Summary
While the core gameplay of theAnimal Crossingseries hasn’t changed much since the original GameCube title, the smaller features that players can take part in have varied from game to game. Even withAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsleaning into the creative side of the series, at its core,Animal Crossinghas always been about socializing with villagers and building a cozy life for the player. However, the nextAnimal Crossinggame could refresh the series' side activities and liven up nighttime gameplay by bringing back the constellation creation feature from past entries.
Given theAnimal Crossingseries' real-time gameplay, many players end up experiencing the majority of the game at night when they have the time to jump in for a session. As such, it would make sense that the series would offer players more activities to do at night and other ways to make nighttime gameplay more interesting. WhileAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsfeatures things like shooting stars, rare bugs and fish, and thespecial character Wisp at night, the return of constellations could add another layer of nighttime ambiance while also giving players another fun daytime activity to experience.
Animal Crossing Could Refresh Nighttime Activities by Bringing Back Constellations
Constellations were introduced to theAnimal Crossingseries inAnimal Crossing: Wild World, which allowed players to view the night sky thanks to the second screen of theNintendo DS. This mechanic allowed players to create their own constellations by visiting Celeste at the observatory on the second floor of the museum, which could then be viewed at certain times of the year by looking at the upper screen of the DS at night. While this mechanic returned inAnimal Crossing: City Folk, it has been cut from the series in entries since.
Celeste still appears in more recent entries likeAnimal Crossing: New LeafandAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, but she no longer allows players to create custom constellations. Although this mechanic was originally introduced to take advantage of the DS' dual-screen capabilities, its presence inAnimal Crossing: City Folkon the Wiishows that two screens are not a necessity. As such, the nextAnimal Crossinggame could easily bring back constellation creation with new functionality, even if the rumored Switch 2 doesn’t feature dual screens as some have speculated.
Constellations Could Affect More than Just Nighttime in a Future Animal Crossing Game
While constellations are a fun side activity that can help add a cozier feel to nighttime gameplay, this mechanic could have a bigger role in the nextAnimal Crossinggame if it ends up returning. One aspect of the constellation mechanic that was present inAnimal Crossing: City Folkwas the chance forKatrina’s fortuneto include the player’s custom constellation. This small feature made the work players put into creating their constellations feel like they were actually affecting the world and not just decorating the night sky, and a similar idea could be expanded upon if the constellation mechanic returns in the next entry.
Instead of simply affecting the player’s fortune, perhaps the nextAnimal Crossingcould feature a constellation mechanic where the mood of certain villagers is affected by which constellation is currently visible. Similar to the idea of astrology, this mechanic could consider each villager’s birthday and change the types of interactions players have with them, making some villagers more rude at certain times of the year while making other villagers more friendly and likely to give the player a random gift during other times. Not only would this give constellations more relevance, but it would also help improve player complaints aboutAnimal Crossingvillager personalitiesfeeling too one-note.
