Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Escaping to a virtual island paradise with your anthropomorphic pals has never sounded so appealing… but does the game match the hype?

There couldn’t be a game better suited to easing self-isolation anxiety than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. What could be more relaxing than frolicking on a desert island with a bunch of talking animals?

In this first Switch entry in the laid-back life-sim series, you volunteer to be part of an island relocation led by property tycoon (and raccoon) Tom Nook. While previous installments saw your human character moving into a small town already occupied by eccentric beasts, the first few days here will be spent living out of a tent, as Nook cheerfully asks you to create a paradise with little more than a handful of twigs.