mechanics. Add on to that the game’s unparalleled atmosphere, excellent cinematic direction, and some of the most memorable characters in gaming, and you’ve got one of the best modern RPGs of all time.

Read our Mass Effect 2 review

2. Fallout New Vegas

With its distinctive Old West-ey approach to the post-nuclear wasteland, game-changing decisions, and flexible ways to complete its quests, Fallout: New Vegas carved out a spot as not just the best game in the Fallout series, but as one of the best RPGs ever made.

Fallout New Vegas
Obsidian took the openness and flexibility of Bethesda’s Fallout 3 to a new level, with more dark humor, memorable characters, and interesting stat-dependant dialogue options that make each playthrough feel tailored to your character’s specific strengths and weaknesses. And the fact that you, a nameless nobody courier, can rise up from nothing and become the person who decides the fate of an entire region, gives you a real sense of control and power.

Read our Fallout New Vegas review

1. The Witcher 3

The Witcher 3 is a game with deep lore and world-building that you discover through action and exploration rather than through exposition. It’s a game where your choices actually matter, one that will leave you thinking about its characters and their stories well after you’ve finished the game and moved on. Where you can get lost for hundreds of hours and still not see everything there is to see – and that’s just in the base game.

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Its two DLC expansions are both bigger and more polished than many full games. Even the Gwent minigame stands as one of the best games-within-a-game of all time. The Witcher 3 might just be the best open-world RPG that we’ve seen in modern times, and it’s definitely our favorite – one that’s not likely to be surpassed anytime soon … at least until Cyberpunk 2077 is released.

Read our The Witcher 3 review

And those are our picks! What are some of your favorite modern RPGs? Let us know in the comments, and for more top 10 videos, make sure to check out our list of the best PlayStation 2 games of all time, or our favorite action games.

Why Jesse Eisenberg Isn’t Officially a Part of the Snyder Cut Movement

There’s a reason why Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Jesse Eisenberg hasn’t made any public remarks about the Snyder Cut version of Justice League in the way Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, and others have. It turns out, he hasn’t even watched the regular theatrical version of Justice League.

In an interview with the Toronto Sun this week, Eisenberg explained that he wasn’t sure how to weigh in on the Snyder Cut because “I don’t watch anything I’ve been in, and I haven’t seen either Batman v Superman or Justice League.”

“I know that I had a smaller part in one of them,” he added, “but I get pretty uncomfortable watching myself. So I’m not aware of a Snyder Cut.”

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“I’m not part of, I don’t even know what to call it: the movement,” Eisenberg added. “I like Zack Snyder and I worked with him for a while just by virtue of these movies taking so long to film. I love his style and aesthetic and if there’s a movie he wanted to see released, I’m sure it would be great.”

Meanwhile, Zack Snyder recently joined a growing list of filmmakers and artists who have taken to social media to help entertain fans during the pandemic. Snyder marked the fourth anniversary of the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by releasing a new director’s commentary track for the Ultimate Cut of the DC movie, revealing new tidbits about Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and more.

Looking for more? Find out what Snyder himself had to say about the existence of the Snyder Cut and the real reason Affleck dropped out of The Batman.

In Eisenberg news, here’s IGN’s review of claustrophobic sci-fi mindbender Vivarium, starring Eisenberg and Imogen Poots – plus a clip from the film!

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/30/vivarium-clip-1″]

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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive Patch Notes: Update Nerfs SG553

Valve has rolled out a new update in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, rebalancing and changing several weapons and making tweaks to the game’s maps. Though no individual CS:GO change is likely to massively disrupt the formula, the weapon adjustments could shift competitive play.

Assault rifles got the bulk of adjustments in the April 10 patch. The SG553 had its rate of fire and accuracy reduced, and the AUG’s accuracy was also adjusted to make it more effective while un-scoped and slightly less effective while scoped. The M4A1-S, meanwhile, had its price reduced by $200 to $2900.

The Deagle and Tec-9 pistols were also adjusted. The Deagle’s jumping accuracy has been improved to shorten the time for recovery after landing, and the Tec-9’s overall firing accuracy has also been improved. The Bizon submachine gun’s armor penetration was improved, as well.

Six maps were tweaked: Anubis, Inferno, Overpass, Chlorine, and Mirage. Many of the changes were small, such as cleaning up an individual room or fixing clipping problems, but Anubis was moved to Competitive mode and had boost exploits removed.

You can find the full patch notes below. The game now has some new competition from Riot Games’ Valorant, a first-person shooter in beta that combines precise gunplay with hero abilities.

Weapons

  • SG553 – Reduced rate of fire and accuracy.
  • AUG – Improved standing un-scoped accuracy. Reduced scoped accuracy.
  • M4A1-S – Price reduced to $2900.
  • Deagle – Improved accuracy while jumping and shortened accuracy recovery time after landing.
  • Tec-9 – Improved accuracy.
  • Bizon – Increased armor penetration.

Maps

Anubis

  • Moved to Competitive mode, unintended boost spots and clipping fixed.
  • Fixed water reflection issues and improved performance.

Inferno

  • Tweaked HDR settings.
  • Wall by door to A site balcony is “bingelibangable.”

Office

  • Snow appears on dumpster in back courtyard.
  • Beverage machines are restocked.
  • Office is non-smoking.
  • Tidied up kitchen break room.

Overpass

  • New collision model on dumpsters
  • Fixed pixel boost in water by B site.
  • Revised world lighting.
  • Reworked bombsite A backdrop.

Chlorine

  • Brightened environment light.
  • Made default CT player model FBI.
  • Added plywood for visibility to bombsite B.
  • Removed water puddles.
  • Fixed area portal on squeaky door.
  • Added grenade clip on yellow tarp.
  • Included missing material for glowing eyes.
  • Fixed clipping issue near river.
  • Fixed few bomb-stuck spots.

Mirage

  • Fixed clipping issues.
  • Blocked visibility under truck on B site.

Miscellaneous

  • Compressed textures to improve memory usage.
  • Silence auto-vocalizations by bots in warmup.
  • Removed Guardian from Looking to Play tab.
  • Added -noubershader launch option to improve framerate on old Intel hardware.

Now Playing: 15 Reasons Counter-Strike is Still Cool

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MLB Starts Online Season With MLB The Show Players League

Major League Baseball announced Friday that for the first time, it would host a virtual baseball season with 30 MLB athletes in PS4’s MLB The Show 20. The season will consist of 29 three-inning games throughout April, with the top eight teams making it to the playoffs, ending with the two best teams going head to head in the World Series.

The season opener started April 10 with Amir Garrett, of the Cincinnati Reds, beating Blake Snell, pitcher for Tampa Bay Rays on MLB Network’s Twitch account. Players were ecstatically jumping up and down on-screen and showing frustration in the inaugural game.

Outside of providing entertainment to baseball fans, the MLB teamed up with the Major League Baseball Players Association and Sony Interactive Entertainment to donate a collective $175,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Canada.

“Their contributions will help support our efforts in communities around the country to provide critical meals, support for first responders’ children and virtual learning to kids, families and communities,” Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, said in a statement. “Today, amid the current crisis, we are committed more than ever to ensure Club staff, members, families, and communities have the resources and support they need.”

Even with the regular MLB season canceled due to COVID-19 MLB The Show Players League is keeping things authentic with Robert Flores, MLB Network Host, proving real-time commentary for games. The action continues today with Ty Buttrey of the Los Angeles Angels, Jon Duplantier of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Niko Goodrum of the Detroit TigersTigers, Carl Edwards Jr. of the Seattle Mariners, Rhys Hoskins of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Jesus Luzardo of the Oakland A’s.

For up to date standings, keep an eye on MLB The Show Twitter account. You can catch all the games on MLB’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch accounts.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

The Good and Bad of Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been out for a few weeks, now, and plenty of us in the IGN offices have been capturing bugs and selling weeds to make our perfect island getaways. There’s a lot that’s great about Nintendo’s newest town builder – though there are some things that, much like our initial tent setups, could use some improvement.

We’ve collected the opinions of the IGN team – all at varying stages of the game – on what they absolutely love and think needs an update in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/16-things-we-loved-and-didnt-about-animal-crossing-new-horizons”]

LOVE: Friendly Villagers

Ok seriously, any time I see my villagers singing my heart just melts on the spot. Plus, you can drop down a stereo and have them sing along to a K.K. Slider song on demand? It’s so adorable!

– Brendan Graeber, Editor

The villagers in general are just really sweet. I love that they call you by cute nicknames and will refer to friends who have visited your island. Finding and returning their lost items and a nice level of variety to the “chat with your villagers loop.” And the special visiting villagers have their own fond place in my heart. Daisy Mae is adorable and I love the surprise of Saharah’s mystery wallpaper and flooring – even when they turn out ugly.

– Janet Garcia, Associate Editor

DON’T LOVE: Menus

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is great. But you know what’s not great? It’s menus! For a game that requires you to go through so many menus, why are they so clunky? First off, these store options are way too similar – just hit me with the normal ‘Buy’ and ‘Sell’! Next, why can’t I put things in my storage in batches? Don’t make me click ‘Grab 1’ on a stack of 99 clumps of weeds 20 times. And why, when I do something like release a bug, do they show an animation that then takes you completely out of your inventory?! I love the game, but its menus and inventory system need some work.

– Mark Medina, Producer

Why in the name of Tom Nook does doing anything in Animal Crossing take at least 3-5 steps?! You want to let your friends visit? Okay, well, better head to the airport, then tell Orville that you want people to be able to come over, then tell him who you want to have over, then confirm that you do, in fact, want to go online, then wait while he, I don’t know, signs into AOL or something, then tell him how you want to receive visitors. That should be two clicks and a settings option, three max. Same goes for crafting — why can I not craft 3 of the same items at once? I’m not asking for anything as complex as Monster Hunter World’s auto-crafting system, but I’d really love not to have to click through 12 menu interactions to make 2 bags of medicine.

– Jon Ryan, Senior Editor

LOVE: Reactions

I have over 100 hours in Animal Crossing thus far and I’m not kidding when I say I’ve spent at least 30% of that time clapping like an idiot at all of my friends, all of my villagers, any time I build something, every time I see I fish, and any time I try on new clothes. I’m clapping like an idiot right now thinking just about it.

– Zach Ryan, Director of Social

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DON’T LOVE: Inventory Management

Inventory management is a big part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and while some of these elements provide exciting player incentives, but things like juggling my pocket space and crafting materials can also be a huge headache. A certain level of organization is expected with sim games, sure, but that structure needs to feel meaningful and sensible within the constructs of the game world or else it’s just tedious – and unfortunately New Horizons is more of the latter.

– Janet Garcia

DON’T LOVE: Slow Start

I wasn’t able to start my island adventure in Ricky City Island™ until Sunday evening, seemingly not too long after my peers who picked up the game on Friday. But goodness do I feel incredibly behind, largely because of just how slow those first few days on the island are. I get that Nintendo likely designed this to be a slow incline for new players (and didn’t expect just how many people would be home with little else to do), but I found myself frustrated even by the limitations of not being able to visit a friend’s island on Day 1 when everyone else was off swapping fruit and fishing together. The solution to my frustration, I’ve resoundingly heard, is just use “time travel” (aka changing your Switch time to future days to move faster through the game), but considering this isn’t a frustration that only I am facing, I wish there had been some internal levers in the game to allow quicker advancement through those early days that restrict you from exploring the breadth of what New Horizons has to offer.

– Terri Schwartz, Entertainment Editor-in-Chief

Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn’t leave you with a lot of mobility once you have placed your original homes and the museum. For a game that has endless customization you are unable to change the major landmarks on your island forcing you to lock in your town’s design right of the gate. Which if you are playing for the first time can drive someone wanting to create nice symmetry on their island, a loss for words wishing they had thought things through. However, getting past that, the endless adventures of Museum time with friends and endless discovery on the beaches distracts quite nicely from the indebtitude of the fearless Tom Nook. Although, I am told you can move buildings after Residents Services is upgraded, but with Tom Nook there is always a price.

-Chris Del Padre, Video Editor

LOVE: Everyday Fun

I love that every day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a surprise. I spend all day cleaning up my island, building what I need, and exploring everything. Then I get to wake up with the excitement that now that house I’ve been working on is built, or now I get a ladder, or now my trees are grown! Logging in every day has been a joy, and to be honest, I’ve gotta go check and see what’s new right now, so… bye!

– Mark Medina

LOVE: Pacing

This isn’t specific to New Horizons, but it’s been a minute since a mainline Animal Crossing game. I love that Animal Crossing makes an effort to pace out your playtime. From waiting until the next morning to see the tree you planted sprout, to the painful moments when you have to wait until Nook’s Cranny is open to sell your bugs, fish, and whatnot (oh, and if you’ve been selling to the box outside for 20% less than market value, stop doing that – know your worth), it’s been peaceful to not feel rushed by the thrill of in game progress. Of course, there’s always time traveling, but that is so much more effort than I’m willing to put in.

– Sydnee Goodman, Producer/Host

On top of events and different sets of bugs and fish to catch, seasonal recipes make me feel incentivized to play this game all year.

– Janet Garcia

I actually love that New Horizons only lets you do so much in a day (without having to resort to time travel, of course). I enjoy every relaxing moment spent collecting the resources I need to upgrade my house, the museum, the shops even saving up bells to pay off my debt to famed capitalist playboy, Tom Nook. But when I hit that wall where I’ve caught, inspected and donated all the bugs and fish that are native to my island this time of year, chopped all the wood I feel like chopping, dug up all the fossils, shovelled(?) all my rocks and shook all the trees, when there’s nothing left to do that wouldn’t feel like boring grindy nonsense… that’s how I know that it’s time to put Animal Crossing away for the night and go play Doom Eternal instead.

– Jeremy Azevedo, Director of Gaming Video

DON’T LOVE: Load Times

Every time you enter a building there’s a noticeable load time. Same goes entering a room inside that building, or even a fitting room in the Able Sisters Shop or when someone comes to visit your island.I’ve spent a long time watching that basic circle closing transition screen and staring at a little island icon at the bottom right-hand corner of my screen. When Sony said the PS5 would significantly cut load times I thought it was cool but not groundbreaking since a lot of load times have already gotten better. Then I played ACNH. Suffice it to say I’d love to see ACNH running on PS5 because these load times kill me.

– Janet Garcia

DON’T LOVE: One Switch, One Island

Nintendo made the design decision to still limit the number of islands per Switch console to one — just like with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. While the idea to have multiple people in the same household share an island, connect, and work together is a noble one, it also creates a very lopsided experience for the “secondary” players. You see, in the world of Animal Crossing, not all villagers are created equal. While gamer parents with kids may be able to surprise and delight their young ones by driving the decisions behind where to place new homes or shops and create custom designs, the first player to join an island remains the sole decision maker for the course of the game. Not only that, one player jumping on in the morning and harvesting all the resources from rocks, digging up the fossiles, or picking all the fruit will be the only one in on that fun as these resources are only refreshed once a day. In essence, there are fewer things to do for all players if they share an island.

Whereas the 3DS was a personal portable device designed for a single user, the Nintendo Switch by design is also a home console able to support multiple users and Nintendo accounts. The design decision to only have one island per console may “protect” the game’s economy from users “breaking the game” by farming rare items across multiple islands or being able to bounce back and forth between islands in two hemispheres for year-round access to fish and bugs, but it also severely impacts the experience for multi-player households. Sure, you can buy another Switch and copy of Animal Crossing for your players 2, 3, and 4, but I’m sure Nintendo designers could’ve come up with other — more customer-friendly — ways to counter exploits for same-console players.

– Peer Schneider, Chief Content Officer

LOVE: Shopping and Customization

So many different things to shop and craft! I’m very excited to build my world exactly the way I want it. Presents from the sky and gifts given to you by your villagers or mailed from friends adds some welcome variety to the mix. I can’t even begin to describe how much joy I got from turning my blender on and off over and over again.And the Designs App has led to some stunning pieces, too! I suck at this stuff but I’m looking forward to trying my hand at it, but I really love seeing what everyone else makes.

– Janet Garcia

Animal Crossing gives you an insane number of options for clothing. Within the first few days I had more shirts, more shoes, and more pairs of shades than I’ve had in almost any other game I’ve ever played. Do I want to fully roleplay and dress my small village man in a little fishing vest, cargo pants, and floppy hat and spend my day fishing? Or should wear a pink Power Rangers costume and cowboy boots and break rocks on my neighbors island? Somedays, I dress my guy like Zach Ryan, tight jeans, a denim jacket, boots, but sometimes I’m god damned Elton John in a sequined onesie menacing Tom Nook and making best friends with a museum owl. The possibilities and combinations are seemingly endless, and I love it.

– Zach Ryan

DON’T LOVE: Terrible Villagers I Can’t Evict

Most of the villagers who come to your island are cute and loveable… but not all of them. Sometimes you get a stupid cranky one or some smug idiot who thinks he’s going to be a movie star – and they irritate absolutely everyone. Why can’t I have the option to sit down with these animals and break the news that “you’re just not Hyrule material, sorry champ.” The worst part is trying to convince a visiting animal at the campsite to stay at my town, only for some other jerk to claim the plot of land I want to reserve for this new good villager. What the hell, Leopold?!

– Brendan Graeber

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DON’T LOVE: Multiplayer Woes

I love visiting my friend’s town or hosting a get-together on my island, don’t get me wrong. But I also can’t help but feel like multiplayer is missing a lot of meat. For starters, you can’t even tell who’s on your island once the gang is assembled – there’s no menu or display that even lets you know how many people are on the island, and how many more can still come. Hell, most of your friends can leave and you wouldn’t be able to tell someone was still sitting in your museum for an hour because there’s never any indication! It’s also a bummer that there are no official minigames to take part in, like the ones in New Leaf’s Island Tours. There’s only so much you can do with your own tools – nevermind the fact that you have to put a ton of work in just to unlock a timer.

– Brendan Graeber

Seeing other people’s islands and shopping is a blast but all the fun I’ve had from AC Multiplayer is thanks to the players. The Nintendo-provided experience is bogged down by load screens and without anything for friends to do or accomplish together, a lack of any meaningful purpose.

– Janet Garcia

LOVE: Team Work

I remember when the first Animal Crossing game was announced for Nintendo 64 almost 20 years ago. Nintendo said it would be a new genre: a “communication game” — and two decades later, Nintendo’s vision is alive and well. Playing with three kids in my household, I’m always impressed with how Animal Crossing inspires us to work together in unique ways. For example, my youngest son started an island on the southern hemisphere. Being a big dinosaur fan, he wanted to name it Isla Nublar, so that no doubt drove his choice — but in the end, it created the perfect travel destination for the rest of us “northies.” We tell each other  – in real life – about bugs and fish we spotted in-game, and we keep sending virtual letters with fossils attached to the owner of Dinosaur Island. Likewise, if one of us needs a particular resource to craft something, we donate and trade. Subtle touches like stores having different inventory every day and non-native fruit commanding a higher price nudge players to work together and communicate. We’ve even perfected speed fishing where one player throws bait and the other casts the lure to try and nab rare fish before month end. Love this game.

– Peer Schneider

DON’T LOVE: Sea Bass

Haha, more like C+ Bass. Haha, get it?

More like C+ Bass, haha.

MORE LIKE C+ BASS.

GET IT?!

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Those are some of the things we love (and don’t love) about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. What about you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to check out our guides to getting as many DIY recipes as possible or how to get a perfect island rating in our Animal Crossing wiki!