After playing Pokémon Legends: Arceus a great deal, I have personally come to enjoy the series new take on the Pokémon formula. The whole Jubilife town setting is awesome, with shops, crops, and customization of characters. The added functions have really put a bit more depth and fresh spin on what I have been accustomed to in a Pokémon game. But with an open world and revitalized system, how could this formula be applied to other games such as the Animal Crossing series?

I have imagined playing as a villager in a whole different perspective. Taking the traditional top down and scrolling view and changing it into an over the shoulder camera view could really change the way we look at, play, and interact in this simulation game. Imagine if you moved into a village that was just starting out and you of course lead the way with our friendly bell hungry boy, Tom Nook. With Tom setting up shop, you will have plenty of time to go to the forest to cut your own trees, head over to the mill, then make your own lumber as you start to build your very own house. Over the course of the game, you will have opportunities to expand, use brick or stone for house improvements, and even eventually buy land for vacation homes like a forest treehouse, mountain cabin, or seaside bungalow. Which would be similar to finding the camp areas in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, also allowing you to fast travel to these points of interest.     

The wild areas are where you go fishing, hunt insects, dig for fossils, mine for ore, and gather fruit. The vast areas have a lot to offer and explore. Go out to the island with Kapp’n on his seaworthy rowboat for some offshore activities, create a garden maze with Leif, go scuba diving for pearls with Pascal, and maybe even hang glide or hot air balloon with Wilbur and Orville. The museum would be bigger and better with seasonal DLC for new fish, insects, and fossils.  You could visit other people’s towns that show up on your map when you are connected to the online crossing zone mode. The scope of the new perspective could widely expand the franchise and bring about positive change.     

Just like Pokémon evolve so must game series to keep them fresh and relevant to the audience. I’m not sure if this is a viable solution or direction in which Animal Crossing could head, but I do believe thinking outside the box will bring about new and exciting possibilities out of the ideas that were generated.

Would Pokémon Legends: Arceus vast world make a good setting for an Animal Crossing future title? Would another Nintendo franchise benefit from using this style of game for its next adventure? What do you or don’t you like about Pokémon Legends: Arceus or Animal Crossing: New Horizons games? Please let us know how you would organize the next game in the series.

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Featured Image: Comicbook.com